Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu written by Julia McGreevy. Focus question. What do people today know about Machu Picchu and the Inca people?

《马丘比丘》，作者朱莉娅·麦格里维。聚焦问题。 如今的人们对马丘比丘和印加人有哪些了解呢？

The Hidden City High in the Andes Mountains of Peru is an ancient city, Machu Picchu. No one has lived there for hundreds of years. The city was hidden by thick forests and nearly forgotten for a long time.

隐秘之城在秘鲁安第斯山脉的高处坐落着一座古城，它就是马丘比丘。 数百年来都没有人在这里居住。 这座城市被茂密的森林遮盖，在很长一段时间里几乎被世人遗忘。

Then, in 1911, an American explorer named Hiram Bingham climbed up a long, steep path. When he reached the top, he was amazed at what he saw. There were ancient roads, stone walls, and buildings. Bingham knew this was an important city. He understood that Machu Picchu was an ancient treasure of the Inca people.

后来到了1911年，一位名叫海勒姆·宾厄姆的美国探险家沿着漫长又陡峭的山路向上攀登。 等他爬到山顶时，眼前的景象让他大为惊叹。 那里有古老的道路、石墙和建筑。 宾厄姆明白这是一座非常重要的城市。 他意识到马丘比丘是印加人留下的古老宝藏。

The Inca People It is not easy to learn about the Inca. Many experts think they had no written language. People learn what their lives were like by studying what they left behind. Experts think the Inca first lived in the mountains of Peru. They became good at making buildings and roads. They also knew how to grow crops for food.

关于印加人，想要了解他们的历史并不容易。 很多专家认为印加人没有书面文字。 人们只能通过研究他们留下的物品来了解他们的生活。 专家认为印加人最早居住在秘鲁的山区。 他们十分擅长建造房屋和道路。 他们还懂得如何种植庄稼作为食物。

An Inca leader named Pachacuti ruled from 1438 to 1471. Experts think Machu Picchu may have been built for him. Under his leadership, the empire stretched through what are now the countries of Ecuador and Peru. The Inca Empire grew as the Inca won battles with nearby enemies. Over time, it grew to include about 12 million people. Cuba, Greece, and many other countries today have fewer people.

一位名叫帕查库特克的印加领袖在1438年到1471年间统治印加。 专家认为马丘比丘可能就是为他建造的。 在他的统治下，印加帝国的疆域覆盖了如今的厄瓜多尔和秘鲁等国。 随着印加人战胜了周边的敌人，印加帝国的版图不断扩张。 随着时间推移，帝国的人口增长到了约1200万。 如今的古巴、希腊还有很多其他国家的人口都还没有这么多呢。

Building Machu Picchu Why did the Inca build Machu Picchu so high in the mountains? Experts think it may have been so they could observe people moving below in the valley. Yet people below could not see that there was a city on top. Even if they had, the location would have been easy to defend.

建造马丘比丘 为什么印加人要把马丘比丘建在这么高的山上呢？ 专家认为这样一来他们就能观察山谷里往来的人群。 但山谷里的人却看不到山顶上还有一座城市。 就算他们发现了，这个位置也极易防守。