Istanbul

Istanbul, written by Kira Freed. Focus question. Where is Istanbul, and what can you see there?

伊斯坦布尔，作者：基拉·弗里德。 思考问题： 伊斯坦布尔在哪里，你在那儿能看到什么？

One city, two worlds. A ship arrives at the port of a grand city, carrying goods from Europe to Asia. Parts of this amazing city are on each continent. This is Istanbul, Turkey. Over 15 million people live here. Over the years, Istanbul has had other rulers and other names. Its story is told through its beautiful landmarks.

一座城市，两个世界。 一艘船抵达这座宏伟城市的港口，满载着从欧洲运往亚洲的货物。 这座神奇城市的不同部分，分属两个大洲。 这里就是土耳其的伊斯坦布尔。 超过一千五百万人居住在这里。 千百年来，伊斯坦布尔曾被不同统治者统治，也有过别的名字。 它的故事，就藏在那些美丽的地标建筑里。

where in the world? Istanbul is in the northwest corner of Turkey. It lies on both sides of a natural waterway called the Strait of Bosphorus. This waterway connects two seas. Istanbul has the most people of any city in Europe.

它在世界的哪里？ 伊斯坦布尔位于土耳其的西北角。 它横跨天然航道博斯普鲁斯海峡的两岸。 这条航道连接着两片海洋。 伊斯坦布尔是欧洲人口最多的城市。

History. Istanbul has been an important port since long ago. It is on the only trade route between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. The location has also helped people spread ideas between the East and West. People have lived in this part of the world since 7500 BCE. Baezas brought his settlers there around 660 BCE.

历史 伊斯坦布尔自古以来就是重要港口。 它地处黑海和地中海之间唯一的贸易通道上。 优越的地理位置也帮东西方的人们传播思想。 早在公元前7500年，就有人类在这里居住了。 大约公元前660年，贝扎斯率领殖民者来到这里。

Istanbul has been the capital of four empires. Its name was changed to Constantinople in the early 400s CE to honor the Roman ruler Constantine the Great. It became an Ottoman city called Constantinople in 1453. The city has been called Istanbul since 1930. Many landmarks and parts of the city have been destroyed and rebuilt over the years. Let's visit some of Istanbul's most interesting landmarks.

伊斯坦布尔曾是四个帝国的首都。 公元5世纪初，它改名为君士坦丁堡，纪念罗马统治者君士坦丁大帝。 1453年，它成为奥斯曼帝国的城市，仍沿用君士坦丁堡这个名字。 从1930年开始，这座城市就正式叫做伊斯坦布尔了。 这些年来，城市里的许多地标和区域都被毁后重建。 咱们一起去参观伊斯坦布尔最有意思的几处地标吧。

Underground cistern. The underground cistern is a huge water tank that is no longer used. Long ago, it was the most important water supply for the city. The cistern is made up of 336 stone posts with arches between them. Water for the tank came from a lake near the Black Sea.

地下蓄水池 地下蓄水池是一处不再使用的巨型储水池。 很久以前，它是这座城市最重要的水源。 蓄水池由336根石柱组成，石柱之间是拱形结构。 池中的水源自黑海附近的一处湖泊。