Words & phrases
长城
cháng chéng
the Great Wall
城墙
chéng qiáng
city wall; defensive wall
烽火台
fēng huǒ tái
beacon tower
Model sentences
万里长城沿着山势不断延伸。
wàn lǐ cháng chéng yán zhe shān shì bù duàn yán shēn。
The Great Wall extends along the mountains.
古老的城墙经过了长期风雨。
gǔ lǎo de chéng qiáng jīng guò le cháng qī fēng yǔ。
The ancient walls have endured wind and rain over a long time.
山顶的烽火台曾经用于传递警报。
shān dǐng de fēng huǒ tái céng jīng yòng yú chuán dì jǐng bào。
Watchtowers on the peaks were once used to relay warnings.
长城在山岭之间蜿蜒起伏。
cháng chéng zài shān lǐng zhī jiān wān yán qǐ fú。
The Great Wall winds up and down between mountain ridges.
修建长城需要大量人力和时间。
xiū jiàn cháng chéng xū yào dà liàng rén lì hé shí jiān。
Building the Great Wall required enormous labour and time.
参观遗址时，我们应当保护古老建筑。
cān guān yí zhǐ shí， wǒ men yīng dāng bǎo hù gǔ lǎo jiàn zhù。
When visiting historic remains, we should protect the ancient structures.
万里长城
群山之间，长城沿着山脊向远处伸展。高处的城墙像一条长龙，越过山坡，又绕过山谷，时而清楚，时而藏在重叠的山影后面。
qún shān zhī jiān， cháng chéng yán zhe shān jí xiàng yuǎn chù shēn zhǎn。 gāo chù de chéng qiáng xiàng yì tiáo cháng lóng， yuè guò shān pō， yòu rào guò shān gǔ， shí ér qīng chu， shí ér cáng zài chóng dié de shān yǐng hòu miàn。
Among the mountains, the Great Wall stretches along the ridges. Like a long dragon, it climbs slopes and skirts valleys, sometimes clearly visible and sometimes hidden by overlapping hills.
走近城墙，可以看见整齐的砖石和向上延伸的台阶。有的地方坡度很陡，游人放慢脚步，扶着栏杆，一步步走向高处。
zǒu jìn chéng qiáng， kě yǐ kàn jiàn zhěng qí de zhuān shí hé xiàng shàng yán shēn de tái jiē。 yǒu de dì fang pō dù hěn dǒu， yóu rén fàng màn jiǎo bù， fú zhe lán gān， yí bù bù zǒu xiàng gāo chù。
Up close, visitors see rows of bricks and steps rising ahead. On steep sections they slow down, hold the railing and climb carefully.
城墙上分布着不同的台和楼。古时，守卫在这里观察远方，传递警报。山风吹过空着的窗口，今天的游人从同一个地方望出去，眼前却是安静的山野。
chéng qiáng shàng fēn bù zhe bù tóng de tái hé lóu。 gǔ shí， shǒu wèi zài zhè lǐ guān chá yuǎn fāng， chuán dì jǐng bào。 shān fēng chuī guò kōng zhe de chuāng kǒu， jīn tiān de yóu rén cóng tóng yí ge dì fang wàng chū qu， yǎn qián què shì ān jìng de shān yě。
Towers and platforms stand along the wall. In the past, guards watched the distance and sent warnings. Mountain winds now pass through the windows, where visitors look out over peaceful countryside.
长城不是在同一年修成的，不同年代的人修建、连接和整修城墙。砖石的形状、城墙的位置，留下了不同时期劳动的痕迹。
cháng chéng bú shì zài tóng yì nián xiū chéng de， bù tóng nián dài de rén xiū jiàn、 lián jiē hé zhěng xiū chéng qiáng。 zhuān shí de xíng zhuàng、 chéng qiáng de wèi zhì， liú xià le bù tóng shí qī láo dòng de hén jì。
The wall was not built in one year. People in different periods built, joined and repaired its sections. The stones and locations preserve traces of their work.
搬运材料、砌起墙体、铺好道路，都需要许多人合作。在没有现代运输工具的年代，把沉重的材料送上山尤其困难。
bān yùn cái liào、 qì qǐ qiáng tǐ、 pù hǎo dào lù， dōu xū yào xǔ duō rén hé zuò。 zài méi yǒu xiàn dài yùn shū gōng jù de nián dài， bǎ chén zhòng de cái liào sòng shàng shān yóu qí kùn nán。
Transporting materials, building walls and laying paths required many workers. Carrying heavy materials uphill was particularly difficult without modern transport.
夕阳落在砖墙上，远处的山色渐渐变深。游人沿开放的道路返回，带走随身的垃圾，把完整的砖石和山中的宁静留给后来的人。
xī yáng luò zài zhuān qiáng shàng， yuǎn chù de shān sè jiàn jiàn biàn shēn。 yóu rén yán kāi fàng de dào lù fǎn huí， dài zǒu suí shēn de lā jī， bǎ wán zhěng de zhuān shí hé shān zhōng de níng jìng liú gěi hòu lái de rén。
The setting sun lights the bricks as distant hills darken. Visitors return along the open paths, taking their rubbish and leaving the stones and mountain peace for those who come next.
Conversation
A 图片里的长城是一条直线吗？
tú piàn lǐ de cháng chéng shì yì tiáo zhí xiàn ma？
Is the wall in the picture a straight line?
B 不是，它随着山势蜿蜒起伏。
bú shì， tā suí zhe shān shì wān yán qǐ fú。
No. It winds and rises with the mountains.
A 烽火台有什么用途？
fēng huǒ tái yǒu shén me yòng tú？
What were beacon towers for?
B 过去用于传递警报。
guò qù yòng yú chuán dì jǐng bào。
They were used to transmit warnings.
A 万里这个名称能当作精确数字吗？
wàn lǐ zhè ge míng chēng néng dàng zuò jīng què shù zì ma？
Can the name meaning ‘ten thousand li’ serve as an exact measurement?
B 不能，具体长度要说明测量的范围。
bù néng， jù tǐ cháng dù yào shuō míng cè liáng de fàn wéi。
No. A precise length needs a defined measurement scope.
