世界上最美麗的十個地方（八）約旦佩特拉

　　Petra, Jordan

　　Described by the UNESCO as “one of the most precious cultural properties of man’s cultural heritage, Petra is an archeological site on the slope of Mount Hor. It is one of the new wonders of the world and is famous for its rock cut architecture.

　　約旦 佩特拉

　　被聯(lián)合國教科文組織稱為“人類文化遺產(chǎn)中最珍貴的文化財產(chǎn)”。佩特拉是在何珥山的斜坡上被考古學家發(fā)現(xiàn)的。這是世界上新的一個奇跡，并以其巖石掘進的建筑而稱著。

　　This site was kept hidden till 1812 when it was discovered by a Swiss explorer. It was said to have been prepared by God for the Jewish people. Petra once flourished under the Roman empire but a rapid decline began with the Arabian trade being taken elsewhere. Then an earthquake caused a lot of destruction. Tourists throng the place to get a glimpse of the ruins of this beautiful city.

　　該遺址一直被掩埋，一直到1812年才被一名瑞士的探險者發(fā)現(xiàn)。據(jù)說，這座建筑是上帝為猶太人建造的。佩特拉在羅馬帝國時代盛極一時，但由于阿拉伯的貿(mào)易中心的轉(zhuǎn)移到別處而迅速衰落。然后地震又帶來了巨大的破壞。旅游者蜂擁而至以一睹這座美麗城市的廢墟。