Exploring Ancient Egypt(b)|埃及：神秘的古文明

Exploring Ancient Egypt

by Daniel Howard and Brian Foden

Egypt is the famous home to some of the best-preserved artifacts of ancient times.

　　Currently, tourists to Egypt wanting to see mummies and other preserved artifacts of the country's ancient past eagerly pay a visit to the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities. Located in Cairo's Tahrir Square, the Egyptian Museum, as it is commonly referred to as, is a salmon-colored building that is rather unremarkable in its architectural makeup. On the other hand, the planned Grand Egyptian Museum, scheduled to open a mere two kilometers away from the Pyramids of Giza in August of 2015, features a much more distinctive, elaborate design. The design was chosen in 2003 at the end of an international competition. During the contest, a total of 1,557 entries were submitted, but the one sent in by Heneghan Peng won the US$250,000 prize. Estimates for costs of the construction range from US$550 million to roughly US$800 million.

　　One of the most striking architectural features of the Grand Egyptian Museum will be a translucent alabaster stone wall that will make up the building's front facade. When construction is completed, the facility will have an exhibition space of about 35,000 square meters, housing roughly 100,000 artifacts. In addition to displaying a rich variety of items from ancient times, including the treasures of King Tut, the museum will also incorporate virtual reality. Already, the museum's conservation and restoration center is up and running, with experts using the latest technology to examine and work on touching up exhibits. For a country that has seen its tourism industry battered by recent social unrest and violence, the Grand Egyptian Museum is definitely a bright hope for the future.

 

 

埃及：神秘的古文明

埃及是某些保存最完好的古代文物的著名所在地。

　　目前，那些想到埃及看看木乃伊以及该国保存良好古老文物的游客都会热切地前去造访埃及博物馆。埃及博物馆位于开罗的解放广场，就像它通常被提及的，它是一栋建筑结构相当平凡的鲑鱼色建筑。另一方面，计划中的大埃及博物馆预定在 2015 年八月于距离吉萨金字塔仅仅两公里的地方开幕，该馆会以更加独特与精致的设计为特色。该设计于 2003 年在一项国际比赛结束后雀屏中选。在比赛期间，共有一千五百五十七项作品参赛，但彭士佛的这项参赛作品赢得了二十五万美元的奖金。估计施工成本的花费为五点五亿美元至八亿美元左右。

　　大埃及博物馆其中一个最引人注目的建筑特色将会是建筑物正面为半透明条纹大理石的石墙。建筑工程完工后，该博物馆将有大约三万五千平方公尺的展览空间，可容纳大约十万件的文物。除了展示丰富多样的古代文物，包括图坦卡门王的宝藏之外，该博物馆也将融合虚拟实境。目前博物馆的文物保存及修复中心已经启动并运作，专家们使用最新的技术来检测并致力于修补这些展示品。对于一个已经目睹其旅游业因近期的社会动荡和暴力而受挫的国家而言，大埃及博物馆绝对会是未来的一道曙光。