国家地理：走进古老而又神秘的埃及
One hundred and fifty years ago, the king France had this obelisk brought from Egypt to grace the heart of Paris. Three thousand years earlier, it had been dedicated to the Great Pharaoh Ramses II with these words:
"So long as heaven exists, your monument shall exist and your name shall endure like the heaven."
词汇注解：
obelisk: a tall, four-sided shaft of stone, usually tapered and monolithic, that rises to a pointed pyramidal top (埃及的)方尖塔[碑]
Great Pharaoh Ramses II: 大法老拉美西斯二世
Through the 30th centuries that the pharaohs ruled Egypt, the people of the Nile graved the most glorious monuments the world has ever seen. Among them, the largest place of worship in the ancient world.
Thesemiracles in stone were tributes to their Gods and Kings. They believed that men like the sun could die and be reborn. They constructed elaborate tombs to protect the body and house the soul through all eternity. They created guides to the underworld, Books of the Dead to ensure immortality. And on their monuments, they left the testimony of their faith. These inscriptions are keys with which we unlock the secrets of ancient Egypt.
elaborate: intricate and rich in detail 精致的，精巧的
house: to shelter, keep, or store in 安置，安放
through all eternity: 千秋万代
underworld: the world of the dead, located below the world of the living 冥界
Book of the Dead: a collection of ancient Egyptian funerary texts from various periods, containing prayers, magic formulas, and hymns to be used by the soul of the deceased for guidance and protection on its journey to the afterlife 度亡经
And as they have, since the first days of Herodotus, Anthony and Cleopatra, thousands journey here to see these wonders.
...but today having endured for 50 centuries.
These seemingly imperishable structures are threatened. Their fate may be determined in our lifetime.
imperishable: not subject to decay or deterioration 不朽的，永恒的
So people of science, soul and conscience travelled here from all over the globe to save the priceless monuments, to decipher the meaning of the messages before they disappear forever.
This is the story of the land of Egypt and the quest for eternity.
