The Great Wall of China is a series of fortifications made of stone, brick, tamped earth, wood, and other materials, generally built along an east-to-west line across the historical northern borders of China in order to protect the Chinese Empire or its prototypical states against intrusions by various nomadic groups.
中國長城是一系列的防禦工事，由石塊、磚頭、夯實土、木材和其他材料建成。長城沿中國歷史上的北部邊界線從東到西建造，以保護中華帝國或其重要的藩國，對抗各種遊牧民族的入侵。
In 221 BC, Emperor Qin Shihuang ordered the walls of the Qin, Zhao and Yan kingdoms in the north to be linked up and reinforced, after he united China.
公元前221年，秦始皇統一中國後，下令把北邊原來秦國、趙國和燕國的長城連起來並加固。
The extended new wall stretched from Lintao to Liaodong, with a total length of over 20,000 li.
這樣，擴建後的秦長城從臨洮延伸至遼東，總長20000多裡。
With the fall of the Sui and the rise of the Tang Dynasty, the Great Wall lost its importance as a fortification.
隨著隋朝的覆滅和唐代的興起，長城變得不再那麼重要。
During the Song Dynasty, the Chinese were forced to withdraw under threat from the Liao and Jin peoples to the north, who took over many areas on both sides of the Great Wall.
宋朝期間，中國人被迫撤到北方，北遼和金佔領了長城兩邊的許多領域。
The powerful Yuan Dynasty established by Genghis Khan eventually controlled all of China, parts of Asia and sections of Europe.
成吉思汗建立了強大的元朝，統治了整個中國、亞洲部分地區和部分歐洲。
The Great Wall held importance for the Mongols as a military fortification.
長城作為軍事要塞，起到了重要作用。
It was during the Ming Dynasty that the Wall took on its present form.
現在所看到的長城是明朝的長城。
At that time, it stretched some 6,300 kilometers from the Yalujiang River in the east to Jiayuguan Pass in the west, and is known as the Ten Thousand Li Wall.
明代長城，東起鴨綠江，西至嘉峪關，長達6300公裡，被稱為「萬裡長城」。
Today, the Great Wall is generally recognized as one of the most impressive architectural feats in history.
現如今，長城已成為歷史上最令人印象深刻的建築之一。
In 1987, UNESCO designated the Great Wall a World Heritage site, and a popular claim that emerged in the 20th century holds that it is the only manmade structure that is visible from space.
1987年，聯合國教科文組織將長城列為世界文化遺產。自20世紀起便出現一種說法，稱「長城是地球上唯一可以從太空用肉眼觀測到的人造建築。」
The Great Wall, both as a cultural relic and unique natural landscape, is a miracle in human history.
中國長城，不僅是歷史文化古蹟，也是獨一無二的自然景觀，是人類的奇蹟。
No other ancient building in the world has been constructed for so long a time, no such a grand scale and at so tremendous a cost.
世界上沒有哪座古代建築像長城那樣歷時漫長、規模宏大、耗費巨大。