Seven wonders of the world - Семь чудес света
The ancients look,ed upon the following man-made
things as the seven wonders of the world: the Pyramids
of Egypt; the H anging Gardens of Babylon (a series
of terraced gardens rising three hundred feet above
the ground, said to have been built by king Nebuchadnezzar to please, his wife, who wearied of the plains of
Babylon); the Temple of Diana at Ephesus burnt down
by Herostratbs who wanted to make himself famous; the
Statue of Jupiter by Phidias at Olympia; the Colossus
of Rhodes, a gigantic statue of bronze over one hundred
feet high, and towering above the entrance to the harbour; the Mausoleum, or tomb of Mausolus, at H alicarnassus; and the Pharos (lighthouse) of Alexandria.
So much has been written about the wonders of the
ancient world that it is hard to distinguish between history and fable. Only the Pyramids of Egypt still survive as wonders.
In metaphorical speech the words one of the seven
wonders of the world are applied to something really
wonderful or magnificent. The words gave rise to the
phrase the eighth wonder which is used ironically.
1. Семью чудесами света назывались в древности семь памятников строительного искусства и скульптуры, поражавших современников своей грандиозностью и великолепием. 2. К ним относятся: египетские пирамиды, висячие сады в Вавилоне, храм Дианы Эфесской, статуя колосса Родосского, статуя Зевса работы греческого скульптора Фидия, гробница Мавсола в Галикарнасе и маяк на острове Фарос. 3. В образной речи одним из чудес света называют что-либо замечательное, великолепное, выдающееся. 4. Отсюда же возникло выражение восьмое чудо света, употребляемое в том же значении, обычно иронически.