Machu Picchu is one of the world's most impressive historical sites（历史遗迹）. It was built around 1450 by the Incas（印加人）, who ruled most of South America at that time. They called themselves children of the Sun, the powerful god they worshipped（崇拜，尊崇） as the source of light and life.
马丘比丘是世界上最令人印象深刻的历史遗迹之一。它是由印加人在1450年左右建造的，当时印加人统治着南美洲的大部分地区。他们称自己是太阳的孩子，他们崇拜太阳，认为太阳是光明和生命的源泉。
Located in the Andes Mountains of Peru（秘鲁安第斯山脉）, at 8,000 feet above sea level, the"City of the Incas" was mysteriously abandoned just 100 years after its construction. This was when the Spanish were beginning their conquest（征服，占领） of the Inca Empire（帝国，集团）, in the 1530's.
位于秘鲁安第斯山脉，海拔8000英尺，“印加之城”在建成仅仅100年后就神秘地被遗弃了。此时正是16世纪30年代，西班牙人开始征服印加帝国。
There is no evidence that the Spanish invaders ever attacked or even reached the mountaintop city, so many believe that the city's inhabitants(居民) deserted the site because of a small pox （天花）epidemic.
没有证据表明西班牙入侵者曾经袭击过这座山顶城市，甚至他们都没有到达过这座城市，所以许多人认为，这座城市的居民因为一场天花的流行而离开了这个地方。
The city was almost forgotten until 1911 when it was discovered by an American historian, Hiram Bingham, after he heard rumors of its existence. Bingham was led to the site by local farmers and was amazed by what he saw, which seemed like an unbelievable dream.
这座城市几乎被人遗忘，直到1911年，美国历史学家海勒姆·宾厄姆(Hiram Bingham)听到有关它存在的谣言后，才发现了它。宾厄姆在当地农民的带领下来到了现场，他被眼前的景象惊呆了，这似乎是一场难以置信的梦。
He wondered if anyone would believe what he had found. Though the surrounding jungle had overgrown（生长过度，长满） the site, what remained was impressive. The city had been built on a remote and nearly inaccessible mountaintop, often shrouded （覆盖，遮蔽）in clouds. Forty rows of farming terraces （梯田）hugged（拥抱） the steep mountainside, each over 10 feet high and linked together by over 3000 stone steps.
他不知道是否有人会相信他的发现。虽然周围的丛林已经长满了遗址，但其余的部分却令人印象深刻。这座城市建在一个偏僻的、几乎难以到达的山顶上，山顶经常被云笼罩着。四十排梯田环绕着陡峭的山坡，每个梯田都超过10英尺高，由3000多个石阶连接在一起。
Among the city were what appeared to be neighborhoods of homes and exquisite（精致的） stone buildings that are thought to be temples. Even today, the mystery remains as to the purpose of these temples, how the city was used and what its citizens did.
在这座城市中，有一些似乎是住宅区和被认为是寺庙的精美石头建筑。即使在今天，这些寺庙的用途、城市的使用方式以及市民的行为仍然是一个谜。
Despite its remote location, Machu Picchu has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Every year, thousands of people travel to Peru to admire（欣赏，仰慕） its magnificent（宏伟的，壮丽的） stonework（石雕工艺） and breathtaking（令人惊叹的） design. What they see is a wonderful harmony（和谐） between the city and the landscape around it that is captivating（迷人的，有魅力的）.
尽管地处偏远，马丘比丘已成为世界上最受欢迎的旅游目的地之一。每年，成千上万的人前往秘鲁欣赏其宏伟的石雕和令人叹为观止的设计。他们所看到的是城市和周围景观之间的美妙和谐，令人着迷。