世界之旅:The Eiffel Tower, (艾菲爾鐵塔)

Eiffel Tower, the symbol of Paris was built in 1887 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. It is named after its designer, Eiffel. The 320-meter-high tower is a hollow steel framed structure and shoots straight up to the clouds. It weighs 9000 tons.

巴黎艾菲爾鐵燈火輝煌

The Eiffel Tower was built
for the International Exhibition
of Paris of 1889 commemorating
the centenary of the French Revolution.
The Prince of Wales,
later King Edward VII of England,
opened the tower.
Of the 700 proposals submitted
in a design competition,
Gustave Eiffel's was unanimously chosen.

However it was not accepted
by all at first,
and a petition of 300 names - including
those of Maupassant,
Emile Zola,
Charles Garnier
(architect of the Opéra Garnier),
and Dumas the Younger -
protested its construction.

At 300 metres
(320.75m including antenna),
and 7000 tons,
it was the world's tallest building until 1930.
Other statistics include:

2.5 million rivets.
300 steel workers,
and 2 years (1887-1889) to construct it.
Sway of at most 12 cm in high winds.
Height varies up to 15 cm depending on temperature.
15,000 iron pieces (excluding rivets).
40 tons of paint.
1652 steps to the top.
It was almost torn down in 1909,
but was saved because of its antenna -
used for telegraphy at that time.
Beginning in 1910
it became part of the
International Time Service.
French radio (since 1918),
and French television
(since 1957) have also made
use of its stature.

During its lifetime,
the Eiffel Tower has also witnessed
a few strange scenes,
including being scaled
by a mountaineer in 1954,
and parachuted off of in 1984
by two Englishmen.
In 1923 a journalist rode a bicycle down
from the first level.
Some accounts say he rode down the stairs,
other accounts suggest the exterior
of one of the tower's four legs
which slope outward.

However, if its birth was difficult,
it is now completely accepted
and must be listed
as one of the symbols of Paris itself.

Notes

The tower has three platforms.
A restaurant (extremely expensive;
reservations absolutely necessary),
the Jules Verne is on the second platform.
The top platform has a bar,
souvenir shop, and the (recently restored)
office of Gustave Eiffel.
From its platforms -
especially the topmost -
the view upon Paris is superb.
It is generally agreed
that one hour before sunset,
the panorama is at its best.