The 105-foot-tall (38-meter-tall) "Christ the Redeemer" statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was among the "new seven wonders of the world" announced July 7 following a global poll to decide a new list of human-made marvels.
The winners were voted for by Internet and phone, American Idol style. The other six new wonders are the Colosseum in Rome, India's Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China, Jordan's ancient city of Petra, the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru, and the ancient Maya city of Chichén Itzá in Mexico.
Great Wall of China
This newly elected world wonder was built along China's northern border over many centuries to keep out invading Mongol tribes.
Constructed between the fifth century B.C. and the 16th century, the Great Wall is the world's longest human-made structure, stretching some 4,000 miles (6,400 kilometers). The best known section was built around 200 B.C. by the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang Di.
The wall was among the winners of the New7Wonders poll announced during a televised ceremony in Lisbon, Portugal. However the Chinese state broadcaster chose not to broadcast the event, and Chinese state heritage officials refused to endorse the competition.
It was a different story for some of the other candidates. In Brazil, for example, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva encouraged his compatriots to vote for Rio de Janeiro's mountaintop statue of Jesus Christ.
The Colosseum, Rome, Italy
The only finalist from Europe to make it into the top seven—the Colosseum in Rome, Italy—once held up to 50,000 spectators who came to watch gory games involving gladiators, wild animals, and prisoners.
Construction began around A.D. 70 under Emperor Vespasian. Modern sports stadiums still resemble the Colosseum's famous design.
European sites that didn't make the cut include Stonehenge in the United Kingdom, the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, and the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.
The Vatican in Rome accused the competition's organizers of ignoring Christian monuments, none of which was featured among the 20 finalists. Archbishop Mauro Piacenza, head of culture and archaeology at the Vatican, called the omission of sites such as the Sistine Chapel “inexplicable.”
Petra, Jordan
Perched on the edge of the Arabian Desert, Petra was the capital of the Nabataean kingdom of King Aretas IV (9 B.C. to A.D. 40).
Petra is famous for its many stone structures such as a 138-foot-tall (42-meter-tall) temple carved with classical facades into rose-colored rock. The ancient city also included tunnels, water chambers, and an amphitheater, which held 4,000 people.
The desert site wasn't known to the West until Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt came across it in 1812.
Jordan has taken the New7Wonders competition seriously. Petra is an important attraction in a country where tourism has recently suffered due to troubles in the Middle East region, particularly in neighboring Iraq.
The Jordanian royal family backed a campaign promoting Petra's selection.
Machu Picchu, Peru
One of three successful candidates from Latin America, Machu Picchu is a 15th-century mountain settlement in the Amazon region of Peru.
The ruined city is among the best known remnants of the Inca civilization, which flourished in the Andes region of western South America. The city is thought to have been abandoned following an outbreak of deadly smallpox, a disease introduced in the 1500s by invading Spanish forces.
Hundreds of people gathered at the remote, 7,970-foot-high (2,430-meter-high) site on Saturday to celebrate Machu Picchu's new “seven wonders” status.
The winners were revealed at a soccer stadium in the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, where Machu Picchu reportedly got one of the biggest cheers.
The other two Latin American selections were Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Chichén Itzá, Mexico.
Chichén Itzá, Mexico
Chichén Itzá is possibly the most famous temple city of the Mayas, a pre-Columbian civilization that lived in present day Central America. It was the political and religious center of Maya civilization during the period from A.D. 750 to 1200.
At the city's heart lies the Temple of Kukulkan (pictured)—which rises to a height of 79 feet (24 meters). Each of its four sides has 91 steps—one step for each day of the year, with the 365th day represented by the platform on the top.
The New7Wonders competition was launched in 1999, and the voting process beginning in 2005. Nearly 200 nominations that came in from around the world were narrowed down to 21.
Unsuccessful finalists included the giant statues of Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean; the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia; and the Sydney Opera House in Australia.
Taj Mahal, India
The Taj Mahal, in Agra, India, is the spectacular mausoleum built by Muslim Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan to honor the memory of his beloved late wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
Construction began in 1632 and took about 15 years to complete. The opulent, domed mausoleum, which stands in formal walled gardens, is generally regarded as finest example of Mughal art and architecture. It includes four minarets, each more than 13 stories tall.
Shah Jahan was deposed and put under house arrest by one of his sons soon after the Taj Mahal's completion. It's said that he spent the rest of his days gazing at the Taj Mahal from a window.
The Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt
The Egyptian pharaoh Khufu built the Great Pyramid in about 2560 B.C. to serve as his tomb. The pyramid is the oldest structure on the original list of the seven wonders of the ancient world, which was compiled by Greek scholars about 2,200 years ago. It is also the only remaining survivor from the original list.
The Great Pyramid is the largest of three Pyramids at Giza, bordering modern-day Cairo. Although weathering has caused the structure to stand a few feet shorter today, the pyramid was about 480 feet (145 meters) high when it was first built. It is thought to have been the planet's tallest human-made structure for more than four millennia.
Initially the Giza Pyramids were top contenders in the Internet and phone ballot to make a new list of world wonders. But leading Egyptian officials were outraged by the contest, saying the pyramids shouldn't be put to a vote.
"This contest will not detract from the value of the Pyramids, which is the only real wonder of the world," Egypt's antiquities chief Zahi Hawass told the AFP news agency.
Instead competition organizers withdrew the Pyramids from the competition in April and granted them "honorary wonder" status.
The Colossus of Rhodes, Greece
In contrast to the pyramids, the colossus was the shortest lived of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Completed in 282 B.C. after taking 12 years to build, the Colossus of Rhodes was felled by an earthquake that snapped the statue off at the knees a mere 56 years later.
The towering figure—made of stone and iron with an outer skin of bronze—represented the Greek sun god Helios, the island's patron god. It looked out from Mandráki Harbor on the Mediterranean island of Ródos (Rhodes), although it is no longer believed to have straddled the harbor entrance as often shown in illustrations.
The Colossus stood about 110 feet (33 meters) tall, making it the tallest known statue of the ancient world. It was erected to celebrate the unification of the island's three city-states, which successfully resisted a long siege by the Antigonids of Macedonia.
The Lighthouse of Alexandra, Egypt
The lighthouse was the only ancient wonder that had a practical use, serving as a beacon for ships in the dangerous waters off the Egyptian port city of Alexandria, now called El Iskandarîya.
Constructed on the small island of Pharos between 285 and 247 B.C., the building was the world's tallest for many centuries. Its estimated height was 384 feet (117 meters)—equivalent to a modern 40-story building—though some people believe it was significantly taller.
The lighthouse was operated using fire at night and polished bronze mirrors that reflected the sun during the day. It's said the light could be seen for more than 35 miles (50 kilometers) out to sea.
The huge structure towered over the Mediterranean coast for more than 1,500 years before being seriously damaged by earthquakes in A.D. 1303 and 1323.
The Statue of Zeus at Olympia, Greece
The massive gold statue of the king of the Greek gods was built in honor of the original Olympic games, which began in the ancient city of Olympia.
The statue, completed by the classical sculptor Phidias around 432 B.C., sat on a jewel-encrusted wooden throne inside a temple overlooking the city. The 40-foot-tall (12-meter-tall) figure held a scepter in one hand and a small statue of the goddess of victory, Nike, in the other—both made from ivory and precious metals.
The temple was closed when the Olympics were banned as a pagan practice in A.D. 391, after Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire.
The statue was eventually destroyed, although historians debate whether it perished with the temple or was moved to Constantinople (now Istanbul) in Turkey and burned in a fire.
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Iraq
The hanging gardens are said to have stood on the banks of the Euphrates River in modern-day Iraq, although there's some doubt as to whether they ever really existed.
The Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II supposedly created the terraced gardens around 600 B.C. at his royal palace in the Mesopotamian desert. It is said the gardens were made to please the king's wife, who missed the lush greenery of her homeland in the Medes, in what is now northern Iran.
Archaeologists have yet to agree on the likely site of the hanging gardens, but findings in the region that could be its remains include the foundations of a palace and a nearby vaulted building with an irrigation well.
The most detailed descriptions of the gardens come from Greek historians. There is no mention of them in ancient Babylonian records.
The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, Turkey
The famous tomb at Halicarnassus—now the city of Bodrum—was built between 370 and 350 B.C. for King Mausolus of Caria, a region in the southwest of modern Turkey. Legend says that the king's grieving wife Artemisia II had the tomb constructed as a memorial to their love.
Mausolus was a satrap, or governor, in the Persian Empire, and his fabled tomb is the source of the word "mausoleum." The structure measured 120 feet (40 meters) long and 140 feet (45 meters) tall.
The tomb was most admired for its architectural beauty and splendor. The central burial chamber was decorated in gold, while the exterior was adorned with ornate stone friezes and sculptures created by four Greek artists.
The mausoleum stood intact until the early 15th century, when Christian Crusaders dismantled it for building material for a new castle. Some of the sculptures and frieze sections survived and can be seen today at the British Museum in London, England.
The Temple of Artemis, Turkey
The great marble temple dedicated to the Greek goddess Artemis was completed around 550 B.C. at Ephesus, near the modern-day town of Selçuk in Turkey.
In addition to its 120 columns, each standing 60 feet (20 meters) high, the temple was said to have held many exquisite artworks, including bronze statues of the Amazons, a mythical race of female warriors.
A man named Herostratus reportedly burned down the temple in 356 B.C. in an attempt to immortalize his name. After being restored, the temple was destroyed by the Goths in A.D. 262 and again by the Christians in A.D. 401 on the orders of Saint John Chrysostom, then archbishop of Constantinople (Istanbul).
Today the temple's foundations have been excavated and some of its columns re-erected.
译文:
古今7大奇迹
位于巴西里约热内卢的105英尺高（38米）的“耶稣基督救世主”雕像，通过全球民意测验，于7月7日被定为“新的世界7大奇迹”。胜出者是由互联网和美国偶像类型调查电话完成的，其余的六大奇迹分别是罗马圆形大剧场、印度泰姬陵、中国万里长城、约旦岩石古城、秘鲁Machu Picchu印加遗址、玛雅古城和墨西哥的Chichén Itzá。
中国万里长城
这项新选举出来的世界奇迹沿中国北部边境修建，是很久以前用来阻挡蒙古族部落的入侵的。
修建于公元5世纪到16世纪的万里长城，是世界最长的人类建筑，绵延4000英里（6400公里）。其中最著名的部分是由中国历史上第一位皇帝秦始皇于公元前200年下令修建的。
万里长城当选世界7大奇迹在葡萄牙里斯本的电视仪式上播出，但中国政府却不以为然，并未播出此事，而且中国国家遗产局并不认可此项比赛。
其他参赛者的态度则大相径庭，比如在巴西，总统Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva就发动全民选举里约热内卢山顶的耶稣基督雕像。
意大利罗马的圆形大剧场
意大利罗马的圆形大剧场以欧洲唯一进入决赛者的身份进入了前7名，这里曾容纳50000名观众观看包括角斗士、野兽、犯人等之间的血腥游戏。它从公元70年Vespasian皇帝时代开始修建的，现代体育露天大型运动场也仿照了这一著名设计。
欧洲的参选地点包括英国的史前巨石柱、希腊雅典的卫城、法国巴黎的埃菲尔铁塔。
罗马教廷谴责比赛的组织者忽略了基督纪念碑，20个参赛者中没有一个是有关基督的。梵蒂冈文化和考古学界的领袖——大教主Mauro Piacenza，声称冗长的地名根本体现不了与基督有关，比如西斯廷教堂。
约旦岩石古城
位于阿拉伯沙漠边缘的岩石古城Petra曾是Aretas 四世统治时期Nabataean王国的都城（公元前9年至公元40年）。
Petra以石制结构闻名，比如138英尺（42米）高的古典的玫瑰色石神庙。古城里还有隧道、水室和一个能容纳4000人的竞技场。
直到瑞士探险家Johann Ludwig Burckhardt1812年偶然发现了这座古城，西方人才知道了它的存在。
约旦很认真的对待了此次比赛，Petra曾是当地著名的旅游景点，但由于中东地区尤其是附近的伊拉克局势紧张，影响了旅游业的发展。
约旦王室也对Petra的参选活动给予了支持。
秘鲁的Machu Picchu古城遗址
Machu Picchu是拉丁美洲三个获胜者的其中之一，它曾是15世纪位于秘鲁亚马逊流域的山区殖民地。
古城遗址位于著名的少数印加居民居住地，大部分的印加人居住在美洲西南的安第斯山区域。据猜测，这座古城由于一场致命天花病的流传而最终废弃了，据1500年的记载，这种病是由外来侵略的西班牙军队带来的。
周六，成百上千人远道而来，聚集在这7970英尺高（2430米）的地方庆祝其当选世界新7大奇迹。
颁奖仪式在葡萄牙的首都里斯本的一个大型足球场举行，Machu Picchu 的获胜迎来了一片最热烈的欢呼。
其余拉美的获奖者是巴西里约热内卢的耶稣基督像和墨西哥的Chichén Itzá。
墨西哥的Chichén Itzá
Chichén Itzá可能是玛雅人最著名的寺庙，玛雅人原是古哥伦比亚居民现在美洲中部居住。公元750年到1200年，这里曾是玛雅的政治和宗教中心。
坐落在城市中心的是Kukulkan庙（如图），79英尺高（24米）。每一面都有91层台阶，每一层台阶代表一年中的一天，到达顶部的平台共有365层台阶则代表365天。
世界新7大奇迹的比赛始于1999年，2005年开始进行投票。最终从近200名来自世界各地的参选者中选出21个参加最终角逐。
落选者包括太平洋复活岛的巨人雕像，俄罗斯莫斯科的克里姆林宫以及澳大利亚的悉尼歌剧院。
印度泰姬陵
泰姬陵位于印度的阿格拉，是穆斯林的著名首领Shah Jahan为纪念爱妻Mumtaz Mahal而修建的特别的陵墓。
建造始于1632年，大约耗时15年才全部建成。华丽的圆顶陵墓和花园周围还有整齐对称的围墙，它可以算是伊斯兰美术和建筑艺术的杰出代表。其中有4座尖塔，每一座至少都有13层高。
泰姬陵刚建成之后，Shah Jahan被废并且被他的一个儿子囚禁起来。据说，从那以后，他每天通过窗子凝望泰姬陵度过了余生。
埃及Giza的大金字塔
埃及法老胡夫在公元前2560年修建了最大的金字塔作为自己的坟墓。金字塔是原古代世界7大奇迹中年代最久远的建筑，早在2200年前希腊学者对此就有记载。并且它也是原始名单中唯一一个再次入选的。胡夫金字塔是Giza3个金字塔中最大的一个，紧邻现代城市开罗。金字塔刚建成时有480英尺高（145米），尽管现在由于天气原因金字塔变矮了，但仍不失宏伟。它被认为是四千年以来最高的人类建筑。
一开始，胡夫金字塔是世界新7大奇迹网络和电话投票活动中最具竞争力的选手，但是埃及当局遭到参赛者的反对，声称金字塔不能参加选举。
“即使不能参加比赛，也不能磨灭金字塔的光辉，它才是真正唯一的世界奇迹。”埃及古文物负责人Zahi Hawass这样对AFP 新闻媒体说。
4月，比赛组织者取消了金字塔的比赛资格，并授予其荣誉奖。
希腊罗德斯巨人像
与金字塔相比，巨人像是古代世界7大奇迹中年代最短的，完成于公元前282年。在建成12年后，巨人像曾因地震倒塌，他的膝盖部分在仅仅56年后就折断了。
高耸的神像是石制的，最外层度上了一层青铜色，代表了希腊的太阳神，它也是岛上的保护神。石像面朝地中海的罗德斯岛的Mandráki海港，但是不像通常画上那样横跨在海港入口处。
石像大约有110英尺高（33米），是古代最高的雕像。它的建成是为庆祝岛上三个城市在成功的抵抗马其顿王国的长期围攻之后，最终完成了统一。
埃及的亚历山大灯塔
灯塔是古代奇迹中唯一有实际用途的，它建在埃及亚历山大市（现在叫El Iskandarîya）的港口，当海上有危险时，它能为轮船照明找到方向。
公元前285年到247年建在小岛上的这座灯塔，曾是好几个世纪以来最高的建筑。据估计，它高384英尺（117米），相当于现在40层楼高，甚至有人觉得比这还要高。
灯塔晚间使用火照明，而白天用磨光的青铜镜反射太阳光照明。据说在海上35英里（50公里）外都能看见光。
这座巨大的灯塔在地中海岸边屹立了1500多年，最终由于公元1303到1323年间的地震而被严重摧毁了。
希腊奥林匹亚的宙斯神像
这座巨大的金色神像是为纪念最初的奥林匹克运动而建成的，运动始于古代城市奥林匹亚。
这座雕像由古代雕刻家Phidias于公元前432年雕刻完成，神像镶嵌在宝石底座上，下方还有木质的君主像，它在神庙中俯视着整个城市。神像高40英尺（12米），他一手拿着权杖，另一只手上是胜利女神Nike的小雕像，它们都是用象牙和贵重金属做的。
基督教成为罗马教皇指定的国教之后，由于奥林匹克运动被认为是异教徒的活动而被禁止，神庙也于公元391年被迫关闭了。
神像最终被毁了，至于它是与神庙一同被毁，还是被移到了土耳其的君士坦丁堡（现在的伊斯坦布尔）而后被大火烧毁，历史上还存在争议。
伊拉克巴比伦的空中花园
据说空中花园就建在现在伊拉克幼发拉底河的岸边，但是还有人怀疑它是否真的存在过。
传说公元前600年，巴比伦国王Nebuchadnezzar二世，在美索布达米亚沙漠中他的皇宫里建造了这座叠层式的花园，用来取悦他的王妃，王妃离开了郁郁葱葱的家乡米提亚，现在在伊拉克北部。
目前，考古学家对空中花园的可能地点还未达成一致，但是那个地区还保留有宫殿的底座、拱顶建筑和灌溉的水井，这确实一个不争的事实。
希腊历史中有对花园的最详细的记载，然而古巴比伦历史却没有提到。
土耳其Halicarnassus陵墓
Halicarnassus的著名陵墓（现在是Bodrum市）建于公元前370年至350年，是Caria（现在土耳其西南部）国王Mausolus 的坟墓。传说这是他的妻子Artemisia II带着悲痛为纪念他们的爱情而修建的。
Mausolus 是波斯帝国的领导者，他的带有传奇色彩的坟墓是“陵墓”一词的起源。整个建筑长120英尺（40米），高140英尺（45米）。
陵墓因其建筑宏伟壮观而受到称赞，中心的墓室是用金子装饰的，外围部分则是由希腊有名的工匠用华丽的石材雕刻而成的。
陵墓一直完整保存到15世纪早期，而后基督教十字军将它拆除，材料用来修建一个新的城堡。残存的部分雕刻和材料现在保存在英国大英博物馆里。
土耳其的月亮女神庙
这座宏伟的大理石神庙位于以弗所（现在临近土耳其的Selçuk镇），是为希腊月亮女神而建的，建成于约公元前550年。神庙上的120个圆柱，每一个都有60英尺高（20米），除此之外，据说还有许多精美的艺术雕刻，包括亚马逊的青铜像、神话中的女武士。
据说一个叫Herostratus的人为了出名，在公元前356年烧毁了神庙。重建之后，公元262年，神庙被Goths毁坏，而后公元401年，在基督徒John Chrysostom的命令下，神庙再次被毁，此后又是君士坦丁堡（伊斯坦布尔）的大主教下令毁掉神庙。
现在，神庙的地基被发掘出来，其中的一些柱子也重新立起来了。