The City Wall

现存的西安城墙为明代所建，筑城工程从明洪武三年（1370年）开始，至洪武十一年（1378年）结束，先后用了9年时间。西安城墙周长为13.79千米，面积约11平方千米。

城墙每隔120米修敌台一座，突出在城墙之外，顶与城墙面平，这是专为射杀爬城的敌人而设置的。敌台之间距离的一半，恰好在弓箭的有效射程之内，便于从侧面射杀攻城的敌人。

城墙四角都有突出城外的角台。除西南角是圆形的——可能是保持唐皇城转角原状外，其他都是方形的。角台上修有较敌楼更为高大的角楼，表明了这里在战争中的重要地位。

如今，西安古城墙经过重新修葺，面貌焕然一新。城墙四周的环城公园与雄伟壮观的古城墙交相辉映，把古城西安点缀得更加妩媚动人。

The existing City Wall of Xi'an was built in the Ming Dynasty.Starting from1370，the 3rd year of Emperor Hongwu's reign，the project came to a completion in 1378，the 11th year of his reign.The City Wall extends some 13.79 kilometers and it encircles an area of 11 square kilometers.

There is a rampart every 120 meters，which extends out from the main wall.The top of the rampart is at the same level as the top of the wall.The ramparts were built to allow soldiers to see those enemies who would try to climb over the wall.The distance between eve－ry rampart is just within the range of an arrow shot from either side.This allowed soldiers to protect the entire wall without exposing themselves to the enemy.

A watchtower is located on each of the four corners of the wall.The one at the south－western corner is round，probably built on the foundation of the imperial City Wall of the Tang Dynasty.The other three are square－shaped.On the top of each watchtower there is a corner－rampart，higher than the sentry building on the ramparts.This shows the strategic importance of the corners of the City Wall.

After repairs had been made on the wall by the local government，the City Wall has taken on a new look.A circular park has been built between the high wall and the deep moat，all around the city.Together they make Xi'an all the more beautiful.

快乐旅途

住在一个笼子里的“朋友”

“Friends”in One Cage

“这真是个奇迹，把狮子和猴子放在一个笼子里，”一位游客对动物饲养员说，“他们相处得怎么样？”

“通常还可以，”饲养员回答说，“偶尔也会发生争执，那时我们就不得不再放进另外一只猴子。”

“That's marvellous，having a lion and a monkey in the same cage，”said the visitor to a zookeeper.“Do they get along？”

“Okay，usually，”answered the zookeeper.“Occasionally they have a disagreement，then we have to get a new monkey.”