The Tower of London
伦敦塔
伦敦塔是英国的罗马风格时期的一座城堡式建筑，位于伦敦泰晤士河北岸、伦敦塔桥附近。伦敦塔既是坚固的兵营要塞，又有富丽堂皇的宫殿，还有天文台、教堂、监狱等建筑。围墙内占地18公顷。
其历史可追溯到1078年，当时是因军事需要而建，防止敌人逆河入侵 ，但却从未在战争中派上用场。原先的主人威廉，曾对君主制度、封建制度、绝对王权以及世袭制等表示反对，因此，伦敦塔也就成了一种反叛的象征，其实该塔在伦敦历史上也一直扮演着这样一个作为监狱和刑场的不光彩的角色，英国历史上许多失宠的王侯、后妃及叛国者都被关押在此。带血的枷锁、斧子等死亡的象征也被保存在此。二战后伦敦塔成了一座博物馆，在与塔相连的古堡内展出历代兵器和盔甲，珍宝库里陈列着数百年来英国王室的珠宝、王冠、权杖及帝王所用的器皿、王袍等。游人可在身着古色古香的都铎王朝制服的禁卫引导下游览参观。伦敦塔还有一个特殊的仪式，每晚塔门关闭之前都要例行上锁仪式，自1485年沿袭至今，从不间断。
伦敦塔最重要而且最古老的建筑是位于要塞中心的诺曼底塔楼，它是整个建筑群的主体，因其是用乳白色石块建成，故又称白塔。白塔因是主人居住与守备部队进驻之所，所以最为坚固。楼高27.4米，东西长35.9米，南北长32.6米，底部墙厚4.6米，顶部厚3.3米，双层墙壁，窗户很小，用坚硬粗糙的毛石砌成。塔楼四角外凸，耸出四座高塔，高塔三方一圆，在角隅设有螺旋楼梯，通达顶层。白塔楼分为3层，设有胸墙和雉堞，四角小尖塔覆以葱头形小穹顶。白塔的建筑可以说是当时的典型，最吸引人的也许是其中的圣约翰小礼拜堂，这是一座小型的仿罗马式教堂，不仅举行宗教仪式需要，也供领主召开私密性会议之用，因为这时不会有家臣出入。12～13世纪又进行扩建，以白塔为中心，四周建内外两层城墙，设多座防御性建筑。内城墙有 13 座塔，建成于亨利三世时期，以威克非塔、血塔、比彻姆塔最为着名。
血塔是一座楼梯窄得只容一人通过的监狱，专门用来关押特别重要的政治犯和国王的死敌。现在塔内大致还保持着多年前的陈设，甚至还陈列着大斧和砍头砧。离血塔不远的空地，是处决犯人的断头台，木砧上有一个搁置头颅的半圆形凹处和血沟，在昏暗的灯光下倍显恐怖。
伦敦塔的入口通道设在西南角，人们需先进入位于壕沟外缘的一座碉楼，经过一座桥梁再进入位于堤梁上的米德碉楼，然后再跨过一座桥梁，继而通过壕内缘的贝瓦德碉楼，才能进入外墙防御区内。贝瓦德碉楼是三座碉楼最关键的一座，是入口防御的最后一道防线。
滑铁卢塔是伦敦塔内最迷人之处，是威灵顿公爵于1846年建造。威灵顿曾作为欧洲联军统帅于1815年在滑铁卢一役中打败法国皇帝拿破仑。今天塔内陈列的是英国王室的一批珍宝，包括王冠、王笏、权仗和各种贵重器皿。在这里，人们可以看到现代化防盗系统严密警卫下的嵌着光彩夺目钻石的圣爱德华王冠，从17世纪查理二世以来它一直是英国君主的正式王冠。
伦敦塔现为英国着名博物馆之一，陈列有各种珍贵的文物，是英国人心中的“故宫”，历史文化价值突出而典型，是当之无愧的世界文化遗产。
The Tower of London is officially Her Majesty，s Palace and Fortress， The Tower of London， although the last ruler to reside in it as a palace was King James I (1566～1625). The White Tower， the square building with turrets on each corner that gave it its name， is actually in the middle of a complex of several buildings along the River Thames in London， which have served as fortressfortress n.堡垒， 要塞， armoury， treasury， mint， palace， place of execution， public records office， observatory， refuge， and prison， particularly for upper class prisoners. This last use has led to the phrase “sent to the Tower” meaning “imprisoned”. Elizabeth I was imprisoned for a time in the Tower during her sister Mary，s reign； the last known use of the Tower as a prison was during World War II， for Rudolf Hess.
The Tower of London is a complex located on the Thames River in London. It has a rich history dating back to 1066， when William of Normandy decided to build the White Tower after he had taken over the kingdom of England. It was built and completed by Gundulf， the bishop of Rochester， in the year 1078. The Tower has been used as a royal residence as well as for a prison. Executions were held in the central keep and outside the Tower on Tower Hill. Yeoman guards now stand outside this popular tourist attraction.
The Tower of London is a complex made up of many different sections. The Tower is surrounded by a moatmoat n.护城河， 城壕 v.挖壕围绕 on three sides and the Thames River on the fourth. The outside fortifications consist of Legge，s and Brass Mount. The inner fortifications， called the Ballium Wall， have 12 towers： the Bloody Tower， the Wakefield Tower， the Bell Tower， the Lanthorn Tower， the Salt Tower ， the Broad Arrow Tower， the Constable Tower， the Martin Tower， the Brick Tower， the Bowyer Tower， the Flint Tower， the Devereux Tower， and the Beauchamp Tower.
The Bloody Tower was named after the murder of the English child king Edward V and his brother， Richard Plantagent， Duke of York， which occurred in this tower. The Record， or Wakefield Tower， was where the records were formerly kept， and where the royal regalia， or Crown Jewels， are currently kept. The Devereux Tower is named for its most famous prisoner， Robert Devereux， Earl of Essex， who was held there before his execution for treason in 1601. The Jewel Tower was named for once holding the royal regalia.
The royal apartments at the Tower of London were used as guest rooms for visits by the court， but mostly the fortress was used as a state prison. The earliest of the prisoners held there was Rannulf Flambard， Bishop of Durham. Others who were once imprisoned in the Tower are kings and princes， archbishopsarchbishop n.［宗］大教主 and abbotsabbot n.修道院， 修道士的总称， queens and murderesses， traitors and saints， and freebootersfreebooter n.海盗 and counterfeiters. The kings of Scotland and France were held there for ransom after their defeats in battle. It was used as a prison as late as World War II.
Many torture devices were made for the Tower. One was the rack， which would stretch out a person to a foot longer than his original height. There were also the scaffold and gallows， which were put up on Tower Hill in order to execute people. This apparatus was the most commonly used device for excecuting others. Most prisoners were beheaded or hanged， some were killed trying to escape， or they were murdered. Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard， wives of Henry VIII， were publicly executed on Tower Hill.
Today the Tower of London is a popular tourist sight where the crown jewelsjewel n.宝石 are kept. They are guarded in the Jewel House in the Waterloo Block. The Tower of London also holds a museum of old armor and weaponry used by the people in the Elizabethan period. Among them are many different styles of armor from all around Europe and weaponry such as cannons and duelling pistols.
A popular feature of the Tower of London is the Yeomen of the Guard， known as Beefeaters. These guards wear colorful uniforms from the Tudor period. There are about 40 of these guards who serve as officers of the Army， Royal Marines， or Royal Air Force. They are sworn into their office as Yeomen Extraordinary of The Queen，s Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard， which was founded by Henry VIII in 1485. The yeomen，s closing ceremony at the end of each day is a popular tourist attraction.
The Tower of London is one of the most important architectural sites in London. It is the home of the Yeoman guards， along with the crown jewels. It has a vast array of influences from the different cultures who added to this remarkable building. Now it has changed into the popular tourist sight that is a mustsee because of its rich history and cultural variety.
The British Airways London Eye
伦敦眼
