公元前280年的秋天，一艘埃及的皇家轮船在驶入亚历山大港时，触礁沉没，船上的埃及贵族及从欧洲迎娶来的新娘，全部葬身海底。
An illustrated book on the general history of lighthouse has been published by China Pictorial Publishing House, outlining over 100 noted lighthouses carefully selected from worldwide by renowned English history writer R.G. Grant.
法罗斯灯塔想象复原图
这一悲剧，震惊了埃及朝野上下。埃及法老托勒密二世下令在最大港口的入口处，修建照明灯塔。经过40年的不懈努力，一座宏伟的灯塔在非洲北海岸拔地而起。它矗立于距岛岸7米处的石礁上，后人称之为“亚历山大港的法罗斯灯塔”。
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
法罗斯灯塔被誉为世界七大奇迹之一，它的存世时间之久与巨大的塔身一样令人惊叹——几乎完好无缺地屹立了近1500年。
Take the Lighthouse of Alexandria for example. The Lighthouse of Alexandria was built on the island of Pharos outside the harbor of Alexandria, Egypt around 300 - 280 BCE, during the reigns of Ptolemy I and II. With an impressive height of over 100 meters (330ft), it entered the established list of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
法罗斯灯塔想象复原图
Although no longer existing now, the structure, after standing for over 1600 years, has left a lasting legacy by giving its Greek name 'Pharos' to the architectural genre of any tower with a light designed to guide mariners.
无独有偶，广州，这座久经不衰的千年商都，也有一座灯塔，在诉说着千百年来这座城市的历史兴衰。
怀圣寺光塔 Light Tower in Guangzhou
光塔位于越秀区光塔路56号的怀圣寺院西南角，又名“邦克塔”，即宣礼塔，是专门用作宣礼或确定斋戒月起讫日期观察新月的清真寺代表性建筑，塔高36米，自建成以来，一直是广州港的重要地标。
There is a lighthouse named Light Tower still standing in Guangzhou. The Light Tower is situated in the southwest corner of the Huaisheng Mosque which is believed to be constructed by a group of Arabs during Tang Dynasty.
光塔高入云表，“式度不比它塔”，“四周无楯栏，无层级”，“望之如银笔”。史载，塔顶原有金鸡风标，可随风旋转以示风向，明初为台风所毁，今已失存。塔顶平台中央竖有蜡焰形塔颖。塔内有两条互不交叉的梯道，回旋而上。
怀圣寺光塔 Light Tower in Guangzhou
光塔是因何得名的呢？有人认为是光塔塔身光洁，与层塔的对称多角不同，故而称之；也有人说，唐宋时期，光塔矗立在古珠江北岸，距珠江直线距离约为550米，居高临下，远处海面上的帆船尽收眼底。
The Light Tower has a round minaret, about 36 meters tall, with typical characteristics of Arabic architecture, such as a pointed tip on the top, different from traditional towers in China.
铅笔及水彩纸本——从广州金门眺望光塔 1858年，查尔斯·威廉（Lt.Charles Sidney William）
后珠江虽不断南移，但船只航行在珠江上或西澳水道上，始终可以将其作为重要参照物，光塔夜有灯光，为夜间来船导航，满载货物的中外商船远望光塔就知道如何驶入广州的码头，因此称为光塔。
The minaret was used as a beacon for ships passing through the Pearl River. It is said that when sailors and merchants saw the tower, they would know that they had arrived at Guangzhou, an important place for foreign trade along the Maritime Silk Road.
长久以来，灯塔一直是人们眼中孤独、神秘和希望的代名词。每一座矗立于遥远海湾或是僻静悬崖上的灯塔，背后都蕴藏着一个关于自然、关于历史、关于守护、亦或是关于信仰的动人故事。
Once widely used, the number of operational lighthouses in the world has declined due to the expense of maintenance and the rise of cheaper and often much more effective electronic navigational systems.
威尔士南部高尔半岛上的怀特福德角一座被遗弃的铸铁灯塔
它们亲历历史，见证兴衰，同时也在无数个黑夜中守护着光明。可以说，每一座灯塔都是一部不应被人们忽视的历史。如今，大家就可以透过《灯塔之书》一书，回顾100余座世界著名灯塔背后鲜为人知的历史故事。
由中国画报出版社出版，《灯塔之书》收录了来自英国著名历史学家、作家R.G.格兰特精心筛选了世界上最早的灯塔、最孤独的灯塔、迄今服役最久的灯塔以及因“命途多舛”而闻名的100多座世界最有名的灯塔。
As the first of its kind in China, the book is illustrated with nearly 400 exclusive pictures, including some design manuscripts that have never been made public, vividly depicting the world’s lighthouses in fields including arduous construction, lighting technology and stories of keepers.
该书是国内首部全面介绍灯塔历史的作品，书中独家收录了400余幅从未公开的设计手稿与照片，生动展示了灯塔建造与技术发展的全貌与细节，力图唤醒人们的记忆，共同回溯公元2世纪到20世纪，百余座著名灯塔背后的精彩故事，全方位地展现了灯塔从辉煌到隐退的历史变迁。
If you are curious about the history of lighthouses and want to know more about them, this book can serve as a good choice.
从艰险的建塔历程、灯塔照明技术的沿革演变与灯塔守护人的辉煌与不幸三个角度出发，将100座灯塔背后蕴藏的故事娓娓道来。
让你宅在家里也能逛遍散落在世界各地悬崖、岛屿、礁石上的灯塔。体会那些或是惊险、或是感动、或是戏剧性十足的灯塔背后的故事，充分满足你的好奇心与求知欲。
Source: 中国画报出版社
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