英语新闻：罗德斯岛巨像再次崛起？

　　The ***lossus of Rhodes, a huge statue of the Greek ***d He***os, once ***wer*** above the harb*** *** Rhodes, Greece. O*** of the seven wonders of the ancient w***ld, the statue ***ok 12 years *** ***nstruct and s***od f*** 56 years until it ***llaps*** dur***g an earthquake *** 226 B.C. The giant figure broke ****** several pieces, wh***h rema****** where they had fallen almost a thousand years bef***e be***g sold as scrap and cart*** away.

　　The bronze-and-s****** sculpture was 110 feet (34 ***ters) tall and was perch*** on tw*** marble bases that were about 50 feet (15.25 ***ters) tall. ***nstruct*** around blocks of s****** emb***d*** with iron beams, its hollow outer sk*** ***nsist*** of bronze plates that were faste***d *** the beams.

　　New Y***k’s Statue of Liberty, ***spir*** by the ***ig***al ***lossus, was dubb*** “The New ***lossus” when it was unveil*** *** 1886. Lady Liberty is about the sa*** size as its ancient pr***ecess***, but stands a***p a higher p***estal. A plan *** re***nstruct the ***lossus of Rhodes ***ar its ***ig***al ***e has been *** the w***ks f*** years, but has fail*** *** obta*** widespread supp***t *** ***vern***nt approval.

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　　The ***lossus of Rhodes

　　In 305 B.C. Anti***nus the O***-Ey***, a powerful ruler of Mac***onia and o*** of Alexander the Great’s most su***es**ul ge***rals, call*** upon the island of Rhodes *** jo*** him *** a war aga***st his rival, K***g P***lemy I of Egypt. The Rhodians, however, ***uld ill aff***d *** *** *** war with Egypt, their largest trad***g part***r, and so they refus*** Anti***nus’s offer.

　　To express his displeasure with this decision, Anti***nus sent his son De***trius Po******cetes ( “The Besieger” ) *** attack Rhodes with an army of 40,000 soldiers. De***trius was skill*** *** direct***g catapu***s and batter***g rams *** crush city walls, and upon land***g on the island he im***diately began his eff***ts *** break down its f***tif***ations and defenses.

　　De***trius’s ***r***ise-***ke arm****** batter***g rams were 180 feet long and man***d by o*** thousand ***n, and his giant catapu***s threw 180-pound s****** balls a quarter of a mile. Probably his most fearso*** de***ce was an en***mous wheel*** f***tifi*** ***wer call*** Helepo***s (the “Taker of Cities” ). This ***wer was 50 feet square at its base, m***e than 100 feet tall, and was ar***d with its own banks of catapu***s and s***ng throwers. The outlook f*** the island of Rhodes was grim.