You are not the only one to see the tower though, as it is the most visited paid

儘管你不是唯一一個看到這個塔的人；因為它是世界上訪客最多的付費參觀

monument in the world. An estimate of over 200.000.000 people has seen the tower, on

紀念建築。估計實際參訪過這個鐵塔的人已經超過兩億人，

site, since its construction in 1889. The building is named after its main designer;

自1889年落成後。建築物隨著它的主要設計師起名；

the French metallic structure expert and engineer, Gustave Eiffel. Eiffel had previously designed

法國的金屬結構專家與工程師，居斯塔夫·艾菲爾。艾菲爾曾設計過

multiple metallic structures such as several railway bridges and the armature for another

多樣的金屬建築物，例如數座知名的鐵路橋和另一個

world known monument, the statue of Liberty. This time he had his eyes on construction

世界知名紀念像，自由女神像，的框架。這次他將他的目光放在建設

a metallic structure in the shape of a tower. What many people do not know is that the building

一個塔型的金屬結構。許多人不知道的是，這個建築

was originally planned to be in Barcelona, for the Universal Exposition in 1888, but

原本規劃建於巴塞隆納，是為了1888年的世界博覽會，但是

it was turned down as it was "too expensive and strange". Instead, Eiffel tried to build

被拒絕了，因為它「太昂貴又長得奇怪」。艾菲爾改為嘗試建在

it in Paris for the Universal Exposition in 1889, and this time the building was approved.

1889年的巴黎世界博覽會，而這次這個建築物被核准了。

Fifty engineers produced over 5300 drawings of the different parts needed to build the tower.

50個工程師繪製了超過5300幅鐵塔的各零件製圖。

The towers 18.000 metal parts were built separately in workshop and then assembled

鐵塔的一萬八千個金屬零件在工場中個別製造，然後就現地被組裝，

on site by using more than 2.500.000 rivets. Even though the assembling was an extremely

用了超過250萬個鉚釘。即使組裝程序極度

dangerous procedure, without many of the modern safety precautions, only one man was killed

危險，在沒有很多現代的安全預防措施下，只有一人死亡

during the construction. The construction began 1887 and the tower stood finished March

於建築過程中。建造始於1887年，而坐落完工於

31, 1889. "The Iron Lady", as it is sometimes called,

1889年3月31日。有些人稱之為「鐵娘子」，

has not always been the loved structure it is today. During its planning and construction

但它並非一直都像現在這樣受人喜愛。在規劃和建造

phase, many protested against the construction of the tower. Many called it an eyesore and

時期，很多人抗議鐵塔的建設。很多人叫它眼中釘，而且

the papers were filled with angry letters from the arts communities in Paris. Even after

報紙上充滿了來自巴黎藝術社群的憤怒字眼。即使

its construction the tower was highly controversial amongst the Parisians. One famous quote is

落成後這個塔在巴黎人口中仍然備受爭議。一個有名的引證

from novelist Guy de Maupassant, who hated the tower but still went to its restaurant

來自於小說家居伊·德·莫泊桑，一個討厭鐵塔但仍然每天去塔裡的餐廳的人。

every day. When asked why, he said it was because it is the only place in Paris were

當被問到為什麼，他說了，因為這是在巴黎內唯一一個

one cannot see the structure. Luckily for the Eiffel tower haters, Eiffel only had permit

看不到這個建築的地方。對厭惡艾菲爾鐵塔的人來說，幸運的是，艾菲爾當時只被准許

to keep the tower for 20 years, after that it would be demolished. However, as the tower

保留這個塔20年，之後它就會被拆除。然而，當塔

proved valuable for telecommunication purposes, it was allowed to remain intact even after

證明了它在電信用途上的優越價值，它被允許保持完整，

the time had expired. As time passed, more and more people started to like the building.

即使時效已到。物換星移，愈來愈多人開始喜歡這個建築。

Today, almost all Parisians love the tower. Through out the years, the Eiffel tower has

現今，幾乎所有巴黎人都愛這個塔。這些年，艾菲爾鐵塔已經

seen a lot. People have tied new weird parachute innovations (more or less successful), an

見證許多歷史。人們測試過新奇的降落傘發明（或多或少成功），

elephant have been on visit inside the tower and staircase races have been conducted. The

一隻大象曾經拜訪進入塔內，登階比賽也曾舉辦過。

tower also experienced the German occupation of Paris during the Second World War. During

鐵塔也經歷過二次大戰時德國佔領巴黎時期。

the occupation, the lift cables inside the tower were cut by the French. This to make

在佔領期間，塔內電梯纜線被法國人剪斷。

sure Hitler had to take the 1665 step stairs if he wanted to scale the top, since the proper

這迫使希特勒想登上塔頂時必須爬完1665階樓梯；因為

parts to repairs the lift were impossible to obtain during the war. When visiting Paris,

修理電梯的零件在戰爭時期無法取得。當造訪巴黎時，

Hitler remained on ground. Thus it's said Hitler conquered France, but he did not conquer

希特勒只能留在地面。所以人們說希特勒征服了法國，但他沒有征服

the Eiffel tower. At the liberation of Paris in 1944, the Eiffel tower became of symbol

艾菲爾鐵塔。在1944年解放巴黎時，艾菲爾鐵塔成為自由的象徵

of liberty when a French flag, made of three bed sheets sawn together, was raised on the

因在當時法國國旗──由三個床單縫合而成，在塔頂升起。

top of tower. The building was at its time of construction

這建築物在它完工時

the highest tower in the world with its 312 meters. Today, the tower totals 324 meters,

是世界上最高的塔，高312公尺。現在，這個塔共324公尺高，

as an antenna has been added to the top. The tower weighs a massive 10.100 ton. To prevent

因為一座天線架設在塔頂。鐵塔重達一萬零一百噸。為了避免

the metal from rusting, the tower is covered with a protective paint. Even though it can

金屬鏽蝕，鐵塔表層上了保護漆。雖然

be hard to spot, the tower is actually painted in a three-tone variation paint, with the

很難發現，但實際上這個塔被漆上了三種調色，

lightest tone on top and darker the further down it goes. This is to make sure that the

塔頂最淺而愈往下顏色愈深。這是為了確保

tower compliments the Paris sky as good as possible. The tower needs to be repainted

鐵塔能完美地向巴黎的天空致意。每七年鐵塔需要重新上漆，

every seven years, and as you can imagine, it takes quite some time and paint to finish

而且你可以想像，這相當費時費工。

the job. Each repaint takes between 15-18 months to complete and around 60 ton is required.

每次重新上漆需要15-18個月來完成，並耗掉約60頓漆。

If you haven't already, make sure to get a glimpse of the tower by night. By night

若你從未親眼目睹，一定要在夜晚一親鐵塔的芳澤。夜晚時，

20.000 light bulbs turns something amazing into something truly amazing.

兩萬個燈泡點亮艾菲爾鐵塔，讓鐵塔更為絢麗奪目。