从古至今，这世上有多少城墙巍然耸立，抵御过外族的入侵？又有多少城墙将一国之邦分作两边，这边望着那边，吟诵着“本是同根生，相煎何太急”？历史早已久远，有些城墙也已不复当年那般模样，但那些遗留的断壁残垣却仍旧让世人为之惊叹。

Hadrians Wall

Hadrians Wall was built， beginning in 122， to keep Roman Britain safe from hostile attacks from the Picts. It was the northernmost boundary of the Roman empire until early in the 5th century.

The wall， stretching from the North Sea to the Irish Sea （from the Tyne to the Solway）， was 80 Roman miles （about 73 modern miles） long， 8～10 feet wide， and 15 feet high. In addition to the wall， the Romans built a system of small forts called milecastles （housing garrisons of up to 60 men） every Roman mile along its entire length， with towers every 1/3 Roman mile. 16 larger forts holding from 500～1000 troops were built into the wall， with large gates on the north face. To the south of the wall the Romans dug a wide ditch， with six-foot high earth banks.

哈德良长城

哈德良长城于公元122年开始修建，用来防御皮克特人的恶意进攻，保卫罗马帝国在不列颠的领土。5世纪初之前，它一直都是罗马帝国最北端的边界线。

哈德良长城从北海一直延伸到爱尔兰海（从泰恩河到索尔韦湾），长80罗马里（约为现在的73英里），宽8～10英尺，高15英尺。除城墙之外，罗马人在整个城墙中每隔一罗马里就建有一个名叫里堡的小要塞（能容纳多达60人的驻防部队），形成了一个堡垒网，其间每隔三分之一罗马里还建有一座塔楼。哈德良长城上还建有16座较大的要塞，每座能容纳500～1000名士兵，要塞的大门则都建在了城墙的北墙上。在城墙的南面，罗马人还挖了一条很宽的壕沟，壕沟两侧的土堤都高达6英尺。

Israeli West Bank Barrier

The Israeli West Bank barrier is a separation barrier under construction by the State of Israel along and within the West Bank. Upon completion， the barriers total length will be approximately 700 kilometers. The barrier is built mainly in the West Bank and partly along the 1949 Armistice line， or “Green Line” between Israel and the Palestinian West Bank. According to the Israeli human rights organization BTselem， 8.5% of the West Bank area is on the Israeli side of the barrier， and 3.4% is on the other side.

以色列西岸隔离墙

以色列西岸隔离墙是由以色列沿约旦河西岸向内建造的隔离墙。若全部建好，隔离墙全长将有大约七百公里。隔离墙主要建于约旦河西岸之上，有一部分则是沿着以色列和巴勒斯坦西岸的1949停火线（或“绿线”）修建的。按照以色列人权组织以色列占领区人权资料中心的说法，西岸地区有8.5%的地方在以色列隔离墙这边，有3.4%的地方在隔离墙的那边。

The Great Wall of China

Beginning in the 7th century BC， a series of massive defensive fortifications were constructed along Chinas northern border. Built to protect China from northern attacks， the walls stretched for thousands of kilometers， many joining together to become the Great Wall of China. Over several centuries， the wall and thousands of supporting structures were built across mountains， deserts， and rivers， eventually stretching more than 20，000 kilometers in length. Sections of the wall near large cities are well-maintained， but sections in many remote areas are slowly being reclaimed by nature.

中国的长城

公元前7世纪，一系列大型防御工事开始沿着中国北部边境修建，其目的是保护中国不受来自北部外族的侵略。这些城墙绵延数千公里，许多彼此相连，形成了中国的万里长城。经过几个世纪，长城及其上千座支撑结构沿着山脉、沙漠以及河流而建，最终绵延两万多公里。长城靠近大城市的那些部分都被很好地保留了下来，但是位于许多边远地区的部分却慢慢被大自然侵蚀掉了。

The Berlin Wall

The Berlin Wall was the physical division between West Berlin and East Germany. However， it was also the symbolic boundary between democracy and communism during the Cold War. The Berlin Wall was erected in the dead of night in 1961 and for 28 years kept East Germans from fleeing to the West. Its destruction （in 1989）， which was nearly as instantaneous as its creation， was celebrated around the world.

柏林墙

柏林墙曾是西柏林和东德之间一道实体的分隔墙。不过，它也曾是冷战时期民主德国和联邦德国之间的象征性边界。柏林墙建于1961年的一个死寂之夜，在长达28年的时间里一直阻挡东德人逃往西德。它的拆毁（在1989年）几乎和它的建成一样神速，世界各地都庆祝了这一历史时刻。

Walls of Constantinople

The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople （today Istanbul in Turkey） since its founding as the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history， they were the last great fortification system of antiquity， and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. Initially built by Constantine the Great， the walls surrounded the new city on all sides， protecting it against attack from both sea and land. The advent of gunpowder siege cannons rendered the fortifications vulnerable， leading to the fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans on 29 May， 1453 after a prolonged siege.

The walls were largely maintained intact during most of the Ottoman period， until sections began to be dismantled in the 19th century， as the city outgrew its medieval boundaries. Despite the subsequent lack of maintenance， many parts of the walls survived and are still standing today. A large-scale restoration programme has been under way since the 1980s， which allows the visitor to appreciate their original appearance.

君士坦丁堡城墙

君士坦丁堡城墙是一系列防御石墙，自从君士坦丁大帝把君士坦丁堡定为东罗马帝国的首都，它就一直围绕并保护着君士坦丁堡城（即今天土耳其的伊斯坦布尔）。经过历史上无数次的扩建和修整，君士坦丁堡城墙成为古代最后一个大型防御系统，也是有史以来建造最为复杂精致的防御系统之一。该城墙最初由君士坦丁大帝下令建造，环绕着整个新城（编注：指君士坦丁堡城），抵御来自海上和陆地的进攻。但是装满火药的攻城大炮的出现让这个防御系统变得不堪一击，使君士坦丁堡城于1453年5月29日被长时间围攻的奥斯曼人攻陷。

君士坦丁堡城墙在奥斯曼时期的大部分岁月里都保存完好。直到19世纪，因为城市的规模已经超过了该市中世纪时期的大小，部分城墙才开始被拆除。尽管后来缺少维护，君士坦丁堡城墙的许多部分还是留存了下来，屹立至今。20世纪80年代以来，君士坦丁堡城墙一直在进行大规模的修复，这使得前来参观的人们可以欣赏到城墙最初的模样。

Conwy Town Walls

Conwys Town Walls are a medieval defensive structure around the town of Conwy in North Wales. The walls were constructed between 1283 and 1287 after the foundation of Conwy by Edward I， and were designed to form a system of defense alongside Conwy Castle. The walls are 1.3 kilometers long and include 21 towers and three gatehouses. The project was completed using large quantities of laborers brought in from England； the cost of building the castle and walls together came to around 15，000， a huge sum for the period. Today the walls form part of the UNESCO world heritage site. Historians Oliver Creighton and Robert Higham describe the defenses as “one of the most impressive walled circuits” in Europe.

康威城墙

康威城墙是中世纪的一个防御建筑，环绕着位于北威尔士的康威城。这道城墙建于爱德华一世建立康威城之后的1283～1287年间，旨在形成一个环绕康威城堡的防御系统。该城墙长1.3公里，包括21个塔楼和3个门楼。工程动用了大量从英格兰引入的劳工才得以完成，建造城堡和城墙共花费了大约1.5万英镑，这在当时可是一笔巨款。如今，这些城墙是联合国教科文组织世界遗产之一。历史学家奥利弗·克赖顿和罗伯特·海厄姆称这个防御系统是欧洲“最令人叹为观止的围墙之一”。