Description:

The Eiffel Tower in Paris, France is the most popular paid landmark in the world with about 7 million visitors every year! It was designed by Alexandre-Gustav Eiffel and completed in 1889 (making it more than 127 years old). 

프랑스 파리에 있는 에펠탑은 매년 약 7백만 명의 방문객이 방문하는 세계에서 가장 인기 있는 유료 랜드마크입니다! 그것은 알렉상드르-구스타프 에펠에 의해 설계되었고 1889년에 완공되었습니다 (127년 이상 되었습니다).​

Transcription:

Over the streets of Paris, France, rises the Eiffel Tower. An internationally recognized symbol of France and one of the most famous structures in the world, the Eiffel Tower was originally built as the entrance to the 1889 World's Fair, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. More than 100 artists competed with plans for the monument, but the contract was given to Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, a bridge builder, architect, and metals expert who had already designed the framework for the Statue of Liberty. The final design required more than 18,000 pieces of iron and 2.5 million rivets to construct. It took hundreds of workers more than 2 years to finish, and when it was completed in March of 1889 it was almost 1,000 feet or more than 300 meters high - more than twice the height of the pyramids at Giza - making it the tallest structure in the world until the Chrysler building was completed in 1930.

The tower was originally meant to be a temporary structure, and only stand for 20 years. Many of the people of Paris disliked the tower. They thought it was ugly, or that it was dangerous and might fall down. By the time the tower was supposed to be removed, however, people had realized that it was a valuable way to transmit wireless telegraph and radio signals,and city officials decided to keep it. It continues to be used for communications today,with more than 100 antennas on it.

Despite its height, the Eiffel Tower is incredibly wind-resistant. It only sways up to five inches in wind, but when the side facing the sun heats up and expands, the top may move up to seven inches from its original position. The tower is completely repainted every seven years to protect it from rusting, using 60 tons of paint each time. Originally, the tower was reddish brown and the color was changed sometimes when it was repainted. It was once even painted yellow! These days it is painted a bronze color called "Eiffel Tower Brown."

Today, the Eiffel tower is the most popular paid attraction in the world, with about 7million visitors each year. It has been the inspiration for replicas and imitations around the world, from Japan to Guatamala to Las Vegas. No longer considered an eyesore, the Eiffel Tower is an icon of France and is inside the World Heritage Site that includes certain parts of Paris. I hope you enjoyed learning about the Eiffel Tower today!​ 

프랑스 파리의 거리 너머에는 에펠탑이 우뚝 솟아 있습니다. 세계적으로 인정받는 프랑스의 상징이자 세계에서 가장 유명한 건축물 중 하나인 에펠탑은 원래 프랑스 혁명 100주년을 기념하기 위해 1889년 세계 박람회의 입구로 지어졌습니다. 100명 이상의 예술가들이 기념비를 위한 계획과 경쟁을 벌였지만, 계약은 이미 1800만 개 이상의 금속 조각상과 자유의 최종 설계에 필요한 전문가인 알렉산드르 구스타브 에펠에게 주어졌습니다.

오늘날, 에펠탑은 매년 약 7백만 명의 방문객들이 방문하는 세계에서 가장 인기 있는 유료 관광지입니다. 그것은 일본에서 과타말라, 라스베가스에 이르기까지 전 세계의 복제품과 모조품에 영감을 주었습니다. 더 이상 눈엣가시로 여겨지지 않고, 에펠탑은 프랑스의 아이콘이고 파리의 특정 지역을 포함하는 세계 문화 유산 안에 있습니다. 여러분이 오늘 에펠탑에 대해 배우는 것을 즐겼으면 좋겠습니다! 

Questions:

1. What was the original purpose of building the Eiffel Tower? Who was given the contract to build the Eiffel Tower?

2. How long did it take to construct the Eiffel Tower?

3. How popular is the Eiffel Tower as a tourist attraction?​