Washington Monument(华盛顿纪念碑)

By Freelance Chinese Translator Li – English to Chinese translation or Chinese to English translation services - based in Harbin，China.

The Washington Monument is an obelisk near the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate the first U.S. president, General George Washington. The monument, made of marble, granite, and sandstone, is both the world's tallest stone structure and the world's tallest obelisk, standing 555 feet 5⅛ inches (169.294 m). It is also the tallest structure in Washington D.C.. It was designed by Robert Mills, an architect of the 1840s. The actual construction of the monument began in 1848 but was not completed until 1884, almost 30 years after the architect's death. This hiatus（中断） in construction happened because of a lack of funds, and the intervention of the American Civil War. A difference in shading（明暗） of the marble, visible approximately 150 feet (46 m or 27%) up, shows where construction was halted for a number of years. The cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1848; the capstone（顶石） was set on December 6, 1884, and the completed monument was dedicated on February 21, 1885. Upon completion, it became the world's tallest structure, a title previously held by the Cologne Cathedral. The monument held this designation（称号） until 1889, when the Eiffel Tower was completed in Paris, France. The monument stands due east（正东） of the Reflecting Pool and the Lincoln Memorial.

华盛顿纪念碑是为纪念美国首任总统乔治•华盛顿而建造的，位于国会大厦、林肯纪念堂的轴线之上。这座华盛顿特区的标志建筑，碑身上没有一个字母，仿佛在告诉人们，华盛顿一生的伟业是难以用文字来表达的。　
华盛顿纪念碑是一座大理石方尖碑，底部面积为39平方米，高169米，正方体碑柱顶端为四面三角形的尖顶，锐气逼人。纪念碑内部中空，其内壁上嵌有各个国家、美国各州市、各大团体及众多名人所赠的石碑188块。
纪念碑内有50层铁梯，也有70秒到达顶端的高速电梯。透过顶部的8个观景窗，可纵览国家草坪的全景，还可眺望华盛顿全城、弗吉尼亚州、马里兰州和波托马克河。