The Eiffel Tower， symbol of innovative(革新的) technique at the end of the 19th century， has maintained its universal (全世界的) image. Even if 6 million visitors climb the Tower each year， the number of those who have set eyes on the Tower but never foot coupled1 with those who know of the Tower but have never even caught a glimpse of the monument2 are far more numerous.

Its simplified representation(表現(xiàn)) is but an inanimate(無生氣的) object， an unchanging reference3 point. Yet， differing from many other structures built in the past，it is alive，ever changing and evolving.The most spectacular4 transformations(變化) are also those that are the most visible:it has changed color six times in its lifetime and its lighting effects have been designed at different moments to decorate the tower for a day or for longer periods of time. Following many different lighting styles， the present day system has been highlighting5 the internal structure of the Tower for more than ten years now.

Less spectacular yet visible are the developments that have been added to the different levels such as the various pavilions (亭子)and constructions on the first and second floors. Also the roofing of the galleries(走廊) and shelters(休息處) providing refuge6 from bad weather conditions including the landing stages7， covered walkways， etc.， as well as the numerous technical and service quarters8andthe spaces located directly over or under these levels.The elevator and staircases(樓梯)--construction or replacement of--and the elevator platform9 could also fall into this same category10 of developments，except in cases where they have become integrated parts of the structure. Much less visible are the operations that have modified11 the original Tower's structure.

Indeed， at different periods in time， even the skeleton12 structure evolved，either little by little as the necessity arose or to reinforce certain structural members(構(gòu)件) that were damaged by various causes. In the descriptive (說明的) book \"The 300 meter tower\" Gustave Eiffel gave precise indications concerning his calcuilations， how many were used and detailed observation(觀察) notes.

注釋：

1． couple vt．結(jié)合

2． monumentn．不朽的作品，紀(jì)念碑式的作品

3． referenceadj．基準(zhǔn)的，可作基準(zhǔn)的

4． spectacularadj. 壯觀的，壯麗的

5． highlight vt．照亮，以強光照射

6． refuge n．庇護(hù)，避難

7． landing stage 碼頭

8． quartern．區(qū)，地區(qū)

9． platform n．臺，平臺

10． category n. 種類，類

11． modify vt．改造，修改，更改

12． skeleton n．骨架，框架

作為19世紀(jì)末技術(shù)創(chuàng)新的象征，埃菲爾鐵塔一直保持了其全球性景觀的地位。每年攀登這座鐵塔的游客達(dá)600萬之多，而那些僅僅觀看了該塔但沒有攀登的人數(shù)，再加上那些聽說過該塔但從未看見過它的人數(shù)就非常巨大了。

它那簡潔的外觀設(shè)計使它看上去也就是一個沒有生氣的物體，一個永遠(yuǎn)不變的基準(zhǔn)點。盡管如此，與眾多在它以前所建造的建筑有所不同的是，它又是那樣栩栩如生、變化多端，并處于不斷的演進(jìn)之中。最引人注目的變化也就是那些最易看見的東西：自建造以來，鐵塔的顏色已變換了6次，燈光效果被設(shè)計成隨時間而變化，以展示鐵塔在一天或更長時段內(nèi)的不同裝飾效果。塔內(nèi)燈光具備多種不同的風(fēng)格，目前鐵塔內(nèi)照明的燈光系統(tǒng)已經(jīng)使用了10多年。

那些不太顯著但仍能看到的進(jìn)展就是在塔的不同層面添加的東西，如在鐵塔第一、二層中風(fēng)格多樣的亭子及其他建筑；為走廊和休息點加上頂蓋，以供游人躲避惡劣天氣，包括供游人小憩的場所和加蓋的人行道等；數(shù)量眾多的技術(shù)和服務(wù)處及位于這些樓層上、下方的各種場地。新建或新?lián)Q的電梯、樓梯以及電梯平臺也可算作鐵塔的發(fā)展變化，除非在某些地方這些東西已經(jīng)成為鐵塔整體不可分割的一部分。而更不易為人所看見的進(jìn)展則是對鐵塔原有結(jié)構(gòu)的改造。

事實上在不同時期，甚至是鐵塔的基礎(chǔ)結(jié)構(gòu)也發(fā)生了變化，要么是出于需要一點一點改變，要么是加固某些因不同原因受損的構(gòu)件。在古斯塔夫·埃菲爾的說明書《300米高塔》中，他按照自己的計算給出了有關(guān)鐵塔未來演變的精確預(yù)測，其中不少預(yù)測是得到了驗證且有很詳細(xì)的觀察記錄。