| 词汇 | gibraltar |
| 词源 | Gibraltar. Rock of Gibraltar signifies any impregnable stronghold. Gibraltar was called Calpe in ancient times, and forms the renowned Pillars of Hercules with Abyla on the op- posite coast; but when the Saracen conqueror Tarik captured it from the Visigoths and built a castle there in a.d. 710, it was named Jebel el Tarik, “the mountain of Tarik,” in his honor. Gi- braltar is simply an English corruption of the longer name. The island, a rocky promontory on Spain’s southern coast, ac- quired a further reputation for impregnability when the Brit- ish captured it in 1704, made the island a fort and naval base, and successfully repelled several attempted invasions in future years. Gibraltar remains in British hands today, despite recent demonstrations for its return to Spain. Strategically important because it commands the only entrance to the Mediterranean from the west, the island is honeycombed with natural and man-made caves used by the military. It is also an important tourist center, a major attraction being the Barbary apes that live there. |
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