马耳他地标性景点蓝窗坍塌 地中海奇观消失

An iconic Maltese natural rock arch, known as the Azure Window because it arched over blue Seas popular with divers, collapsed into the Mediterranean Sea last Wednesday as Malta was hit by rough seas and stormy weather.

由于遭遇狂风巨浪，马耳他一座地标性天然石拱上周三坍塌，落入地中海。这座石拱因拱悬于蔚蓝色的海面上而被称为"蓝窗"，这片海域深受潜水者的青睐。

Malta's Prime Minister Joseph Muscat called the news "heartbreaking".

马耳他总理约瑟夫·穆斯卡特称这则消息"令人心碎"。

"Reports commissioned over the years indicated that this landmark would be hard hit by unavoidable natural corrosion," he said on Twitter. "That sad day has arrived."

他在推特上写道：“近年来委托的报告都提到了，这个地标性建筑会受到不可避免的自然腐蚀。悲伤的一天已经到来了。”

The structure was featured in countless Malta tourism brochures and the first episode of the HBO series "Game of Thrones", as well as the movie, "Clash of The Titans".

不计其数的马耳他旅游手册中都介绍了"蓝窗"，HBO电视剧《权力的游戏》第一集、电影《诸神之战》曾在此取景。

Geologists had long warned that the structure, on the northwestern coast of the island of Gozo, was eroding fast and authorities had banned visitors from walking on top of it.

地质学家早就警告称，坐落于戈佐岛西北海岸线的"蓝窗"正在被快速侵蚀，有关部门已禁止游客在"蓝窗"顶部行走。

Officials had recently introduced signs and a fine to stop people from walking across the landmark but they were often ignored.

为了阻止游客在这个地标景点上行走，最近官方已树立标识并实施罚款制度，但游客经常置之不理。