馬耳他地標性景點藍窗坍塌 地中海奇觀消失
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.
由於遭遇狂風巨浪，馬耳他一座地標性天然石拱上週三坍塌，落入地中海。這座石拱因拱懸於蔚藍色的海面上而被稱爲"藍窗"，這片海域深受潛水者的青睞。Malta's Prime Minister Joseph Muscat called the news "heartbreaking".
馬耳他總理約瑟夫·穆斯卡特稱這則消息"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."
他在推特上寫道：“近年來委託的報告都提到了，這個地標性建築會受到不可避免的自然腐蝕。悲傷的一天已經到來了。”
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".
不計其數的馬耳他旅遊手冊中都介紹了"藍窗"，HBO電視劇《權力的遊戲》第一集、電影《諸神之戰》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.
地質學家早就警告稱，坐落於戈佐島西北海岸線的"藍窗"正在被快速侵蝕，有關部門已禁止遊客在"藍窗"頂部行走。Officials had recently introduced signs and a fine to stop people from walking across the landmark but they were often ignored.
爲了阻止遊客在這個地標景點上行走，最近官方已樹立標識並實施罰款制度，但遊客經常置之不理。
