Build a virtual past

If you were given the chance to create your own world, what would it look like? For 19 post-2000s gamers, they have spent nearly one year rebuilding the exquisite Luoyang city in the video game Minecraft. Most players are senior high school or college students.
如果你有机会创造自己的世界，会打造成什么样？19名00后玩家花了近一年的时间，在电子游戏《我的世界》中重建了精美的洛阳城。其中大多数玩家是高中生或大学生。

“Luoyang was the ancient capital of 13 dynasties. Having grown up in Luoyang, I have a duty to promote the city’s long history and rich culture,” said Liu Wenqi, 20, the group’s organizer. “After discussing with other players, we decided to recreate a digital version of this ancient city, so other people can learn about it.”
“洛阳是十三朝古都。作为一个在洛阳长大的人，我有责任弘扬这座城市悠久的历史和丰富的文化，”20岁的项目创始人刘文奇说，“在与其他玩家讨论后，我们决定重建数字版本的洛阳古城，让其他人能够了解洛阳。”

In the game, they rebuilt many local landmarks, including Mingtang Hall, Yingtianmen Palace, Jiuzhou Pond and Luohe River. They also replicated the residential area, fairs, giant Buddhas and even different trees, adding life to the city.
在游戏中，团队成员重建了许多地标建筑，包括明堂、应天门、九洲池和漯河。他们复制了居民区、集市、巨大的佛像，甚至还复制了各种树木，为城市增添活力。

To make 1:1 scale replicas, they began with collecting data and photos of real buildings and drawing sketches for the models. For half a year, they constantly visited different museums and memorial halls to get the buildings’ dimensions and positions to ensure their replicas are as accurate as possible.
为了制作一比一还原的复制品，团队成员开始收集真实建筑的数据和照片，并为模型绘制草图。在半年的时间里，成员们不断地参观不同的博物馆和纪念馆，以获取建筑的尺寸和位置，确保其复制品尽可能准确。

“Accurately recreating Luoyang requires time, effort and, most importantly, the division of duties. Our team made a plan together, and then worked toward our goal every day after finishing our homework,” said Fan Zhenyu, 20, a sophomore student who laid the first block of the Mingtang Hall.
20岁的大二学生范振宇铺设了明堂的第一个区域，他说：“准确重建洛阳需要时间和精力，最重要的是需要分工。我们团队一起制定计划，然后利用业余时间，朝着目标努力。”

They encountered several challenges as they recreated details of the Mingtang. The most difficult parts were Mingtang’s octagonal bottom, dodecagonal central structure and 24-sided shape on the topmost layer, very close to a circle. At first, they didn’t know how to replicate the shape. They then together learned the conic section formula, which they applied to the building. What’s more, they fully dedicated themselves to rebuilding the interior structures of Mingtang, including the wooden brackets and the colorful jade bed-curtain where Tang dynasty Empress Wu Zetian once sat.
在重现明堂的细节时，团队遇到了一些挑战。最困难的部分在于，明堂一层为八边形，二层为十二边形，顶层为二十四边形，非常接近圆形。起初，成员们不知道如何复制这个形状，随后他们一起学习了圆锥曲线公式，并将其应用到建筑中。此外，团队还不遗余力地重建明堂的内部结构，包括木斗拱和唐朝女皇武则天曾坐过的翡翠床帐。

Although the process was a challenge for the young team, their hard work has earned them praise. “It’s just so much like the real Luoyang, which makes me think how glorious the city would have looked at that time,” many internet users commented online.
虽然对于这支年轻的团队来说，整个过程是一个挑战，但成员们的努力也赢得了赞誉。许多网友在线上评论称：“这和真正的洛阳太像了，让我遥想起当时洛阳有多辉煌。”

The team is making an animation script, set in Luoyang during the Sui and Tang dynasties. They will also open the server so that players can travel to the metaverse of Luoyang and experience the prosperous city firsthand.
该团队正在制作一个以隋唐时期的洛阳为背景的动画剧本。他们还将开放服务器，让玩家能够前往洛阳的元宇宙，亲身体验这座繁华的城市。

以上文章内容选自《21世纪学生英文报高中版》，详情请见《21世纪学生英文报高中版》高二866期