[originaltext] The Mediterranean is a word both easy to pronounce and easy t

The Mediterranean is a word both easy to pronounce and easy to spell—if you only know how. It is a word of five syllables: Mediterranean, meaning mid-earth. The Chinese translation is a happy one, as it means exactly the same thing.
    Europe owes its early growth to the Mediterranean Sea. On its shores were the seats of early civilization: Egypt, Greece and Rome. The Mediterranean fed the people in these lands and provided a high way for trade and diplomacy. Together, they formed a Mediterranean civilization.
    In 1869 the Suez Canal was cut after 10 years of arduous work. Linking the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean, the Canal shortened the passage from Europe to Asia by some 10,000 kilometers.
    The Canal is 171 km long and 65 km wide. An ocean liner takes some 10 hours to go through. It goes slowly, but safely. The Canal is now completely Egyptian property. Foreign ships pay for their passage, making the Canal a good earner of hard currency.