Ferdinand de Lesseps, once a French diplomat(外交官)，became 1 with the cultures of the Mediterranean(地中海)and Middle East and the growth of western European 2. But in 1849 he retired after a disagreement with the French government.
In 1854,3his expectation, he returned to Egypt, 4 he was given a warm welcome and, soon afterwards, permission to begin work 5 the Suez Canal. De Lesseps had been 6 by reading about Napoleon's abandoned plans for a 7 that would allow large ships wishing to sail to the east to go8 from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea, therefore 9 out the long sea journey around Africa.
De Lesseps' plan was 10 by an International commission of engineers, but failed to win the support of the British government, 11 de Lesseps making a number of trips to London. He persevered and 12 attracted financial support from the French emperor Napoleon III and others.
De Lesseps was no 13 his achievement lay 14 organizing the necessary political and financial backing, and providing the technical support 15for such a huge project. 16 began in April 1859, and the Suez Canal was 17in November 1869. British attitudes changed when the canal was seen to be a 18and de Lesseps was treated as a great celebrity (名人) on his later visit to Britain. In 1875, the Egyptian government sold its 19, in the canal and the British prime minister, Benjamin Disraeli, 20effective control of the Canal Company.
