Ieoh Ming Pei is definitely one of the biggest names in architecture. Born in China in 1917, Pei was the son of a prominent banker. He grew up mostly in Hong Kong and Shanghai. At the age of 17, Pei left for the United States to study architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and then Harvard University.

贝聿铭无疑是建筑界史上最响亮的名字之一。贝1917年出生于中国，他父亲是一位杰出银行家。他大部分时间在香港和上海长大，17岁时，贝前往美国马萨诸塞理工学院学习建筑，接着又到哈佛大学求学。

Pei attracted great attention in the U.S. for the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston, but it was the Louvre Pyramid that brought him worldwide fame. In 1981, the newly elected President of France came up with an ambitious plan for a variety of construction projects, including the renovation of the Louvre Museum. Pei was invited to join the renovating team. Pei finally agreed to take on the project after three secretive trips to Paris.

在美国，贝因为设计波士顿的肯尼迪图书馆而受到广泛关注，但是让他享誉世界的却是卢浮宫金字塔。1981年，新当选的法国总统制定了一个雄心勃勃的计划，要大兴土木，其中就包括对卢浮宫博物馆的改造。贝被邀请加入改造团队。先后三次秘访巴黎后，他最终同意接手这个项目。

Pei designed not only a glass and steel pyramid to serve as the entrance to the Louvre, but also a transformation of the interiors. The public reacted harshly to the design, mostly because of the proposed pyramid. In an attempt to soothe public anger, Pei took a suggestion from then-mayor of Paris and placed a full-sized model of the pyramid in the courtyard of the Louvre. During the four days of its exhibition, an estimated 60,000 people visited the site. Critics eased their opposition after witnessing the proposed scale of the pyramid.

贝不仅设计了一个玻璃和钢结构的金字塔作为卢浮宫的入口，还进行了内部改造。人们当时并不喜欢这个设计，主要是因为这个金字塔的设计。为了平息公众的愤怒，贝采纳了当时巴黎市长的建议，将一个真实大小的金字塔模型放在卢浮宫大厅里。在为期四天的展览里，约六万人前来参观。在看到金字塔的拟建规格后，批评者的抵触情绪有所缓和。

The new entrance was opened to the public in March, 1989. By that time, public opinion had softened on the Pyramid; a poll found a 56 percent approval rating for the pyramid. “The much-feared pyramid has become adorable,” wrote a French writer. The experience was exhausting for Pei, but also rewarding. “After the Louvre,” Pei said later, “I thought no project would be too difficult.” Now the Louvre Pyramid is Pei's most famous structure.

新入口于1989年3月正式对外开放。当时，公众对金字塔的态度已经缓和了。一项民意调查发现民众对金字塔的满意度高达56％。一位法国作家写到：“令人相当担心的金字塔变得令人喜欢了”。对于贝，虽然这个经历令他疲惫，但也有回报。“经历了对卢浮宫的改造，”贝说，“没有一个项目会叫我觉得太难”。现在卢浮宫金字塔是贝最具代表性的建筑作品。