One of the most epic engineering feats in history - Alex Gendler

翻译人员: Keun Jeong Mo 校对人员: Yolanda Zhang

In the mid-19th century,

十九世纪中期，

suspension bridges were collapsing all across Europe.

欧洲不断发生悬索桥坍塌事故。

Their industrial cables frayed during turbulent weather

用于悬索桥的工业钢缆 因善变的天气而受损，

and snapped under the weight of their decks.

支撑不住桥的重量而断裂。

So when a German-American engineer named John Roebling

当一位名叫约翰 · 罗布林（John Roebling）的 德裔美国工程师

proposed building the largest and most expensive suspension bridge

提出横跨纽约东河建造

ever conceived over New York’s East River,

一座最大且最贵的吊桥，

city officials were understandably skeptical.

纽约的市政官员们 纷纷对此表示了怀疑。

But Manhattan was increasingly overcrowded,

但是当时的曼哈顿人口过于密集，

and commuters from Brooklyn clogged the river.

而且来自布鲁克林的通勤者 都需要经过这条河，

In February of 1867, the government approved Roebling’s proposal.

于是在 1867 年 2 月， 政府批准了罗布林的建议。

To avoid the failures of European bridges,

为了避免类似欧洲悬索桥坍塌的 事故再次发生，

Roebling designed a hybrid bridge model.

罗布林设计了一个混合桥梁模型。

From suspension bridges,

他将悬索桥上

he incorporated large cables supported by central pillars and anchored at each bank.

由中心桥塔支撑的大型钢缆 固定在每个河岸上。

This design was ideal for supporting long decks,

这样的设计将大桥悬挂在 一排较短的垂直钢缆上，

which hung from smaller vertical cables.

有助于支撑桥面。

But Roebling’s model also drew from cable-stayed bridges.

罗布林的灵感还来自斜拉桥。

These shorter structures held up their decks with diagonal cables

这些较短的构造有助于 直接与桥塔相连的斜拉索

that ran directly to support towers.

固定桥面。

By adding these additional cables, Roebling improved the bridge’s stability,

通过添加这些钢缆， 罗布林增强了桥的稳定性，

while also reducing the weight on its anchor cables.

同时减少了施加于锚缆的重量。

Similar designs had been used for some other bridges

虽然相似的设计已经被采用过，

but the scope of Roebling’s plan here dwarfed them all.

但是罗布林这次的计划 使其他设计都相形见绌。

His new bridge’s deck spanned over 480 meters—

他设计的桥面长达 480 米——

1.5 times longer than any previously built suspension bridge.

比之前的任何一座悬索桥 都要长 1.5 倍。

Since standard hemp rope would tear under the deck’s 14,680 tons,

因为普通麻绳会在 近 1.5 万吨的桥面重量下断裂，

his proposal called for over 5,600 kilometers of metal wire

罗布林建议使用 5.6 公里长的钢丝

to create the bridge’s cables.

制作悬索桥的钢缆。

To support all this weight,

为了承受这个重量，

the towers would need to stand over 90 meters above sea level—

这些支撑桥塔必须 高出海平面 90 米以上——

making them the tallest structures in the Western Hemisphere.

使得这座桥成为了 西半球最高的建筑。

Roebling was confident his design would work,

罗布林对自己的设计很有信心，

but while surveying the site in 1869,

但是当他在 1869 年 进行实地勘察时，

an incoming boat crushed his foot against the dock.

一艘渡船冲向码头， 他的脚严重受伤。

Within a month, tetanus had claimed his life.

不到一个月，他就因破伤风离世。

Fortunately, John Roebling's son, Washington, was also a trained engineer

幸运的是，罗布林的儿子华盛顿 也是一位训练有素的工程师，

and took over his father’s role.

因此他接替了父亲的工作。

The following year, construction on the tower foundations finally began.

在接下来的一年， 桥基的建设工作终于开始了。

This first step in construction was also the most challenging.

建桥的第一步是最具挑战性的。

Building on the rocky river bed involved the use of a largely untested technology:

为了在布满石块的河床上建造桥基， 华盛顿采用了未经测试的技术：

pneumatic caissons.

气压沉箱。

Workers lowered these airtight wooden boxes into the river,

工人们把很多密封的木箱放进河里，

where a system of pipes pumped pressurized air in and water out.

用一套管道注入压缩空气， 将水排出。

Once established, air locks allowed workers to enter the chamber

这一项工作完成后， 工人才能进入沉箱里

and excavate the river bottom.

挖掘河底。

They placed layers of stone on top of the caisson as they dug.

他们挖掘河底的同时， 把一层层石头堆积在箱体顶部。

When it finally hit the bedrock, they filled it with concrete,

当沉箱最终到达基岩时， 工人用混凝土把沉箱填满，

becoming the tower’s permanent foundation.

塔基也随之建成。

Working conditions in these caissons were dismal and dangerous.

但是沉箱里的工作条件 是非常危险的。

Lit only by candles and gas lamps, the chambers caught fire several times,

由于只能用蜡烛和煤气灯照明， 在沉箱里发生过几次火灾，

forcing them to be evacuated and flooded.

导致工人被迫撤离， 或是因海水涌入而丧命。

Even more dangerous was a mysterious ailment called "the bends."

更危险的是一种

Today, we understand this as decompression sickness,

如今我们称之为“减压病”的疾病，

but at the time, it appeared to be an unexplainable pain or dizziness

但是在当时，这种未知的疾病 带来了无法解释的疼痛或头晕，

that killed several workmen.

许多工人因此丧命。

In 1872, it nearly claimed the life of the chief engineer.

1872 年，减压病也差点 要了总工程师的命。

Washington survived, but was left paralyzed and bedridden.

虽然华盛顿活下来了， 但是从此瘫痪，卧床不起。

Yet once again, the Roeblings proved indomitable.

然而，事实再一次证明， 罗布林家族是不屈不挠的。

Washington’s wife Emily not only carried communications

华盛顿的妻子艾米丽 不仅负责起了

between her husband and the engineers,

丈夫和工程师之间的沟通，

but soon took over day-to-day project management.

还接管了日常的管理工作。

Unfortunately, the bridge’s troubles were far from over.

不幸的是，这座桥的麻烦还远未结束。

By 1877, construction was over budget and behind schedule.

到 1877 年，桥塔的建造 超出了预算，进度落后。

Worse still, it turned out the bridge’s cable contractor

更糟糕的是， 这座桥的钢缆供应商其实

had been selling them faulty wires.

一直在向他们供应不合格的钢丝。

This would have been a fatal flaw if not for the abundant failsafes

多亏了罗布林设计中 包含的多重安全保障，

in John Roebling’s design.

才没有酿成大祸。

After reinforcing the cables with additional wires,

使用额外的钢丝加固了钢缆之后，

they suspended the deck piece by piece.

工人们把桥面一个一个悬吊起来。

It took 14 years, the modern equivalent of over 400 million dollars,

这项工程历时十四年， 造价相当于现在的 4 亿美元，

and the life’s work of three different Roeblings,

汇聚了罗夫林家族三代人的心血，

but when the Brooklyn Bridge finally opened on May 24, 1883,

但当布鲁克林大桥终于在 1883 年 5 月 24 日竣工时，

its splendor was undeniable.

它的辉煌壮丽是不可否认的。

Today, the Brooklyn Bridge still stands atop its antique caissons,

今天的布鲁克林大桥 依然矗立在古老沉箱上，

supporting the gothic towers and intersecting cables

支撑着哥特式桥塔和交叉的钢缆，

that frame a gateway to New York City.

肩负着连通纽约市的使命。