Blood, concrete, and dynamite: Building the Hoover Dam - Alex Gendler

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

High above the floor of Nevada’s Black Canyon,

在內華達黑峽谷谷底 上方很高的地方，

a group of men repelled down the cliff face.

一組人在陡峭的懸崖壁面上攀爬，

Suddenly, a man stumbled over the canyon rim.

突然，其中一人在峽谷邊緣失足，

He plummeted past the men, too fast for them to grab—

他從其他人旁邊高速落下， 他們來不及抓住他——

when another climber swung out from the rocks

另一位攀爬者從岩石上盪過去， 把他帶到安全的地方。

and carried him to safety.

Once they’d repelled the engineer up the cliff,

等他們把這名工程師 送到懸崖上之後，

his savior swung back to business as usual—

他的救星又盪回去 進行他的慣常工作——

just another day in the construction of the Hoover Dam.

這只是胡佛水壩建造 過程中很平常的一天。

In the early 20th century,

在二十世紀初，

the United States had expanded from coast to coast,

美國從東岸向西岸擴張，

but many cities in the arid southwest still lacked reliable water sources.

但許多在西南部不毛之地的城市

仍然缺乏可靠的水源。

While the Colorado River had been diverted into a series of canals,

雖然科羅拉多河已經 被改道成為數條運河，

its erratic flow and frequent floods made it unreliable for agriculture.

其變化無常的水流 和經常泛濫的現象，

無法當成農業可以仰賴的水源。

At the same time, the region’s growing cities and industries

同時，該地區不斷成長的城市和產業

continually needed more energy.

對能源的需求不斷增加。

So in 1922, the Bureau of Reclamation decided to solve all these problems

所以墾務局在 1922 年

決定把所有這些問題一舉搞定：

in one fell swoop by building a massive hydroelectric dam.

建造一座大型的水力發電水壩。

Ensuring water rights for the project required unprecedented cooperation

要確保這個專案計畫的水權， 就需要完成前所未有的合作，

between all seven states along the river.

讓沿著該河流的七個州合作。

But once local governments agreed,

但，地方政府答應之後，

the Bureau determined that Black Canyon’s narrow gorge was best suited

墾務局便決定，狹窄的黑峽谷

最適合蓋重力拱壩。

for an arch-gravity dam.

This design curves upstream,

這個設計讓上游形成曲線，

using the force of oncoming water to push the structure into its supports—

用迎面而來的水所產生的力量，

將該建物推入它的支撐物當中，

in this case, the canyon walls.

在此，支撐物就是峽谷壁。

Arch dams have been built since ancient times,

從古早就已經有人建造拱壩，

but never on such a massive scale.

但從來沒有這麼大的規模。

When complete, the structure would be 221 by 379 meters.

完成後的建物大小是

221x379 公尺。

It would take an enormous labor force to build a dam this massive.

要建造這麼大的水壩， 會需要大量的勞工。

And when the Great Depression struck only a year after the project’s approval,

該專案計畫被核准之後一年 就發生了經濟大蕭條，

thousands of families looking for work began flocking to the site.

數千個在尋找工作的家庭 開始湧向該工地。

The earliest arrivals lived in a makeshift encampment called Ragtown.

最早抵達的人住在臨時的營地，

叫做破布镇。

With no infrastructure, scarce supplies, and little protection from the elements,

因為沒有基礎設施，補給品稀少， 也沒什麼對抗惡劣天氣的保護，

several residents died of heatstroke.

有不少居民因為中暑而死。

So to better house workers,

為了讓工人住得更好，

the government designed and built the still thriving Boulder City,

政府設計及建造了 現今仍然繁榮的波爾德市，

complete with numerous amenities, including a state-of-the-art hospital.

城市中還有許多便利設施， 包括一間先進的醫院。

Before construction on the dam could begin,

在水壩的建造開始之前，

the entire river had to be rerouted.

整條河必須改道。

Building these diversion tunnels required blasting into each side of the canyon

要建造這些引水道，

會需要炸入峽谷的兩側，

to create 17 meter tall tubes.

創造出十七公尺高的管道。

With a combined length of almost 5 kilometers,

這些引水道的總長接近五公里，

these tunnels could divert roughly 5,600 cubic meters of water per second.

每秒鐘可以引導

大約五千六百立方公尺的水。

However, workers faced grueling conditions to finish these on time,

然而，要準時完成它們， 工人得要面對非常嚴苛的條件。

and dozens succumbed to the scorching heat.

有數十人被炙熱的高溫擊倒。

By the fall of 1932, the river had been successfully redirected.

1932 年秋天，河流改道成功了。

But the most dangerous work was still ahead.

但最危險的工作還等在前頭。

Over 1 million cubic meters of loose rock needed to be cleared

峽谷壁上有超過一百萬 立方公尺的鬆散岩石

from the canyon walls.

需要清除。

So foremen brought in high scalers who descended the cliffs on ropes,

所以工頭找來了攀登者， 用繩索從懸崖垂降下去，

removing rubble with jackhammers and dynamite.

用輕型鑿巖機及炸藥來清除碎石。

From circus acrobats and former sailors, to local Apache,

從馬戲團特技演員及前水手，

到當地的阿帕契族，

these death-defying individuals performed some of the most dangerous—

這些挑戰死神的人做的是最危險

and glamorous— work on site.

又最有魅力的工地工作。

After the walls were cleared, it was finally time to build the dam.

崖壁清乾淨之後， 終於到了建水壩的時候。

This required pouring over 6.6 million tons of concrete—

建造水壩需要灌注的混凝土 超過六百六十公噸——

enough to pave a road across the entire US.

足以鋪出一條橫越整個美國的道路。

But so much concrete poured at once would take far too long to cool and harden.

但一次灌注這麼大量的混凝土，

冷卻和變硬會花太多時間。

So to speed this process up,

為了加快這個流程，

concrete was poured in interlocking blocks of varying sizes,

混凝土被注入到 各種大小的連鎖方塊中，

each containing steel pipes flowing with cold water.

每個方塊內部都有鋼管， 讓冷水從中流過。

By 1935, most of the structure had been completed two years ahead of schedule.

到了 1935 年， 水壩大部分都已完成，

超前進度兩年。

On February 1st, the diversion tunnels opened to fill the dam’s reservoir,

二月一日，引水道開啟，

讓水壩的水庫裝滿水。

capable of holding twice the Colorado River’s annual flow.

蓄水量是科羅拉多河年流量的兩倍。

Upon completion, the dam was the tallest manmade structure in the world.

完成時，

該水壩是世界上最高的人造建物。

However, the speed of its construction came at the cost of worker safety.

然而，如此快速建造的代價 就是工人的安全。

While this project employed roughly 21,000 Americans during a major economic crisis,

雖然在重大經濟危機時，

這個專案計畫僱用了 約兩萬一千名美國人，

over 100 people died during construction.

建造過程中有超過一百人死亡。

Creating the reservoir also destroyed communities like St. Thomas

建造這個水庫也摧毀了 聖湯瑪斯等社區，

and devastated the Colorado River ecosystem.

也讓科羅拉多河的 生態系統受到破壞。

Today, the Hoover Dam generates over 4 billion kilowatt-hours annually,

現今，胡佛水壩每年可以產生 超過四十億千瓦小時的電力，

providing electricity for over 1.3 million people.

供電給超過一百三十萬人。

But the consequences of its construction continue to cast a shadow

但建造的後果，

讓這紀念性建物始終都蒙著陰影。

over this monumental structure.