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Brooklyn Bridge

布鲁克林大桥

A brilliant feat of 19th-century engineering, the Brooklyn Bridge was the first bridge to use steel for cable wire, and during its construction explosives were used inside a pneumatic caisson for the first time. Since its construction, the bridge has become an essential landmark of New York City- an outstanding architectural accomplishment that is still revered across the world. Accordingly, it has been designated a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. National Park Service.

布鲁克林大桥是19世纪工程中的一项辉煌成就，是第一座使用钢作为电缆线的桥梁，在施工期间，首次在充气沉箱内使用了炸药。自建成以来，这座桥已成为纽约市的重要地标，这是一项杰出的建筑成就，至今仍受到全世界的尊敬。因此，它被美国国家公园管理局指定为国家历史地标。

The masterwork of John Augustus Roebling, the Brooklyn Bridge was built (1869–83) in the face of immense difficulties. Roebling, an engineer, had developed his own method for weaving wire cables, which became one of the leading constructional components of his bridge designs. He built a series of suspension bridges, including the Cincinnati–Covington Bridge, later renamed the John A. Roebling Bridge. He died at the beginning of the Brooklyn Bridge’s construction as a result of an accident on site, and his son, Washington Roebling, suffered a crippling attack of decompression sickness (caisson disease) after taking over as chief engineer.

作为约翰·奥古斯都·罗布林的杰作，布鲁克林大桥是在面临巨大困难的情况下建造的（1869-83）。罗布林是一名工程师，他开发了自己的钢丝绳编织方法，这成为他桥梁设计的主要结构组成部分之一。他建造了一系列悬索桥，包括辛辛那提-科温顿大桥，后来更名为约翰·奥古斯都·罗柏林大桥。他在布鲁克林大桥施工之初因现场事故去世，他的儿子华盛顿·罗布林在接任总工程师后，患上了减压病（沉箱病）。

Confined to his apartment in Columbia Heights (Brooklyn), Roebling continued to direct operations with the help of his wife, Emily Warren Roebling, observing with field glasses and sending messages to the site with her assistance. A compressed-air blast that wrecked a pneumatic caisson slowed the work, as did a severe fire that smoldered for weeks in another caisson, a cable that parted from its anchorage on the Manhattan side and crashed into the river, and the fraud perpetrated by a steel-wire contractor that necessitated the replacement of tons of cable. At least 20 workers were killed during construction, and many more suffered decompression sickness.

罗布林被限制在哥伦比亚高地（布鲁克林）的公寓里，在妻子艾米丽·沃伦·罗布林的帮助下，他继续指挥行动，戴着野战眼镜进行观察，并在她的帮助下向现场发送信息。一次压缩空气爆炸摧毁了一个充气沉箱，减缓了工作进度，另一个沉箱发生了持续数周的严重火灾，一根电缆从曼哈顿一侧的锚地分离并坠入河中，还有一名钢丝承包商实施的欺诈行为，需要更换数吨电缆。至少有20名工人在施工过程中丧生，更多的工人患有减压病。

The Brooklyn Bridge’s 486-metre main span was the longest in the world until the completion of the Firth of Forth cantilever bridge in Scotland in 1890. The towers are built of limestone, granite, and cement. Its deck, supported by four cables, carries both automobile and pedestrian traffic. A distinctive feature is the broad promenade above the roadway, which John Roebling accurately predicted “in a crowded commercial city will be of incalculable value.”

布鲁克林大桥486米的主跨是当时世界上最长的，直到1890年苏格兰福斯湾悬臂桥竣工。这些塔是用石灰石、花岗岩和水泥建造的。它的甲板由四根电缆支撑，可承载汽车和行人。一个显著的特点是道路上方宽阔的长廊，约翰·罗布林准确地预测，“在一个拥挤的商业城市，这将具有不可估量的价值。”

Upon its completion, Emily rode the first carriage across from the Brooklyn side, carrying a rooster as a symbol of victory. The bridge’s opening day, May 24, 1883, was marked by much celebration and was attended by U.S. Pres. Chester A. Arthur. The building of it came to represent a landmark in technological achievement for a generation. Its strength and grace inspired poets, notably Walt Whitman, Hart Crane, and Marianne Moore, and a legion of photographers and painters, including Joseph Stella, John Marin, Berenice Abbott, and Alfred Eisenstaedt.

完工后，埃米莉乘坐第一节车厢从布鲁克林一侧穿过，车上带着一只象征胜利的公鸡。1883年5月24日，这座桥的开通日举行了盛大的庆祝活动，美国总统切斯特·艾伦·阿瑟也出席了庆祝活动。它的建造代表了一代人技术成就的里程碑。它的力量和优雅激发了诗人的灵感，尤其是沃尔特·惠特曼、哈特·克莱恩和玛丽安·摩尔，以及大批摄影师和画家，包括约瑟夫·斯特拉、约翰·马林、贝雷尼斯·阿博特和阿尔弗雷德·艾森斯塔特。

【Source】www.britannica.com

【Translated by】Spark Liao (廖怀宝)

【Illustration】From Bing

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