Golden Gate Bridge History

張泰來

每當人們越過太平洋進入北美大陸的舊金山時，首先映入眼簾的便是一座飛架于海灣之上的巨型吊橋，這就是聞名遐爾的金門橋。1937年5月27日金門橋落成，次日金門橋正式通車。從那時起直到今天，舊金山人都把金門橋視為自己的驕傲。今天金門橋是世界上無數橋梁中最繁忙的橋梁之一，每天都約有10萬輛汽車從橋上隆隆駛過……

The Golden Gate Bridge， linking San Francisco with Marin County in absolute splendor， is one of the architectural marvels （建筑奇觀） of the 20th century and a testament to? ?human strife， as it was constructed during the years of the Great Depression（大蕭條）. For years， the Golden Gate Bridge held the title as the longest suspension bridge in the world.

Before its completion in 1937， the bridge was considered impossible to build， due to? persistently foggy weather， 97-kilometer-per-hour winds， and strong ocean currents， which whipped through a deep canyon below. In fact， the bridge is commonly known as the “Bridge that couldn't be built.” Despite these unforgiving natural elements， the bridge was constructed in a little more than four years. Eleven men lost their lives during the? ? ? ?construction of the bridge.

Even today， the massive spans of the bridge are often shrouded in fog. The bridge sways 8.23 meters to withstand winds of up to 161 kilometers per hour. International Orange was the color chosen for the bridge because it blended （混合） well with the bridge's natural surroundings. The two great cables extending from the bridge contain 128，747.52 kilometers of steel wire， which is enough to circle the? ? equator three times. The concrete poured to cement the bridge into the stormy waters? ? below could have also been used to pave a 1.5 meters wide sidewalk from New York to San Francisco.

Because of the Golden Gate Bridge， San Francisco is one of the premier skyline cities in the nation. It was a triumphant （勝利的） day in the history of the city when the bridge was completed on May 27， 1937. Over 200，000 people celebrated the grand opening of the Golden Gate Bridge by walking its length. The following day， a dedication （奉獻，此處指通車儀式） ceremony was held to officially christen （首次使用） what would become the architectural trademark of the city. The regular flow of vehicular traffic began the next day.

Today， pedestrians （行人） and bicyclists are still allowed to cross the bridge on pathways with breathtaking views of the city， Alcatraz， and the Marin Headlands.

The best way to view the bridge is to walk across. This usually takes about an hour.

Fill in the blanks.

1. The Golden Gate Bridge， linking San Francisco with ________.

2. The bridge was completed on ________.

3. ________ was the color chosen for the bridge because it blended well with the bridge's natural surroundings.

4. The equator is about ________ kilometers.

5. ________ people celebrated the grand opening of the Golden Gate Bridge by walking its length.