美国制造的摩天大楼
📖 逐句对照翻译
Skyscrapers were invented in the United States.
摩天大楼是在美国发明的。
Two new technological developments made very tall buildings possible in the late 1800s.
19世纪末的两项新技术发展使得建造非常高的建筑成为可能。
One development was the mechanical elevator.
一个发展是机械电梯。
It meant that people would not have to climb many steps to reach the upper floors of tall buildings.
这意味着人们不必爬很多台阶就能到达高楼的上层。
It saved time and effort.
它节省了时间和精力。
The second was good quality steel that could carry the heavy load of a tall structure.
第二种是优质钢材，能够承受高层建筑的巨大重量。
These two developments helped make the skyscraper possible.
这两项发展共同促成了摩天大楼的诞生。
Many experts consider the Home Insurance Building in Chicago, Illinois to be the first skyscraper.
许多专家认为，位于伊利诺伊州芝加哥的家庭保险大楼是第一座摩天大楼。
It was completed in 1885 and later increased to a height of 55 meters.
它于1885年建成，后来高度增至55米。
Today, this would not be considered tall.
今天，这不会被算作高。
But at the time, this height was striking.
但在当时，这个高度令人瞩目。
What was different about the Home Insurance Building was its structure.
家庭保险大楼的不同之处在于它的结构。
It was built using a steel frame.
它是用钢架建造的。
This frame carried the weight of the building rather than the walls.
这个框架承载的是整栋建筑的重量，而非墙壁之重。
The method was known as “skeleton construction” at the time.
当时，这种方法被称为“骨架构造”。
Before this technology, a tall building required thick stone walls to support its weight.
在这项技术出现之前，高层建筑需要厚重的石墙来支撑其重量。
Thick walls are extremely heavy and take up a big area that could be used for floor space or windows.
厚墙极其沉重，占用了大片本可用作地面空间或窗户的区域。
William Jenney was the engineer who helped build the Home Insurance Building.
威廉·詹尼是帮助建造家庭保险大楼的工程师。
He understood the possibilities that steel frames could offer.
他明白钢架结构所能提供的各种可能性。
Some people consider him the father of the skyscraper.
有些人认为他是摩天大楼之父。
Soon after the building was finished, builders in Chicago and New York City began copying and improving on the idea of building upwards.
这座建筑竣工后不久，芝加哥和纽约市的建筑商们便开始效仿并改进向上建楼的理念。
Builders in these cities and others would also begin competing for the title of “tallest building.”
这些城市及其他地方的建筑商也将开始争夺“最高建筑”的称号。
Popular tall buildings
受欢迎的高层建筑
The Empire State building in New York City was completed in 1931.
纽约市的帝国大厦于1931年竣工。
It was the tallest building in the world for more than 40 years.
它曾是世界上最高的建筑，长达40多年之久。
It is still one of the most popular.
它仍然是最受欢迎的之一。
Millions of visitors have seen New York from observation areas in this building.
数百万游客曾在这座建筑的观景台俯瞰纽约。
Chicago became home to the world’s tallest building in 1973 when the Sears Tower was completed.
1973年，西尔斯大厦竣工，芝加哥由此拥有了当时世界最高的建筑。
It is 442 meters tall.
它有442米高。
The Sears Tower, which is now called Willis Tower, was the tallest building in the world for 23 years.
西尔斯大厦，现称为威利斯大厦，曾是世界最高建筑，保持了23年的纪录。
Then, in 1996, two taller buildings were completed.
然后，在1996年，两座更高的建筑竣工了。
They are the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
它们是马来西亚吉隆坡的双子塔。
They are about 452 meters tall.
它们大约有452米高。
Who decides on the tallest buildings?
谁来决定最高的建筑？
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) is a nonprofit organization based in Chicago that studies tall buildings and their place in the design of cities.
高层建筑与城市人居委员会（CTBUH）是一家总部位于芝加哥的非营利组织，研究高层建筑及其在城市设计中的地位。
CTBUH supports tall buildings as a way to create more sustainable cities to live in.
CTBUH支持高层建筑作为创造更可持续居住城市的一种方式。
The group publishes a list of the world’s tallest buildings.
该组织发布了一份世界最高建筑名单。
Today, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai is considered the tallest building at 828 meters.
如今，迪拜的哈利法塔以828米的高度被视为世界最高建筑。
The tallest building in the United States and North America is One World Trade Center in New York, which replaced the two towers of the World Trade Center destroyed in the terrorist attacks against the United States in 2001.
美国及北美最高的建筑是纽约的世界贸易中心一号大楼，它取代了在2001年针对美国的恐怖袭击中被毁的世贸中心双子塔。
One World Trade Center stands at 541 meters.
世界贸易中心一号大楼高541米。
I’m Jill Robbins.
我是吉尔·罗宾斯。
Jerilyn Watson reported this story for VOA Learning English.
杰里琳·沃森为VOA英语学习频道报道了这则新闻。
Jill Robbins adapted it for VOA Learning English with additional materials.
吉尔·罗宾斯为VOA英语学习频道改编了此内容，并添加了额外材料。
