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AlexGendler_CiticorpTower_2020E-_一个设计瑕疵差一点害一栋摩天大楼倒塌_-
In 1978, Diane Hartley was writing her undergraduate architecture thesis when she made a shocking discovery. 1978 年,戴安哈特利在撰写 她的大学建筑论文时, 有一个惊人的发现。
Her paper focused on the Citicorp Center, a skyscraper in midtown Manhattan. 她的论文是关于花旗集团中心大楼,
And after weeks poring over the building’s plans, she’d stumbled on a potentially deadly mistake. 花了数周时间钻研 该建筑的计画之后, 她偶然发现一个可能会致命的错误。
undergraduate:n.本科生; architecture:n.建筑学;建筑风格;建筑式样;架构; thesis:n.论文;论点; skyscraper:n.摩天楼,超高层大楼;特别高的东西; midtown:n.市中心区;商业区和住宅区的中间地区;adj.市中心区的;位于市中心区的; poring:v.熟读;凝视;沉思(pore的ing形式); stumbled:v.绊脚;跌跌撞撞地走;蹒跚而行;(stumble的过去分词和过去式) potentially:adv.可能地,潜在地; deadly:adj.致命的;非常的;死一般的;adv.非常;如死一般地;
An oversight that threatened to topple the 59-story tower into one of New York City’s most densely populated districts. 这个疏失可能会造成 这栋 59 层的高塔 倒塌在纽约市人口最密集的区域之一。
When it was built two years earlier, 两年前,花旗集团中心建造完成时,
Citicorp Center was one of the world's tallest buildings. 它是世界上最高的大楼之一。
Its sloped roof was unique in the city skyline , but its more distinctive feature lay at the base. 它的倾斜屋顶在天空中形成了 独一无二的轮廓, 但它更特别的特色是在它的基底。
oversight:n.疏忽;忽略;失察;负责;照管; topple:v.倾倒;倒塌;推翻;颠覆;使倒塌; densely:adv.浓密地;密集地; populated:v.生活于; sloped:adj.倾斜的;v.倾斜;使倾斜(slope的过去式); unique:adj.独特的,稀罕的;[数]唯一的;n.独一无二的人或物; skyline:n.地平线;空中轮廓线;架空索;vt.天空映衬出…的轮廓; distinctive:adj.独特的;特别的;有特色的;
Since the construction site was already occupied by St. Peter's Lutheran Church, the new skyscraper had to be built on columns supporting it, like stilts . 因为建地已经被 圣彼得路德教堂给占据, 这栋新的摩天大楼 必须像踩高跷般盖在支撑柱上。
Using stilts on a building’s corners wasn’t unheard of, but because the church stood at the corner of the block, these stilts had to be placed at the center of each side. 在大楼下方的四个角落 使用支柱并非前所未见, 但教堂占据的是角落的位置, 所以这些支柱必须要设置在 每一边的中央。
construction site:na.建筑工地; occupied:adj.被占领的; v.占用; (occupy的过去分词和过去式) Lutheran:adj.路德教会的;n.路德教会; columns:n.柱:(通常为)圆形石柱:(书,报纸印刷页上的)栏(column的复数) stilts:n.桩子,支柱;高跷;(stilt的复数) unheard:adj.听不到的;未被倾听的;不予理睬的;
While this novel design worried some of the building's backers , chief structural engineer William LeMessurier took numerous precautions to ensure the building’s stability . 虽然这种新颖的设计 让该大楼的一些出资者感到担忧, 结构首席工程师威廉莱梅雪 采取了许多预防措施 来确保该大楼的稳定度。
The outside would consist of v-shaped chevrons , forming a strong exoskeleton to support the skyscraper. 他在外部采用 V 字锯齿形雕饰, 形成坚固的外骨骼, 来支撑这栋摩天大楼。
This external structure also made the building much lighter, meaning there’d be less weight to support overall . 这种外部结构也让该大楼 变得更轻许多, 也就是说支撑的总体重量比较轻。
novel:adj.新奇的;异常的;n.小说; backers:n.支持者;赞助商;资助者; structural engineer:n.结构工程师(设计大型建筑、桥梁等); numerous:adj.许多的,很多的; precautions:n.防范;预防措施;预警(precaution的复数); ensure:vt.保证,确保;使安全; stability:n.稳定性;坚定,恒心; consist:v.(与…)一致;并存;共存;由…组成; chevrons:n.v形臂章(军人佩戴以示军衔和军兵种的); exoskeleton:n.[昆]外骨骼; external:n.外部;外观;形式;外部情况;adj.外部的;外面的;外界的;外来的; structure:n.结构;构造;建筑物;vt.组织;构成;建造; overall:v.全部; n.外套; adj.全面的;
This design did leave the building vulnerable to strong winds. 这种设计的确会让大楼 很容易受到强风影响。
But LeMessurier had another state-of-the-art solution— a tuned mass damper . 但莱梅雪还有另一个 先进的解决方案—— 调谐质量阻尼器。
This 400-ton counterweight was controlled by computerized sensors designed to counteract any swaying . 这个 400 公吨的平衡秤锤 设计目的是要抵消任何晃动。
vulnerable:adj.易受攻击的,易受…的攻击;易受伤害的;有弱点的; state-of-the-art:adj.最先进的;已经发展的;达到最高水准的; tuned:v.(为乐器)调音,校音;调整,调节(发动机);调频道(tune的过去分词和过去式) mass:n.块,团; adj.群众的,民众的; v.聚集起来,聚集; damper:n.[航][电子][机]阻尼器;[车辆]减震器;气闸; counterweight:n.平衡力;平衡物; computerized:adj.电脑的; v.用电子计算机控制(computerize的过去分词); sensors:n.[自]传感器,感应器;感测器(sensor的复数); counteract:vt.抵消;中和;阻碍; swaying:v.使摇动;支配;偏向一边(sway的ing形式);
With these structures in place, calculations showed that each side of the building could withstand powerful winds. 适当加上了这些结构, 计算结果显示,大楼的每一侧 都能承受强大的风力。
And with all safety issues resolved , the building opened for business in 1977. 随着所有的安全问题获得解决,
But when Hartley was studying the tower a year later, she noticed something odd . 但一年后当哈特利在研究 这座高楼时,
It was true that each face of the building could endure powerful winds. 的确,大楼的每一面 都能够承受强大的风力。
structures:n.结构; v.建造(structure的第三人称单数形式); withstand:vt.抵挡;禁得起;反抗;vi.反抗; issues:n.重要议题;争论的问题;v.宣布;公布;发出;(issue的第三人称单数和复数) resolved:adj.下定决心; v.解决; (resolve的过去分词和过去式) odd:adj.古怪的;奇数的;n.奇数; endure:v.忍受;忍耐;持续;持久;
And since a building’s broad sides catch the most wind, these would typically be the strongest winds a building encounters . 而且,因为大楼宽广的面 要承受大部分的风力, 一般来说,这就是大楼 会遇到的最强风力。
However, the towers unique base meant that winds blowing on the building’s corners were actually the bigger threat. 然而,这高楼的独特基底意味着 大楼的角落所要承受的风吹 反而是更大的威胁。
And since traditional designs didn't warrant safety calculations for corner winds, it seemed to Hartley that the threat had gone unaccounted for . 因为传统设计并不需要 针对角落的风力做安全计算, 哈特利认为,这项威胁 并没有被考虑到。
typically:adv.代表性地;作为特色地; encounters:v.遭遇(encounter的第三人称单数);邂逅;n.遭遇战(encounter的复数);相见; traditional:传统的,惯例的, warrant:n.依据;许可证;执行令;授权令;v.使有必要;使正当;使恰当; unaccounted for:adj.未予说明的;未加解释的;
When Hartley contacted LeMessurier’s firm about the issue they assured her the building was strong enough to handle these winds. 哈特利联络莱梅雪的公司, 反应这个议题, 他们向她保证,这栋大楼够坚固, 可以禁得起这些风力。
But checking the plans again, LeMessurier noticed an alarming detail. 但莱梅雪再次檢查设计图之后, 注意到了一个令人担忧的细节。
A change approved without his knowledge had replaced the exoskeleton’s welded joints with cheaper and weaker bolted joints. 在他不知情的情况下, 有一项变更被核准, 将外骨骼的焊接式接头 被换成比较便宜、 不牢固的螺栓式接头。
contacted:v.联系,联络(如用电话或信件)(contact的过去分词和过去式) assured:adj.确定的;自信的;n.被保险人;v.保证;确实;(assure的过去分词和过去式); handle:n.[建]把手;柄;手感;口实;v.处理;操作;运用;买卖;触摸; approved:adj.被正式接受的,被正式认可的; v.赞成; (approve的过去分词和过去式) welded:v.焊接;使结合(weld的过去分词);adj.焊的;焊接的; joints:n.关节; v.接合,联合; (joint的第三人称单数和复数) bolted:v.用插销闩上; (bolt的过去分词和过去式)
This alone wasn’t enough to topple the tower thanks to the mass damper. 幸好有质量阻尼器,光是这个问题 还不至于让这栋高楼倒塌。
But if a storm knocked out the building's power, it would deactivate the counterweight’s sensors, leaving the building vulnerable to winds of just 112 kilometers per hour. 但如果暴风雨造成大楼停电, 秤锤的感测器就会停止运作, 导致大楼无法承受 时速仅 112 公里的风力。
Given available weather data, a storm this strong had a one-in-sixteen chance of hitting New York City every single year. 根据可得的气象资料, 这么强的暴风雨 每年会有六分之一的机会 袭击纽约市。
LeMessurier never told Hartley what she’d uncovered . 莱梅雪始终没有告诉 哈特利她促成了这项发现。
deactivate:vt.使无效;使不活动;遣散;复员; uncovered:adj.裸露的; v.揭开盖子; (uncover的过去式和过去分词)
In fact, everything he did next was top secret . 事实上,他接下来 所做的一切都是最高机密。
After filling in the architects and executives at Citicorp, 莱梅雪让建筑师以及花旗集团的 主管了解状况之后,
LeMessurier’s team worked with city officials to craft a confidential plan. 他的团队便和该市府官员合作, 订定了一个机密计画。
Without warning the residents , construction crews began a string of night-time shifts to reinforce the bolted joints. 在住户没有得到警告的情况下, 建设小组成员便展开一连串夜班, 任务是强化螺栓式结构接点。
top secret:adj.绝密的,极机密的; architects:n.建筑师;设计师;创造者;(architect的复数); executives:n.经理,主管领导,管理人员;领导层;行政部门(executive的复数) craft:n.工艺;船;手艺;飞行器;v.(尤指用手工)精心制作; confidential:adj.机密的;表示信任的;获信任的; residents:n.居民;住院医生;房客;(resident的复数) string:n.字符串; v.悬挂; adj.由弦乐器组成的; shifts:n.转移; v.转移; (shift的第三人称单数) reinforce:vt.加强,加固; vi.求援; n.加强;
This delicate work began in mid-August 1978, and was only halfway complete when Hurricane Ella approached the city in September. 这个棘手的工作任务 始于 1978 年 8 月中, 九月,颶风埃拉接近纽约市时, 才完成了一半。
City officials and Citicorp executives planned an emergency evacuation for a 10-block radius , but at the last minute, the hurricane veered out to sea. 该市官员及花旗主管 规划了紧急撤离计画, 范围半径达十个街区, 但在最后一刻,颶风转向进入大海。
These secret evacuation plans were never used, and the reinforcements were completed just a month later. 这些秘密撤离计画始终没有执行, 一个月后,强化工作完成。
delicate:adj.精致的,微妙的,脆弱的,熟练的,柔和的; Hurricane:n.飓风,暴风; approached:v.走近;临近;探讨;建议;(approach的过去分词和过去式) emergency:n.紧急情况;突发事件;非常时刻;adj.紧急的;备用的; evacuation:n.疏散;撤离;排泄; radius:n.半径,半径范围;[解剖]桡骨;辐射光线;有效航程; veered:vi.转向; vt.使转向; n.转向; reinforcements:n.援军;增援警力;加强,强化;(reinforcement的复数)
Typically, it would’ve been impossible for this covert construction to go unnoticed . 通常,这种暗地里的建造工程 不可能不被注意到。
But the press was occupied with a newspaper strike spanning the length of the reinforcement project. 但报纸罢工让媒体忙不过来, 罢工的时间刚好涵盖了 强化工作计画的时间。
In fact, the public didn't learn how close they'd come to disaster until 1995, when a New Yorker article revealed the story to the city, and to Diane Hartley. 事实上,直到 1995 年, 大众一直不知道 《纽约客》的一篇文章向纽约市
covert:n.隐藏处; adj.隐蔽的; unnoticed:adj.被忽视的;不引人注意的;未被注意的; spanning:v.持续;贯穿;包括(广大地区);涵盖(多项内容);(span的现在分词) disaster:n.灾难,灾祸;不幸; revealed:v.揭示;显示;露出;(reveal的过去分词和过去式)
Like LeMessurier, the article failed to give credit where it was due, but at least Hartley knew that her homework had saved lives. 这篇文章也和莱梅雪一样, 没有把功劳归给应得的人, 但至少,哈特利知道, 她的家庭作業拯救了人命。