VOA常速英语2015--土坯房引领美国新墨西哥文化

土坯房引领美国新墨西哥文化

As the largest city and the state of New Mexico, Albuquerque is one of the fastest-growing high-tech 1 centers in the U.S. Yet you rarely see skyscrapers 2 here.Instead you will find small, dirt-walled houses everywhere.

作为新墨西哥州最大的城市，阿尔布开克是美国发展最快的一个高科技中心。然而你却很少能在这里见到摩天大楼。相反，你会发现到处都是矮小的土房。

With flat roofs-often with projecting beams-stepped levels and round-edged walls, they are called adobe 3 houses, and they are one of Albuquerque's defining characteristics.

这些具有平坦屋顶，向外伸出房梁，阶梯式布局及圆角墙壁的房子被称为土坯房，它们是阿尔布开克的特色之一。

Quentin Wilson, director of the Adobe Construction Program at Northern New Mexico College.

昆汀·威尔森是新墨西哥州北部大学土坯房建造项目的负责人。

"In the desert parts of the world, adobe is the wonderful material that everyone wants to choose. Because of the big thick walls, they work very well with the desert climate. It will store coolness, or they will store heat.”

“在世界上的这个沙漠地区，土坯材料是每个人心中的不二之选。因为又大又厚的墙壁能适应沙漠气候。而且能够冬暖夏凉。”

Adobe means a building material makes of earth and straw. American Indians started building houses with adobe in the 1400s. Spanish elements were added when the Spanish conquered the region in the 1600s. Northern Europeans took over later. Yet, Wilson says, all three groups of people saw the beauty of adobe.

土坯是一种由泥土和稻草制成的建筑材料。自15世纪以来美国印第安人就用它来建造房子。而在17世纪这片地区被西班牙入侵后，西班牙元素也融入进建筑风格。而后北欧接管这里。然而威尔森表示这3个时代都意识到了土坯房的绝妙之处。

“First of all, everybody embraced it and saw it as a valuable material, and they didn't just come in and tear it down and try some other kind of construction,”

“首先每个人都接受这种材料并将其视为一种极具价值的材料，他们来到这里的的时候并没有用其它材料取而代之。”

The big massive walls are important in New Mexico's desert climate. During the summer, people open the doors at night to let the walls store coolness and close the doors during daytime. It's like living in an air-conditioned room.

这种巨大的墙壁对新墨西哥州的沙漠气候起到了至关重要的作用。夏天的时候，晚上人们会打开门让墙壁储存凉气并在白天把门关上。这就好比住在空调房里一样。

Kris Linton bought three of the houses and turned them into adobe-style Airbnbs. Her goal is to let people see what a house was like in the city's early days.

克里斯·林顿买下了3座房子并将改造成土坯风格的民宿。她的目的是让人们一睹这个城市早期住宅的风光。

“The feeling of seeing it come together and giving it a whole new life is exciting, "

“这种让它们结合并赋予新生命力的感觉实在是太美妙了。”

"We have not repurposed them. We have kept what they were here for, is to live in.”

“我们并没有改变它们的用途。相反我们保持了让人居住的本意。”

And adobe houses are still being built. Alan and Joyce Weitzel live in a contemporary version.

仍然有很多人在建造土坯房。阿兰和乔伊斯·韦特塞尔住在一座现代风格的土坯房中。

“They are quiet of the adobe structure. It is solid. It's very quiet-kind of leaves a very soothing 4, calm feeling in the house.”

“土坯结构的房子非常安静。而且相当结实。住在这样的房子中给人的是一种十分安静祥和的感觉。”

One down side is that the thick adobe walls can weaken cellphone signals. But this is a compromise the Weitzels are willing to make. They also need to keep an eye on the adobe walls, applying mud finish every other year to keep them dry and in shape.

而土坯的一个缺点是厚实的墙壁会削弱手机信号。但韦特塞尔愿意在这点上让步。而且他们也需要留意土砖墙，每隔1年就要填补泥浆来保持其干燥及完整。

But in spite of such shortcomings, with committed fans like Linton and the Weitzels, adobe architecture will be preserved and remain a symbol of New Mexico.

尽管存在这些缺点，但有了像林顿和韦特塞尔这样的铁杆粉丝，土坯建筑将会被妥善保护而且仍然会是新墨西哥的标志。