VOA常速英语2015--150年历史的美国国会圆顶将被修复

150-Year-Old US Capitol Dome 1 Being Restored 150年历史的美国国会圆顶将被修复

WASHINGTON—

The U.S. Capitol Dome in Washington, DC, is recognized world-wide as one of the most enduring symbols of the U.S. government and American democracy. Since last November, the dome has been wrapped in metal scaffolding and fabric 2 as part of a long-overdue renovation 3 project.

The last time the U.S. Capitol dome underwent a renovation was in 1960. Since then, the dome has become weathered and worn and, as the Architect of the Capitol reports, has more than 1,000 cracks and other defects.

美国国会大厦圆顶上一次翻修改造还是在1960年。从那时起圆顶就历经风雨冲刷,就如同国会大厦建筑师机构在报告中所称已经有1000多道裂纹和其它缺陷。

The dome was first completed around 1863. Its cast iron frame, said U.S. Senate Historian Don Ritchie, contributes to the weathering.  

圆顶最初是在1863年竣工。美国参议院历史学家顿·里奇表示铸铁的框架能够耐得住风雨。

“The capitol dome, being cast iron, has been hit by lightning countless 4 times. And it has been weathering in that position for 150 years - since 1863. And it has been leaking lately and there is a lot of art work inside, including the big canopy 5 in the center. And so the current construction is to repair the leaks, to fill the cracks, to take off excess layers of paint and to paint it again,” said Ritchie.

“铸铁的国会大厦圆顶无数次被闪电击中。而且自1863年在那个位置以来它一直经受住了150年的风雨侵袭。直至最近的漏水问题，因为建筑内部有很多艺术品,包括中间的穹顶壁画。所以当前翻修重点在于修缮漏洞,填补裂缝,刮掉多余的漆层后重新油漆。”

As the work to remove old paint and apply primer continues, a large section of the building is covered by plastic and a special pink fabric designed to reduce wind and protect workers from the elements.

随着刮除旧漆涂抹底漆的工作展开,出于防风及工人健康因素考虑建筑大部分被塑料和一种特殊粉色布料所覆盖。

Much of the construction is done after dark to prevent the noise from disturbing lawmakers who continue to meet inside.  Some visitors to the Capitol, hoping for a souvenir picture of the usually gleaming dome, were let down by the current view.

为防噪音打扰议员施工绝大部分是在天黑后进行。一些到访希望拍照留念的游客对这个圆顶风采不再感到失望。

“It was dramatic, and very fantastic, and all white, but when I come here today, it is under construction so my family cannot see it clearly, [it] is kind of a disappointment,” said Joyce, visiting from China.

“它非常具有戏剧性，非常棒，而且是通体白色。但今天抵达后我发现这里正在施工，我的家人就不能一窥它的全貌，多少有些扫兴。”

Others took the construction in stride:

而其他人对施工一事看得很开。

“You have to take the long view.  I mean it is a little inconvenient 6 for us not to see the dome, but you have to think about the future and the people will be coming to this place for centuries, and you know, there just needs to be preventive maintenance occasionally and I am not upset with that at all," said tourist Rick Jones.

“你必须做长远打算。我的意思是可能现在参观不是太方便，但你要想想未来，以后的几个世纪人们都会参观。而且你要清楚，它偶尔需要做一下预防性的维修，对此我并不遗憾。”

The project is expected to take more than two years total to complete.  It is scheduled to be ready for the inauguration 7 of a new president in January of 2017.

这项工程预计需要2年多时间才能完成。届时它将随2017年1月新总统的就职典礼一同面对世人。