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An Amazing Accomplishment: Linking Beijing to Lhasa 青藏铁路，驶向云端

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It had been China’s dream since the 1950s. For many years, though, the technical complexity of the project made it impossible to accomplish. But on July 1, 2006, after five years of hard labor and an investment of $3.68 billion, the Qinghai-Tibet railway linking Beijing to the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, was finally put into operation. More than 1,000 kilometers long, it is a superb accomplishment.

中国在1950年代便有这个梦想。不过，多年来该计划在技术上的复杂程度使得此一梦想无法达成。但是在2006年7月1日，历经5年的努力与耗费36亿8千万美元的投资，连结北京和西藏首府拉萨的青藏铁路终于开始营运。青藏铁路全长超过一千公里，是项了不起的成就。

While most of the rail line lies 4,000 meters above sea level, at Tanggula Pass it rises to 5,072 meters. This makes it the world’s highest rail track. The line also boasts the highest tunnel, at 4,905 meters. In addition, the line’s longest tunnel is an impressive 3,3 kilometers long.

青藏铁路沿线大多位在海拔4,000公尺以上，而在唐古拉山口，高度更攀升至5,072公尺。这使得青藏铁路成为全世界海拔最高的铁路。同时，青藏铁路也以拥有最高的隧道为傲──海拔4,905公尺。此外，青藏铁路最长的隧道长达3.3公里，令人赞叹。

The construction was filled with technical difficulties. Besides the 675 bridges that needed to be built, the line spans hundreds of kilometers of permafrost. In the summer, the uppermost layer thaws, making the ground muddy. This seriously compromises the track’s stability. Therefore, engineers had to elevate the tracks and sink the foundations deep into the ground. Another challenge was the lack of oxygen at this elevation. Tibet is so high that the trains must be equipped with oxygen devices to make sure no one gets sick.

青藏铁路的兴建过程充满技术上的困难，除了必须兴建675座桥梁之外，路线还要横跨数百公里的冻土。夏天时，冻土最上层开始溶解，使地面变得泥泞，严重影响铁轨的稳定度。因此，工程师必须把铁轨架高，并且将地基埋入地底深处。另一项挑战来自于高地缺乏氧气。西藏的位置实在太高，以致于火车必须配备氧气设施，才能确保乘客不会生病。

The 48-hour journey from Beijing to Lhasa is a fascinating experience. There are beautiful white bridges overlooking the countryside and towering mountains all around. Some say that the train goes so high that it’s like taking a ride to heaven!

从北京到拉萨的48小时旅程真是迷人的经验。沿线有美丽的白色桥梁俯视乡间景致，还有高山耸立四周。有人说青藏铁路的火车爬得如此之高，就好像是要开往天堂呢！

−by J. Michael Cole

Vocabulary

单词发音

investment [ɪnˋvɛstmənt] n. 投资

superb [sʊˋpɝb] adj. 一流的 of unusually high quality; excellent

accomplishment [əˋkɑmplɪʃmənt] n. 成就

span [spæn] v. （桥、拱等）横跨

compromise [ˋkɑmprə͵maɪz]  v. 危及 to reduce the quality, value, or degree of something

stability [stəˋbɪlətɪ] n. 稳定，稳定性

elevate [ˋɛlə͵vet] v. 使上升

foundation [faʊnˋdeʃən] n.（建筑物的）地基

overlook [͵ovɚˋlʊk] v. 眺望；俯瞰

complexity [kəmˋplɛksətɪ] n. 复杂（性）

More Information

单词发音

Lhasa [ˋlɑsə] n. 拉萨（西藏之首府）

uppermost [ˋʌpɚ͵most]  adj. 最高的；最主要的

thaw [θɔ] v.（冰，雪等）融化 to become warm enough for snow and ice to melt

elevation [͵ɛləˋveʃən]  n. 高度；海拔

Idiom

equip with 装备，配备 to add a piece of equipment to something

RailHD production: Qinghai-Tibet railway 青藏铁路

Answer