Golden Gate Bridge History

张泰来

每当人们越过太平洋进入北美大陆的旧金山时，首先映入眼帘的便是一座飞架于海湾之上的巨型吊桥，这就是闻名遐尔的金门桥。1937年5月27日金门桥落成，次日金门桥正式通车。从那时起直到今天，旧金山人都把金门桥视为自己的骄傲。今天金门桥是世界上无数桥梁中最繁忙的桥梁之一，每天都约有10万辆汽车从桥上隆隆驶过……

The Golden Gate Bridge， linking San Francisco with Marin County in absolute splendor， is one of the architectural marvels （建筑奇观） of the 20th century and a testament to   human strife， as it was constructed during the years of the Great Depression（大萧条）. For years， the Golden Gate Bridge held the title as the longest suspension bridge in the world.

Before its completion in 1937， the bridge was considered impossible to build， due to  persistently foggy weather， 97-kilometer-per-hour winds， and strong ocean currents， which whipped through a deep canyon below. In fact， the bridge is commonly known as the “Bridge that couldn't be built.” Despite these unforgiving natural elements， the bridge was constructed in a little more than four years. Eleven men lost their lives during the       construction of the bridge.

Even today， the massive spans of the bridge are often shrouded in fog. The bridge sways 8.23 meters to withstand winds of up to 161 kilometers per hour. International Orange was the color chosen for the bridge because it blended （混合） well with the bridge's natural surroundings. The two great cables extending from the bridge contain 128，747.52 kilometers of steel wire， which is enough to circle the    equator three times. The concrete poured to cement the bridge into the stormy waters    below could have also been used to pave a 1.5 meters wide sidewalk from New York to San Francisco.

Because of the Golden Gate Bridge， San Francisco is one of the premier skyline cities in the nation. It was a triumphant （勝利的） day in the history of the city when the bridge was completed on May 27， 1937. Over 200，000 people celebrated the grand opening of the Golden Gate Bridge by walking its length. The following day， a dedication （奉献，此处指通车仪式） ceremony was held to officially christen （首次使用） what would become the architectural trademark of the city. The regular flow of vehicular traffic began the next day.

Today， pedestrians （行人） and bicyclists are still allowed to cross the bridge on pathways with breathtaking views of the city， Alcatraz， and the Marin Headlands.

The best way to view the bridge is to walk across. This usually takes about an hour.

Fill in the blanks.

1. The Golden Gate Bridge， linking San Francisco with ________.

2. The bridge was completed on ________.

3. ________ was the color chosen for the bridge because it blended well with the bridge's natural surroundings.

4. The equator is about ________ kilometers.

5. ________ people celebrated the grand opening of the Golden Gate Bridge by walking its length.