Today, Nanjing’s Yangtze River Bridge, the pride of the nation, is preparing for a grand reopening, 2018 being its 50th anniversary, after having been closed for the last 2 years for renovation. On the menu; a strengthening of the grid work of girders that support the bridge and complete repairs of the approaches, together with a thorough makeover that includes the removing of 50 years of pollution to restore the iconic structure’s former lustre, and indeed glory. Oh, and a good lick of blue paint.
今天，南京长江大桥是国家的骄傲，正在为盛大的重新开放做准备，2018年是其50周年，此前它因翻新而关闭了两年。 在菜单上；加强支撑桥梁的梁的网格工作，并彻底修复通道，以及彻底的改造，包括清除50年的污染，以恢复标志性结构以前的光泽，甚至荣耀。 哦，还有好好舔一舔蓝色的油漆。
The metaphorical road (and railway) that leads to the bridge, however, has another 50 years of story to tell, when we look back to the initial inspiration for a fixed crossing of the Yangtze at Nanjing. Proposed at first by the Sino-British Bank in 1916, after construction of the Shanghai to Nanjing Railway, the new government of the Republic of China decided to turn to French bridge experts to conduct a survey and feasibility study. They never received one.
然而，当我们回顾南京固定穿越长江的最初灵感时，通往这座桥的隐喻道路（和铁路）还有50年的故事要讲述。 中英银行于1916年首次提出，在上海到南京铁路建成后，中华民国新政府决定求助于法国桥梁专家进行调查和可行性研究。 他們從未收到過一個。
More attempts were made in subsequent years, including the sending of Chinese personnel to both Europe and the USA in 1925 to look at exploiting their experience in train ferries. Later, in 1930, the Ministry of Railways of the National Government hired a foreign, so-called bridge expert, a certain John Walter. His conclusion was that it not be appropriate to build a bridge across the Yangtze at Nanjing.
在随后的几年里，进行了更多的尝试，包括在1925年向欧洲和美国派遣中国人员，以利用他们在火车渡轮方面的经验。 后来，在1930年，国家政府的铁路部聘请了一位所谓的外国桥梁专家，一位名叫约翰·沃尔特。 他的结论是，在南京修建一座横跨长江的桥梁是不合适的。
As a result, on 22 October, 1933, China’s first train ferry service was opened, operating between Xiaguan Coal Port on the southern side of the river and Pukou on its northern bank. Fast forward past the Anti-Japanese War and on to the founding of the People’s Republic of China, when upon the train ferry was operating in the region of 20 crossings per day. This capacity was increased significantly in 1958 but demand was still not being met. At the end of the first Five Year Plan, the State Council put forward a proposal for construction of the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge.
因此，1933年10月22日，中国第一条火车渡轮服务开通，在河南侧的下关煤港和河北岸的普口之间运营。 快進到抗日战争，到中華人民共和國成立，當時火車渡輪每天有20次。 这种产能在1958年大幅增加，但需求仍未得到满足。 在第一个五年计划结束时，国务院提出了南京长江大桥建设的建议。
Watching with unease the progress being made on the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge upstream, built with the assistance of experts from the Soviet Union, and with a rising concern over a thawing in Sino-Soviet relations, China chose to rely on her own strengths and rise to the challenge of completing her most significant feat of engineering to date.
不安地看着在苏联专家的帮助下建造的武汉长江大桥上游取得的进展，以及对中苏关系解冻的担忧，中国选择依靠自己的实力，迎接挑战，完成迄今为止最重要的工程壮举。
As such, it had better look pretty good. Thus, the then Bridge Engineering Bureau sought proposals for the design of the bridgeheads. In March of 1960, three designs were shortlisted, out of a total of 57 submissions. Somewhat fittingly, a local design came out on tops, that submitted by Zhong Xunzheng of the Nanjing Institute of Technology, now Southeast University.
因此，它最好看起来很不错。 因此，当时的桥梁工程局寻求桥头堡设计的建议。 1960年3月，在总共57个提交的作品中，有三个设计入围。 有些恰当的是，一个本地设计出现在顶部，由南京理工学院（现为东南大学）的钟勋正提交。
The winning design featured the now legendary concrete abutments, each housing an elevator to take people up and and down from the the bus stops on the bridge deck, and topped with statues of revolutionary figures, plus giant, distinctive, red steel Chinese flags.
获奖设计以现在传奇的混凝土基台为特色，每个基台都配有电梯，将人们从桥甲板上的公共汽车站上下，顶部有革命人物的雕像，以及巨大的、独特的红色中国钢旗。
It is here that a very familiar character enters our narrative. With the navy and the shipping department at loggerheads over the exact clearance necessary to permit the passage of 10,000 ton, ocean-going vessels, then General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, Deng Xiaoping, settled the argument; there shall be 24 metres between river and the underside of the steel spans. An important, yet simple decision, Deng’s judgement was a hint as to how instrumental he would become in China’s economic reconstruction following the Great Leap Forward of 1957–1960.
正是在这里，一个非常熟悉的角色进入了我们的叙述。 由于海军和航运部门在允许10,000吨通过所需的确切间隙上发生争执，远洋船只，当时的中共中央总书记邓小平解决了争论；河流和钢架底部之间应有24米。 邓小平的判断是一个重要但简单的决定，暗示了他在1957-1960年大跃进后在中国经济重建中发挥多大作用。
On to some 8 years later, when with much fanfare, the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge was officially opened. The firecrackers were ablaze, balloons soared into the air while the crowd roared, all in front of a giant back drop of Mao Zedong. Yet, the paramount leader was nowhere to be seen in person. It would take almost another year before the Chairman would inspect the bridge, on 21 September, 1969.
大约8年后，南京长江大桥在大张旗鼓中正式开通。 鞭炮着火，气球翱翔在空中，人群咆哮，都在毛泽东的巨大后背前。 然而，这位至高无上的领导人无处可见。 1969年9月21日，主席要再过近一年才能检查这座桥。
As most people know, the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge is a double decker, carrying a twin-track railway underneath and a four-lane vehicular highway on top. An unusual design; there are only two others in China, in Wuhan and Hangzhou, and only one example elsewhere (metro lines not withstanding), which is the Øresund Bridge joining Sweden and Denmark.
大多数人都知道，南京长江大桥是双层的，下面是双轨铁路，上面是四车道的车辆高速公路。 一个不寻常的设计；中国只有另外两个例子，在武汉和杭州，其他地方只有一个例子（尽管地铁线），那就是连接瑞典和丹麦的Øresund大桥。
Bringing our story bang up to date, it was therefore unusual to find that the initial plans for the Nanjing Yangtze Number 5 Bridge be also for a double deck style of construction. Those plans, drawn up in 2008, were later scrapped; the authorities had bigger things to worry about.
For the Number 5 Bridge’s location was to take its southerly approach roads directly into the Youth Olympic Village, to be completed before the Games in August of 2014. The solution? A tunnel. And a big one at that.
因此，将我们的故事更新到最新，发现南京长江五号桥的最初计划也是双层建筑，这很不寻常。 这些计划于2008年起草，后来被废除了；当局有更大的担忧。 因为5号桥的位置是沿着南向的道路直接进入青年奥林匹克村，该桥将在2014年8月奥运会之前完工。 解决方案？ 一条隧道。 那里有一个很大的。
Hence, 150,000 square metres of land was to be dug up, to build what is now the largest underground intersection of roads in China, and hence, this correspondent believes, the whole world.
因此，将挖掘15万平方米的土地，以建造现在中国最大的地下道路交叉口，因此，这位记者相信，整个世界。
Ever since those Games, and driving through the underpass today, one major junction remains closed off. This is the road that will one day take us under the Jiajiang river (that slim portion of the Yangtze between Hexi and Jiangxinzhou), and up on to the Number 5 Bridge and over the Yangtze itself.
自从那些运动会以来，以及今天开车穿过地下通道，一个主要路口仍然关闭。 这条路有一天将带我们下嘉江（河西和江西徐州之间的长江细小部分），通往五号桥和长江本身。
In many ways, the new bridge is the final piece of a puzzle which began a little more than a century ago. With no more bridges for Nanjing on the horizon, the Number 5 Bridge shall provide the southern link to Jiangbei New Area, the brand new part of Pukou that will, not so ultimately, provide work and residency for 800,000 people.
在许多方面，这座新桥是一个多世纪前开始的拼图的最后一块。 由于南京不再有桥梁，5号桥将提供通往江北新区的南部连接，江北新区是浦口的全新部分，最终不会为80万人提供工作和居住。
For all the impressive engineering and statistics, the new Number 5 Bridge, together with the original Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge 13 kilometres downstream, serve as bookends to the legacy of bridge building in Nanjing. While the fancy, new modern constructs do indeed possess a certain beauty of their own, the place occupied by the now 50-year-old Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge in every Chinese patriotic heart shall remain forever much the more indelible.
对于所有令人印象深刻的工程和统计数据，新的五号桥与原来的南京长江大桥一起，是南京桥梁建设遗产的书架。 虽然花哨的新现代建筑确实具有一定的美感，但已有50年历史的南京长江大桥在每个中国爱国心中所占据的位置将永远更加不可磨灭。
