Memorial Bridge Needs Repairs in America's Capital(翻译)

The Memorial Bridge connects Washington, D.C. with Arlington County in Virginia. It provides drivers, runners and walkers alike a crossing between the famous memorial to President Abraham Lincoln and Arlington National Cemetery.
纪念大桥连接了华盛顿特区和弗吉尼亚州的阿林顿县。它为司机、跑步者和行人等人士提供了一条位于著名的林肯纪念堂和阿灵顿国家公墓之间的通道。

Tens of thousands of people use the bridge every day. But only some of them know that the large stone structure and its steel supports are slowly breaking down.
每天有数万人使用这座桥梁。但是只有少数人知道，这座大型石头建筑及其钢架正在慢慢破损。

The Memorial Bridge was built in 1932. It was designed to be a ceremonial entrance to Washington. But the bridge is in need of major repair work. Money for the project has been hard to find.
纪念大桥建于1932年，它被设计成进入华盛顿的一个礼仪门户。但是这座大桥需要进行大范围维修，而项目资金一直难以落实。

The U.S. Congress approved a $90 million grant for the repairs. But an estimated $250 million would be required to fully fix the famous structure.
美国国会批下了9千万美元的维修拨款，但是彻底修复这座著名桥梁可能需要2.5亿美元。

Close to 68,000 drivers use the Memorial Bridge daily. Many have noticed the bridge is falling apart.
每天有将近6.8万名司机使用纪念大桥。很多人已经注意到这座桥梁摇摇欲坠。

"I see it every day," said Frank Lopez del Rincon, who spoke to VOA while riding his bicycle. "The cracks, people working on it...it clearly needs lots of work."
骑自行车的弗兰克·洛佩兹·德尔吕康（Frank Lopez del Rincon）对美国之音表示，“我每天都看到裂缝，总有人在修补，显然要修好得花很多功夫。”

K. Seyoum, a taxi driver, also uses the bridge. He said he has experienced first-hand the difficulties of bridge repairs and lane closures, "especially during rush hour."
出租车司机K.塞尤姆（K. Seyoum）也使用这座大桥。他说，他亲身经历了桥梁维修和车道封闭带来的麻烦。“尤其是高峰期间。”

Temporary "quick fixes" have been made for several years. Recently, more permanent changes, such as closing the outer lanes and increasing weight limits, have drivers seeking other ways to get to and from D.C.
几年来一直在进行临时维修。最近，像关闭外侧车道和加强限重等长期措施让司机们开始寻找进出华盛顿特区的其它路线。

Emergency repair projects in 2010, 2012, and 2015 resulted in months of lane and sidewalk closures.
2010年、2012年和2015年进行的紧急施工导致行车道和人行道被关闭数月。

The U.S. National Park Service says those repairs were only temporary. Park service officials are responsible for the bridge and grounds around it.
美国国家公园管理局表示，这些维修都只是临时性的。公园管理局官员负责这座大桥及周边场地。

Matthew Gilmore is a local historian and planning expert. He said the park service has been making quick, simple repairs for many years. He explained the federal agency never has a lot of money to spend.
当地的历史学家和城市规划专家马修·吉尔摩（Matthew Gilmore）表示，公园管理局多年来一直在进行快速、简单的维修。他解释说，该联邦机构一向资金不足。

But a major fix is needed. Without a complete repair project, the park service said the bridge will have to close to all traffic in five years. The main problem now is that the deck, or top surface, continues to break up.
但是这座大桥需要进行大范围维修。公园管理局表示，如果不进行彻底维修，这座大桥将不得不在5年内彻底关闭。现在的主要问题是大桥的桥面还在继续损坏。

Cyclist Del Rincon was surprised to hear that the park service continues to struggle to find money for the project. "I would think the government would cover that," he said.
骑自行车的德尔吕康听说公园管理局还在为修桥资金发愁感到吃惊。他说，“我还以为政府会掏钱呢。”

Worsening infrastructure
基础设施每况愈下

The situation at the Memorial Bridge is found in other parts of the U.S. The American Society of Civil Engineers this year rated one in nine American bridges as "structurally deficient."
美国其它地区也存在纪念大桥这种窘况。美国土木工程协会今年评定美国每九座桥梁就有一座存在“结构缺陷”。

Progress in fixing the country's roads and bridges is slow. Congress has been unwilling to approve the public money needed for such repairs in recent years.
修复美国的道路和桥梁进展缓慢。美国国会最近几年一直不愿意划拨这类维修所需的公共资金。

The country needs to spend nearly two times its current budget of $12.8 billion a year just to make sure American bridges stay safe and secure. That spending estimate comes from the U.S. Federal Highway Administration.
根据美国联邦公路管理局的估算，美国需要相当于目前128亿元年度预算两倍的资金来确保美国桥梁的安全无虞。