VOA科学技术2023 为何古罗马建筑千年不倒?

Researchers have wanted to know for years why the buildings made by the ancient Romans held up so well.

多年来，研究人员一直想知道为什么古罗马人建造的建筑如此坚固。

A new study finds that their concrete, a strong building material, had special characteristics.

一项新的研究发现，他们的混凝土，一种坚固的建筑材料，具有特殊的特性。

Researchers say the materials in the concrete worked together to make it stronger.

研究人员表示，该混凝土中的材料共同发挥作用，从而使其变得更坚固。

The three main parts were lime, volcanic¹ ash and water.

三种主要成分是石灰、火山灰和水。

Lime is a powdery substance that comes from heating limestone².

石灰是加热石灰石产生的粉末状物质。

Admir Masic is a civil and environmental engineering professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) who led the study and published the results in Science Advances.

阿德米尔·马西克是麻省理工学院土木与环境工程专业的教授，他领导了这项研究，并在《科学进展》杂志上发表了研究结果。

He said the way the Romans started using lime over 2000 years ago gave the concrete "self-healing" properties.

他说，2000多年前罗马人开始使用石灰的方式赋予了混凝土“自愈”的特性。

He said the discovery will help current builders improve their concrete "through a Roman-inspired strategy."

他说，这一发现将会帮助目前的建筑商“通过罗马启发而得的策略”改进他们的混凝土。

Masic is working to make a new building product based on the Roman concrete and is hoping to sell it through a new business he started.

马西克正致力于制造一种基于罗马混凝土的新建筑产品，并希望通过他创办的一家新企业来销售。

Masic and his researchers wanted to know why the Roman structures lasted so long when even some modern concrete crumbles³ after only a few years.

马西克和他的研究人员想知道为什么罗马建筑能坚持这么久不倒，而一些现代混凝土建筑在短短几年后就倒塌了。

In addition, the Roman concrete was good for use underwater.

此外，罗马混凝土也适合在水下使用。

This quality helped the Romans build harbors and other structures that could hold back the ocean.

这种特性帮助罗马人建造了港口等可以阻挡海洋的建筑。

The researchers said some small bits of lime that were not well mixed into the concrete were not a mistake as was thought earlier.

研究人员表示，一些没有很好地混合到混凝土中的小块石灰并不像之前认为的那样是一个错误。

The pieces of lime are called clasts.

这些石灰块叫做碎屑。

The new study called the clasts "instrumental."

这项新研究称这些碎屑是“工具性的”。

Masic said the small pieces of lime keep the concrete from falling apart when it cracks.

马西克表示，这些石灰碎屑可以防止混凝土在破裂时崩塌。

In most cases, a crack in concrete permits water to enter and the crack widens.

在大多数情况下，水会进入混凝土的裂缝中，然后裂缝会扩大。

But, in the Roman concrete, the small bits of lime would dissolve and send small pieces of calcium⁴ into the cracks.

但是，在罗马混凝土中，石灰碎屑会溶解，并将小块钙送入裂缝中。

That action, Masic said, repaired the cracks.

马西克说，这一行动修复了裂缝。

In addition, he noted⁵, the calcium mixed with the volcanic ash to create a stronger structure.

此外，他指出，钙与火山灰混合后会形成更坚固的结构。

Both the Pantheon and the Colosseum are examples of buildings that are almost 2000 years old that used the ancient concrete and are still standing⁶ today.

万神殿和罗马斗兽场都是有近2000年历史的建筑，它们都使用了古老的混凝土，直到今天仍然屹立不倒。

In the past, researchers thought the important material was volcanic ash that came from the area of Pozzuoli, near Naples.

过去，研究人员认为重要的物质是来自那不勒斯附近波佐利地区的火山灰。

Linda Seymour helped write the study when she was studying at MIT.

琳达·西摩在麻省理工学院学习时帮助撰写了这份研究报告。

She called the ancient Romans "great engineers."

她称古罗马人为“伟大的工程师”。

She added: "The fact that we can still walk around many of their structures is a testament⁷ to that."

她还说：“我们仍然可以在他们建造的许多建筑周围走动的事实就是证据。”

I'm Dan Friedell.

丹·弗里德尔为您播报。

1 volcanic   

adj.火山的；象火山的；由火山引起的

参考例句：

• There have been several volcanic eruptions this year.今年火山爆发了好几次。
• Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。

2 limestone   

n.石灰石

参考例句：

• Limestone is often used in building construction.石灰岩常用于建筑。
• Cement is made from limestone.水泥是由石灰石制成的。

3 crumbles   

酥皮水果甜点( crumble的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This cake crumbles too easily. 这种蛋糕太容易碎了。
• This bread crumbles ever so easily. 这种面包非常容易碎。

4 calcium   

n.钙(化学符号Ca)

参考例句：

• We need calcium to make bones.我们需要钙来壮骨。
• Calcium is found most abundantly in milk.奶含钙最丰富。

5 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

6 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

7 testament   

n.遗嘱；证明

参考例句：

• This is his last will and testament.这是他的遗愿和遗嘱。
• It is a testament to the power of political mythology.这说明，编造政治神话可以产生多大的威力。