VOA双语新闻:4、水漫名屋:美国地标建筑受洪水威胁(在线收听

水漫名屋:美国地标建筑受洪水威胁

The Farnsworth House in the Midwest State of Illinois is one of the most iconic homes in America. Thousands of tourists visit the site every year. Its location near a river inspired the design of the house.

美国中西部伊利诺伊州的范斯沃斯住宅(The Farnsworth House)是美国最有标志性的居所之一。每年都有数以千计的游客到此参观。这所住宅坐落在一条河流附近,这条河也启发了住宅的设计。不过如今,临河而居的位置却对这座全国历史地标的存亡构成了威胁。

Farnsworth House is literally a glass house, situated along the Fox River in rural Plano, Illinois.

这是地地道道的玻璃屋,坐落在伊利诺伊乡村地区普莱诺的狐狸河畔。

For Dr. Edith Farnsworth, the glass house was her retreat.

对伊迪丝·范斯沃斯医生(Dr. Edith Farnsworth)来说,这座玻璃屋是她避开尘世的度假地。

“Dr. Farnsworth was a practicing kidney specialist in the city of Chicago and wanted to have some place away from town where she could relax from the stresses of her career,” explains Maurice Parrish, Executive Director, Farnsworth House.

范斯沃斯住宅执行主任莫里斯·帕里什(Maurice Parrish)说:“范斯沃斯医生生前在芝加哥市行医,是肾病专家,她希望有个地方能够远离城市喧嚣,摆脱职业压力,放松一下。”

Parrish, who works with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, says that in 1945, Farnsworth turned to well-known architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe to come up with the plans. The design set off a trend.

帕里什是全国文物保护信托基金会(the National Trust for Historic Preservation)成员。他说,1945年,范斯沃斯聘请著名建筑师路德维希·密斯·凡德罗(Ludwig Mies van der Rohe)构思设计方案。这项设计开启了一时新风。

“This is the house that made modernism popular in the United States and around the world,” Parrish notes.

帕里什说:“这座住宅使现代主义建筑在美国和全世界大为风行。”

Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe knew the lot was in a flood plain, and designed the house with that in mind.

路德维希·密斯·凡德罗知道宅基地位于洪泛区,设计住宅时考虑到了这一点。

"He elevated the house five feet three inches above the ground, which, according to his research, would make it at least a foot higher than the highest recorded flood level up until that time,” Parrish explains.

帕里什介绍说:“他把房屋升高,离地五英尺三英寸,根据他的研究,这比有记录以来最高的洪水水位高出至少一英尺,这是就当时而言。”

Damaged by floodwaters

But even during construction in the early 1950s, the water came up higher than anticipated.

然而,即使是在1950年代初施工期间,水位就超出过预期。

Since then, floodwaters have penetrated the home numerous times, causing extensive damage.

从那以后,大水多次漫入住宅,造成严重损坏。

The National Trust for Historic Preservation now manages the property, and Parrish said it is considering relocating the structure.

全国文物保护信托基金会如今管理这座住宅。帕里什说,他们正在考虑迁走房屋。

“Unfortunately there is no perfect solution,” he says. "One option that is not on the table is doing nothing."

他说:“不幸的是,没有完美的解决之道。” 全国文物保护信托基金会说,摆在桌面的选项之一是什么也不做。

Trend-setting design

Farnsworth House is more than a trend-setting design for Chicago architect Dirk Lohan. It was designed by his grandfather, Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe, and inspired his own career.

对芝加哥建筑师德克·洛翰(Dirk Lohan)来说,范斯沃斯住宅不仅是开创新风的设计而已。路德维希·密斯·凡德罗是他的外祖父,也鼓舞他投入建筑设计业。

“If he had been his own client, he would have designed the house exactly the way it is,” Lohan says.

他说:“假如他自己是客户,他会用完全一样的方式来设计这所房子。”

Lohan favors installing a hydraulic elevator system to lift the home above rising floodwaters and keep it where it is.

洛翰赞同安装一个液压电梯,把房子升高到上涨的洪水之上,并把它保持在原地。

“I think he would say what I am saying, that that house was designed for that location," he says. "Why would we have to move it if we have the technical ability to protect it in that location?”

他说: “我认为他会同意我说的,这所住宅就是为了这个地点设计的,如果我们有技术能力在原地保护它,为什么要挪走呢?”

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, together with the non-profit group Landmark Illinois, will make the final decision later this year on where future visitors will experience Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s minimalist architectural masterpiece.

 

游客们将来会在什么地方体验路德维希·密斯·凡德罗极简主义风格的建筑杰作?全国文物保护信托基金会与非营利组织伊利诺伊地标(Landmark Illinois)合作,将在今年晚些时候作出最后决定。

  原文地址:http://www.tingroom.com/lesson/voabn/2015/07/314120.html