The Golden Gate Bridge has been called one of the world's most beautiful bridges.

 

金门大桥被认为是世界最漂亮的桥梁之一，

It is also one of the most visited places in the world.

也是世界上游客最多的景点之一。

Experts say about 9 million people visit the bridge each year.

专家称每年大约有900万游客到此参观。

They say more than 1,000 million vehicles have used the bridge since it opened almost 70 years ago.

自开通以来，在将近70年的时间里，有有多达10亿辆以上的车从这座桥上开过。

The bridge has always been painted the color called "International Orange".

金门大桥漆上的颜色被称为“国际标准橘”。

The color was chosen because it went well with the natural surroundings.

之所以选中这个颜色，不仅是因为橘色能与自然环境相得益彰，

It is also easier to see in the heavy fog that often covers the area.

还因为这一带经常浓雾弥漫，橘色看起来会比较显眼。

But the Golden Gate Bridge was not named for its orange color.

然而，命名为金门大桥并不是其颜色，

It was named for the body of water that it crosses,the Golden Gate Strait.

而是因为这座桥横跨金门海峡的主干水域。

The Golden Gate Strait is the entrance to the San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean.

金门海峡是从太平洋通往旧金山湾的入口，

The Golden Gate Bridge links the city of San Francisco with Marin County, California.

而该桥则连接着旧金山和加州的马林县。

Planning for the bridge began in the 1920s when the area around San Francisco was growing.

建造这座桥梁的计划始于20世纪20年代。当时旧金山周边的地区逐渐发展起来，

People living in the area needed another way to get to the city besides the small ferry boats.

搭乘渡船进城的方式已不能满足当地人的需要，他们需要开辟另一种方式进城。

The chief engineer for the project was Joseph Strauss.

这个项目的总工程师是约瑟夫?斯特劳斯。

Work began in 1933.

金门大桥于1933年动工，

Mr. Strauss demanded the strongest safety protections in the history of bridge building.

斯特劳斯先生要求在建造的过程中使用最坚固的安全防护材料，

These protections included the first use of the hard hat and special glasses to protect the workers' eyes.

其中包括首次使用安全帽和可以保护工人眼睛的特殊眼镜。

A special safety net was suspended under the bridge.

桥下专门悬挂着一张安全网，

This net saved the lives of 19 men during the construction.

它在建造的过程中救了19名工人的性命。

Still, 11 others were killed when they fell from the bridge through the net.

然而即便如此，还是有11名工人从完全网里掉到桥底下而丧生。

The Golden Gate Bridge opened in 1937.

金门大桥于1937年开通，

It extends 1,280 meters across the water.

其桥身在水域上的跨度为1280米，

It was the largest suspension bridge in the world until 1964.

成为当时世界上最大的悬索桥。直至1964年，

That is when the Verrazano Narrows Bridge opened in New York City.

纽约市简称的维拉扎诺海峡桥才打破它的纪录。