【英语时差8,16】怎样让建筑物在地震中屹立不倒？

In 1989, a massive earthquake rocked San Francisco. About sixteen people were killed and hundreds were injured. Several freeway overpasses¹ toppled, but most of the city’s buildings remained intact. Cut to 2008, when an equally massive earthquake struck China. Hundreds of thousands died when apartments, schools and other buildings collapsed², burying people under tons of rubble³. So why did buildings in China topple while those in San Francisco stayed upright? One possible reason is that in many parts of the world, including China, many structures have “partial height” walls, or walls that don’t go all the way up and connect to the ceiling. Partial height walls are cheaper to build, but can also weaken a building’s structure. Civil engineers at Purdue University have found a simple way that could help solve the problem: make partial height walls full height. The researchers built a model three story building containing partial height walls. Then they used hydraulic⁴ pistons⁵ to push and pull the building in ways that simulated an actual earthquake. Adding walls that went all the way to the ceiling made the building six times stiffer than it was with flimsier walls. It’s not a perfect solution, but the researchers think that this simple fix could help keep more buildings upright during earthquakes, and help save lives.

1 overpasses   

n.立交桥，天桥，高架道路( overpass的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Is that why they're constructing so many underpasses, overpasses and highways? 那就是他们建这么多天桥、地下通道和公路的原因吗？ 来自辞典例句
• I also find more overpasses and elevated highways have been built. 我也发现建造了更多人行天桥和高架道路。 来自互联网

2 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

3 rubble   

n.（一堆）碎石，瓦砾

参考例句：

• After the earthquake,it took months to clean up the rubble.地震后，花了数月才清理完瓦砾。
• After the war many cities were full of rubble.战后许多城市到处可见颓垣残壁。

4 hydraulic   

adj.水力的；水压的，液压的；水力学的

参考例句：

• The boat has no fewer than five hydraulic pumps.这艘船配有不少于5个液压泵。
• A group of apprentics were operating the hydraulic press.一群学徒正在开动水压机。

5 pistons   

活塞( piston的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Some pistons have seating rings of metal or leather. 有些活塞上有金属或皮革的密封环。
• A pump uses valves and pistons. 泵使用阀和活塞。