世界上唯一的玉米宫殿:美国最幽默城市的奇迹

世界上唯一的玉米宫殿:美国最幽默城市的奇迹

The World's Only Corn Palace should be listed in the Dad Joke Hall of Fame. Why is that? Let's explore this unique structure.

世界上唯一的玉米宫殿应该被列入老爸笑话名人堂。这是为什么呢?让我们来探索这个独特的结构。

Mitchell may be the funniest city in America, not only because the people here are too obsessed with making puns with "corn", but also because everything here can be tied to corn. Like "confused" will become "corn-fused". Rather, no city can combine a cultural center, a folk art work on an area of ​​0.4 hectares with corn. That is the unique Corn Palace that is hard to find anywhere in the world.

米切尔可能是美国最有趣的城市，不仅因为这里的人太沉迷于用“玉米”来制造双关语，还因为这里的一切都可以和玉米联系在一起。就像“confused”会变成“corn-fuse”。更确切地说，没有哪个城市能够将0.4公顷土地上的文化中心、民间艺术作品与玉米结合起来。那是世界上独一无二的玉米宫殿。

"Paris has the Eiffel Tower, Mitchell has the Palace of Corn", the people here are proud.

“巴黎有埃菲尔铁塔，米切尔有玉米宫”，这里的人们感到自豪。

“Mitchell Corn Palace is the only corn palace in the world,” you will see advertisements like this along Interstate 90 as you launch through South Dakota. If it's curious enough, you'll head to Mitchell's small town of Main Street, immediately see a giant bright yellow structure that looks like a tornado crashing into Moscow and dropping part of the Kremlin into a field.

“米切尔玉米宫是世界上唯一的玉米宫”，当你驶过南达科他州时，你会在90号州际公路上看到这样的广告。如果好奇的话，你会去米切尔的小镇主街，你会立刻看到一个巨大的亮黄色的建筑，看起来就像一场龙卷风袭击了莫斯科，把克里姆林宫的一部分扔进了一块地里。

Round metal tower. Two giant domes protrude into the sky. Covering the walls are 6 different native grasses. The multi-story murals evoke images of famous tourist attractions of South Dakota. The words "South Dakota Home Grown" stand out on the front and main entrance. All are made from multicolored corn.

圆形金属塔。两个巨大的圆顶突出天空。墙上覆盖着6种不同的原生草。多层壁画让人想起南达科他州著名的旅游景点。“南达科他州自养”的字样在前门和主入口醒目。它们都是由五彩玉米制成的。

Despite being a roadside attraction, the Corn Palace has its origins further than South Dakota state roads. The first corn palace was built in 1892, but then it was not the only construction in the world. Not even the only state in South Dakota. It appeared all over South Dakota, invading Nebraska and Iowa. It is as if to pay tribute to the farmers, thanking them for their efforts for a rich season.

尽管玉米宫是路边景点，但它的起源远不止南达科他州的公路。第一个玉米宫殿建于1892年，但它并不是世界上唯一的建筑。甚至不是南达科他州唯一的州。它出现在整个南达科他州，入侵内布拉斯加州和爱荷华州。这就好像是在向农民致敬，感谢他们为这个丰饶的季节所付出的努力。

But those communities failed to preserve their corn palaces. Only Mitchell City has never given up.

但是这些社区没能保护好他们的玉米宫殿。只有米切尔城从未放弃。

It took 128 years and 3 different locations until Corn Palace "settled" at 604 North Main Street in 1920. Although the building's lifespan was impressive, the most amazing thing was, each year, the "palace" is completely refurbished.

经过了128年的时间和3个不同的地点，玉米宫终于在1920年“定居”在北主街604号。虽然这座建筑的使用寿命令人印象深刻，但最令人惊奇的是，这座“宫殿”每年都要彻底翻新。

Before planting, the city of Mitchell will decide what the theme for the murals on the Corn Palace will be next year. For example, this year is "South Dakota Home Grown" (South Dakota - art house grown from trees). After the topic was established, a group of students from Dakota Wesleyan University designed the murals. Based on the color scheme, a local farmer planted more than 375,000 corn of 12 different varieties to suit the "picture".

在种植玉米之前，米切尔市将决定明年玉米宫壁画的主题。例如，今年是“南达科塔家庭种植”(南达科塔-从树木生长的艺术房子)。在主题确定后，一群来自达科塔卫斯理大学的学生设计了壁画。根据配色方案，一位当地农民种植了12个不同品种的37.5万多颗玉米，以适应这幅“图画”。

When it's harvest time - usually in late September, corn is soaked in giant buckets of water to become pliable. Huge tar sheets were stuck on the walls of the Corn Palace, the sections were color-coded. After that, the workers "nailed" corn on it until the entire palace was completely covered. Normally, the new Corn Palace opens in early December, but depends on the weather. They will not work if the temperature is below -6 degrees Celsius and the wind is strong.

在收获季节——通常在9月下旬，玉米被浸泡在大水桶里使其变得柔韧。玉米宫的墙上贴着巨大的柏油纸，每个部分都用颜色标注。在那之后，工人们把玉米“钉”在上面，直到整个宫殿被完全覆盖。通常，新的玉米宫在12月初开放，但要视天气而定。如果气温低于零下6摄氏度，风大的话，它们就不能工作。

The Corn Palace was demolished in June or July, when it was at its greenest. So if you want to see the most glorious moment of Corn Palace, early summer is the best time to visit. The entire project costs about $ 175,000 - a small investment in something that attracts half a million visitors a year.

玉米宫在6月或7月被拆除，那时正是它最青翠的时候。所以如果你想看到玉米宫最辉煌的时刻，初夏是最好的游览时间。整个项目耗资约17.5万美元，这是一个每年吸引50万游客的小投资。

Of course, droughts or floods can affect the harvest and of course Corn Palace. So some years don't have enough corn to make an entire remake and the mural can last for two years or more.

当然，干旱或洪水会影响收成，当然还有玉米宫。因此，有些年份没有足够的玉米来制作一个完整的重拍，而这幅壁画可以保存两年或更长时间。