“超级工程”港珠澳大桥正式通车

From the Forbidden City to the Great Wall, ancient Chinese people have always been praised for their building skills and wisdom.

从紫禁城到长城，古代中国人民的建筑才能和智慧向来备受赞誉。

And their great skills have been passed down to modern Chinese people. Evidence of this can be seen in recent buildings, such as the National Stadium, also known as the “Bird’s Nest”, in Beijing, and the Shanghai Tower.

而现代中国人也继承了祖辈们的高超技能，这一点从近年来的建筑上便能佐证，如北京的国家体育场(鸟巢)以及上海中心大厦。

And recently, China has created even more proof of its great building skills.

而最近，中国再一次展现了自己伟大的建筑才能。

On Oct 23, President Xi Jinping announced the opening of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) at an opening ceremony in Zhuhai, Guangdong province.

10月23日，国家主席在广东省珠海市出席港珠澳大桥开通仪式，宣布大桥正式开通。

The HZMB, which is located at the waters of the Lingdingyang of Pearl River Estuary, is a huge sea crossing, linking the Hong Kong SAR, Zhuhai city and the Macao SAR.

超大型跨海交通工程港珠澳大桥跨越珠江口伶仃洋，东接香港特别行政区，西接广东省珠海市和澳门特别行政区。

As the world’s longest sea-based project, the 55-kilometre bridge is the result of five years of research and another nine years of building. It has been named as one of the “seven wonders of the modern world” by the Guardian.

作为世界上最长的跨海大桥，这座55公里长的大桥历经5年规划、9年建设，被《卫报》誉为“新世界七大奇迹”。

The project is made up of a 22.9-kilometer-long main bridge, a 6.7-kilometer-long tunnel and an artificial island off the bridge.

大桥包括了22.9公里的主体桥梁、6.7公里的海底隧道以及桥下的人工岛。

“It is designed with a service life of 120 years. It can withstand … a strong wind equal to a maximum Beaufort scale 16,” Zhu Yongling, a project official, told the Guardian. “It can also[withstand] … a magnitude-8 earthquake.”

“港珠澳大桥设计使用寿命长达120年，能够抵御高达16级的台风，”港珠澳大桥管理局局长朱永灵在接受《卫报》采访时表示。“它还能承受8级地震。”

Meanwhile, the Y-shaped bridge could reduce travel time from Hong Kong to Zhuhai and Macao from four hours to about 45 minutes.

与此同时，这座Y型大桥将香港到珠海、澳门的四小时车程缩短为45分钟左右。

“The bridge will not only be a transport link. It will be a social, economic, cultural, andtourism connection among the three areas,” Yu Lie, deputy director of the HK-Zhuhai-MacaoBridge Authority, told Xinhua.

“港珠澳大桥的意义首先在于交通。此外，它在社会、经济、文化、旅游等方面也会发挥重要作用，”港珠澳大桥管理局副局长余烈在接受新华社采访时表示。

It will bring people in Hong Kong, Macao and Guangdong within a “one-hour living circle”, which is expected to attract more visitors to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater BayArea.

港珠澳大桥的建成，令粤港澳地区的居民形成了“一小时生活圈”，有望吸引更多游客前往粤港澳大湾区。

Indeed, “the HZMB is one of the most important elements of the development of the Bay Area,” said Jason Ni Mengcheng, an assistant professor at City University of Hong Kong.

的确，“港珠澳大桥是大湾区发展的一大重要元素，”香港城市大学倪孟正副教授表示。