雙語科技百科(工程建築) 第77期:趙州橋
Zhaozhou Bridge
Zhaozhou Bridge is also called Anji Bridge. It is on the Jiaohe River to the south of Zhaoxian County town, 45 kilometers southeast of Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province. Because lhe whole bridge was made of stone materials, it was called Big Stone Bridge by the local people. It was first built between 595 ~605 and the construction was supervised by Li Chun, a famous craftsman in the Sui Dynasty. The structure of Zhaozhou Bridge is original, and the appearance is beautiful. The ancient people said that "The architecture is so novel that nobody knows how it was constructed. " The bridge is 64.4 meters long, 9.6 meters wide and the span is 37. 2 meters. It is a single-hole arc bridge made up of 28 comparatively separate arches. The greatest scientific contribution of Zhaozhou Bridge is its pioneering work of "open spandrel". At each shoulder of the main arch, there are 2 small parallel arches. This not only increases passages for the running water, decreases the weight of the bridge, and saves stone materials, but also enhances the stability of the bridge. Therefore, though l ,400 years has passed, having undergone many floods, eight earthquakes, and heavy traffic, it is still standing firm over the Jiaohe River. There are many beautiful legends about the construction of Zhaozhou Bridge. In the past, the Jiaohe River overflowed, and the local people could only ferry across by boat. Lu Ban, the carpenters' ancestor, turned the sheep into stones overnight to make the bridge. Zhang Guolao and Chai Wangye, two immortals, came to test the solidity of the bridge. Zhang Guolao rode on the don-key-back, facing backward. In the long bag on the donkey-back, there were the sun and the moon. Chai Wangye pushed a one-wheeled cart, on which there were the five famous mountains in China. When they came to the middle of the bridge, it began to shake and was likely to fall down. Seeing the situation was unfavorable, Lu Ban jumped into the water, and held up the bridge with his hands. Luckily, the bridge was safe and sound. So there left on the surface of the bridge clear hoof prints of the donkey and a rut. Lu Ban's fingerprints were also left on the arch of the bridge. Just like what was sung in the folk song "Child Cowherd", "Zhaozhou Bridge was built by Lu Ban, and the boulder railings were left by sages. Zhang Guolao passed the bridge on the donkey-back, and Chai Wangye made a rut by pushing the cart on the bridge. "
趙州橋，又名安濟橋，坐落在石家莊東南45千米趙縣城南汶河之上，因橋體全部用石料建成，當地俗稱大石橋。建於隋代開皇至大業年間(595-605)，由匠師李春監造。趙州橋結構新奇，造型美觀，古人說它“製造奇特，人不知其所以爲”。橋全長64.4米，寬9.6米，跨度37. 02米，是一座由28道相對獨立的拱券組成的單孔弧形大橋。趙州橋最大的科學貢獻就是它“敞肩拱”的創舉。在大拱兩肩，砌了四個並列小孔，既增大流水通道，減輕橋身重量，節省石料，又增強了橋身穩定性。這就有力地保證了趙州橋在1400年的歷史中，經受住了多次洪水衝擊，8次大地震搖撼，以及車輛重壓，仍挺立在汶河之上。關於趙州橋的建造，有很多美麗的傳說。昔日汶河水氾濫，百姓只靠木船擺渡。木匠祖師魯班一夜之間把羊羣化成石頭建起大橋。張果老和柴王爺一同來試橋。張果老倒騎毛驢，驢背褡褳裏裝着日、月；柴王爺推小車，運載着五嶽名山，他們行於橋中心，將橋壓得搖搖欲墜。魯班見勢不妙，縱身跳入水中，用手將橋托住，石橋安然無恙。至今橋上面還留下了清晰的驢蹄印、車道溝和膝蓋印；橋底保留着魯班的手印。正如民歌《小放牛》所唱的：“趙州石橋魯班爺修，玉石欄杆聖人留；張果老騎驢橋上走，柴王爺推車軋了一道溝。”
