Xi'an Greater Wild Goose Pagoda ceases slanting

时间：2007-01-19 02:24:39

（单词翻译:单击）


Xi'an Greater Wild Goose Pagoda1
 
Chinanews, Xi’an, Jan. 18 – In Xi’an, ground subsidence has become one of the major geological disasters for the city. The well-known Greater Wild Goose Pagoda, which was built in the Tang Dynasty and has existed for over 1,000 years, has slanted3 by upwards4 of 1,000 millimeters through the years. As a result of human efforts, the slanting5 trend of the pagoda has been curbed6 and the pagoda is gradually returning to its original position.

 

The pagoda, built in 652 A.D., is located in Ci'en Temple. The first accurate measuring about the slanting of the pagoda was made in 1719, or the 58th year of Qing-Dynasty Emperor Kangxi's reign7. By 1941, the pagoda had slanted for 413 millimeters in the northwestern direction, and the slanting was mostly caused by the great decline of the underground water level resulting from long-time overexploitation of underground water. The overexploitation had lessened8 the underground water pressure, made water squeezed out from the clay layer and caused the earth surface to subside2.

 

The slanting speed of the pagoda has quickened since 1945. From 1985 to 1996, it slanted northwestwards at an average speed of one millimeter every year. A survey done in 1996 showed that the pagoda had slanted 1,010.5 millimeters.

 

Since ground surface continues to subside these years, some large earth cracks have begun to show in the city, causing great damage to the city’s infrastructure9 building and city construction. In order to solve the problem, Xi’an municipal government has taken measures to prevent the pagoda from slanting further by building some 400 wells surrounding the pagoda.

 

The measures have proved to be effective. From 1997, the Greater Wild Goose Pagoda has stopped slanting northwestwards and gradually returned to its original position. According to a recent report presented by the No.1 Team of the State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping (SBSM), by 2006, the pagoda had moved 9.4 millimeters in an opposite direction. Based on this measurement, SBSM concludes that the pagoda has now “remained in a relatively10 stable position” and will “continue to move backward in future.”

 

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1 pagoda dmtzDh     
n.宝塔（尤指印度和远东的多层宝塔），（印度教或佛教的）塔式庙宇
参考例句：
  • The ancient pagoda is undergoing repairs.那座古塔正在修缮中。
  • The pagoda is reflected upside down in the water.宝塔影子倒立在水里。
2 subside OHyzt     
vi.平静，平息；下沉，塌陷，沉降
参考例句：
  • The emotional reaction which results from a serious accident takes time to subside.严重事故所引起的情绪化的反应需要时间来平息。
  • The controversies surrounding population growth are unlikely to subside soon.围绕着人口增长问题的争论看来不会很快平息。
3 slanted 628a904d3b8214f5fc02822d64c58492     
有偏见的； 倾斜的
参考例句：
  • The sun slanted through the window. 太阳斜照进窗户。
  • She had slanted brown eyes. 她有一双棕色的丹凤眼。
4 upwards lj5wR     
adv.向上，在更高处...以上
参考例句：
  • The trend of prices is still upwards.物价的趋向是仍在上涨。
  • The smoke rose straight upwards.烟一直向上升。
5 slanting bfc7f3900241f29cee38d19726ae7dce     
倾斜的，歪斜的
参考例句：
  • The rain is driving [slanting] in from the south. 南边潲雨。
  • The line is slanting to the left. 这根线向左斜了。
6 curbed a923d4d9800d8ccbc8b2319f1a1fdc2b     
v.限制，克制，抑制( curb的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • Advertising aimed at children should be curbed. 针对儿童的广告应受到限制。 来自辞典例句
  • Inflation needs to be curbed in Russia. 俄罗斯需要抑制通货膨胀。 来自辞典例句
7 reign pBbzx     
n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势
参考例句：
  • The reign of Queen Elizabeth lapped over into the seventeenth century.伊丽莎白王朝延至17世纪。
  • The reign of Zhu Yuanzhang lasted about 31 years.朱元璋统治了大约三十一年。
8 lessened 6351a909991322c8a53dc9baa69dda6f     
减少的，减弱的
参考例句：
  • Listening to the speech through an interpreter lessened its impact somewhat. 演讲辞通过翻译的嘴说出来，多少削弱了演讲的力量。
  • The flight to suburbia lessened the number of middle-class families living within the city. 随着迁往郊外的风行，住在城内的中产家庭减少了。
9 infrastructure UbBz5     
n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施
参考例句：
  • We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
  • We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。
10 relatively bkqzS3     
adv.比较...地，相对地
参考例句：
  • The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
  • The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

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