原作者：
来源Great Walls Across the YANGTZE
译者strait
Swimming
水调歌头•游泳
Great plans are afoot:
起宏图：
A bridge will fly to span the north and south,
一桥飞架南北，
Turning a deep chasm into a thoroughfare;
天堑变通途。
To hold back Wushan’s clouds and rain
更立西江石壁，
截断巫山云雨，
Till a smooth lake rises in the narrow gorges.
高峡出平湖。
The mountain goddess if she is still there
神女应无恙，
Will marvel at a world so changed.
当惊世界殊。
– poem by China’s former Communist Leader Mao Tse-tung
–毛泽东
Deep in China’s rural heartland, along the third longest river in the world, a massive construction project is underway. Once completed, the Three Gorges Dam will be the largest and most powerful hydro-electric project in the world. Towering 610 feet high and stretching 1.3 miles wide, the dam will create a reservoir that extends nearly 400 miles upstream, forever changing the landscape of one of the most beautiful regions in China.
在中国内陆的腹地，世界第三长河的上游，一项浩大的工程正火热的展开。一旦完工，三峡大坝将成为世界上最大的水电站。大坝宽度延伸1.3英里（2092米，此数据存疑），足足有610英尺（186米）高，大坝上游近400英里（超过600公里）的水域开始蓄水之后，将永久改变这个中国最美的地区之一的整体景观。
The project has been under consideration by various leaders in China since the idea of a dam was first proposed in 1919. The Three Gorges Dam is both a marvel of engineering and the greatest challenge its designers have ever faced. When finished, the dam will contain twice the amount of concrete of the Itaipu project in Brazil, currently the world’s largest dam. The Three Gorges project has been engineered to store over 5 trillion gallons of water and to withstand an earthquake of 7.0 on the Richter scale. The reservoir will allow 10,000-ton freighters to enter the nation’s interior, which currently limits access to boats less than 1,500 tons. In addition to increasing commercial shipping access to China’s interior, the government says the dam will control devastating floods and provide much-needed electrical power to China’s growing cities.
自1919年第一次提出建造大坝的想法以后，历代中国的领导人都考虑兴建三峡大坝。三峡大坝不仅是一项工程奇迹，也对其设计者提出了前所未有的挑战。三峡大坝建成后，其混凝土浇筑量将是当前世界上最大的大坝–巴西伊泰普大坝的三倍。三峡工程蓄水量将达到5万亿加仑（227亿立方米），可抗里氏7级地震。水库可允许万吨级航运船队直达中国内陆（未建成前只允许1500吨以下船只通航）。除了航运业对中国内陆产生的巨大经济效益以外，中国政府宣称大坝能抵御毁灭性的洪灾，还能为中国其他城市的发展提供充足的电能。
But critics question whether both effects can be achieved at the same time. Flood control requires the reservoir maintain low levels of water to allow for the inflow of flood waters, while power generation requires high levels of water in the reservoir. In addition, critics doubt that the human and cultural losses are worth the projected benefit, and they say both flood management and power generation could be achieved by faster, less expensive means. When the dam becomes operational, over a million people will have been relocated, over a thousand archeological sites will be submerged beneath the reservoir, and endangered species may be driven to extinction.
但同时，批评者质疑政府所阐述的两种正面影响是否能同时获得。抵御洪水需要水库保持低水位运行，以容纳洪水的流入，而水库只有保持高水位才能满足发电的需要。此外，批评者们同样质疑修建大坝所带来的好处是否抵得上人文方面的损失，他们认为抗洪及发电的功能完全可以由一些建造更快，花费更少的工程所完成。据估计，当三峡大坝确定开始建设后，移民人数超过100万人，超过上千处古迹将会淹没在水库水面以下，很多物种可能受此牵连，濒临灭绝。
Regardless of the differing perspectives, everyone agrees that the Three Gorges Dam is an incredible undertaking. The Chinese government and the dam’s engineers view the project as a symbol of national pride, proving China’s participation in new global markets.
况且不谈那些有争议的观点，所有人都承认，三峡工程是一项伟大的事业。中国政府和大坝的设计师们都将其看做了国家荣耀的标志，证明了中国在新的全球市场上的竞争力。
Facts and Figures
事实和数据
• The Three Gorges Dam will consist of a 610-foot high wall running 1.3 miles from bank to bank.
三峡大坝高610英尺（186米），宽1.3英里（2092米，数据存疑）。
• The reservoir created by the backflow of the dam will extend 360 miles up river to Chongqing (“Chong-ching”), a distance equal to nearly half the length of California.
大坝形成的长达360英里（579公里）的水库延伸至重庆，距离约为美国加利福尼亚州长度的一半。
• Once operational, the dam will produce the energy of 15 nuclear power plants.
大坝一旦运行，将产生相当于15个核电站发出的电量。
• The project is estimated to be completed in 2009 at a cost of over $30 billion.
三峡工程在2009年竣工时，花费超过300亿美元。
• In the past 2,000 years, the Yangtze River has experienced 215 catastrophic floods.
在过去的2000年间，长江流域遭受过215次洪灾。
• In 1998 flooding in the area expected to be controlled by the dam resulted in 4,000 dead, 14 million left homeless and $24 billion in economic loss.
1998年，三峡大坝本应抵御的洪灾造成约4000人死亡，1400万人无家可归，经济损失达240亿美元。
• When the dam is completed, 13 cities, 140 towns and over 1,300 villages will be submerged by the Three Gorges Reservoir.
大坝蓄水完成后，13个城市，140个乡镇及超过1300个村庄将淹没于水下。
• To make way for the Three Gorges Dam, 1.5 million people will have to abandon their homes. More than 160,000 citizens have already been relocated.
为了修建三峡大坝，150万人将移民，现移民总数已超过16万。
• Upon the dam’s completion, 1,300 known archeological sites will be lost forever under water.
大坝完工后，1300处古迹将永沉水底。
• Over 265 billion gallons of raw sewage are dumped into the Yangtze annually. Currently the river flushes this downstream and out into the ocean. Upon completion of the Three Gorges project, the sewage will back up in the reservoir.
每年，超过2650亿加仑（10亿立方米）未经处理的污水流入长江，经过下游并最终流入大海。大坝建成后，这些污水将回流至水库中。
• Over 1,600 factories and abandoned mines will be submerged when the dam is completed. Environmentalists predict that toxins associated with industry and mining will create a hazard for the animals and people who depend on the river for survival.
大坝建成后，超过1600家工厂和废弃矿坑淹没于水下。环境学家估计，废弃工业和矿业所产生的有毒物质将对依靠长江生活的动物和居民造成危害。
• Over 700 million tons of sediment are deposited into the Yangtze annually, making it the fourth largest sediment carrier in the world. Experts believe that this sediment will build up behind the dam, with only an unproven system of sluice gates to release it.
长江每年下泄近7亿吨泥沙，全世界排名第四。专家认为泥沙将会在大坝后堆积，将仅经过一个未知的水闸系统排放。
• Over 360 million people live within the watershed of the Yangtze River. If the one in one thousand chance of a dam collapse occurred, the millions of people who live downstream would be endangered.
超过3.6亿人在长江流域生活。如果大坝发生溃坝事故，其下游的数千万居民的生命将处于危险之中。
The Controversy
争议重重
Nature and progress struggle to co-exist. As with most developing nations, China has sought to create a balance between environment and industry, conservation and survival.
作为世界上发展最快的发展中国家，中国不断追求自然与发展的共存，一直努力建立环境和工业，保护和生存之间的平衡。
The Three Gorges Dam project promises to bring clean, renewable energy to a country whose air is among the most polluted in the world. It hopes to control devastating natural floods that have affected millions of people. At the same time, it threatens rare wildlife, ancient monuments and the natural environment it tries to reshape.
中国的空气质量在全世界范围内属于极差，三峡工程将提供一种可再生的清洁能源。同时，它在抵御洪灾、惠及人民方面被寄予厚望。同时，它对珍稀野生动物、古迹形成了威胁，也有可能改变自然环境。
Has the Chinese government struck the right balance with the Three Gorges Dam? Read about the controversy and decide for yourself.
中国政府是否在三峡大坝上找到了完美的平衡，看看这些有争议的问题，做出你自己的判断。
Endangered Treasures
被危及的珍宝
Among the potential tragedies of the Three Gorges Dam project are over one thousand sites of archeological and historical importance that will be submerged and lost forever upon completion of the dam. Ancestral burial grounds and centuries-old temples, fossil remains and archeological sites dating as far back as the Paleolithic Age risk being obliterated from public access and scholarly pursuit if they are not unearthed and relocated before the waters rise.
三峡大坝一旦建成，上千处具有重要考古学价值和历史意义的古迹将长眠水下。其中，古代墓地、有几百年历史的寺庙、化石遗迹及可以追溯到旧石器时代的古迹如果不在被淹没前被挖掘或移走的话，它们的公众及学术意义将和它们一样，永远沉在水底。
Ba Civilization: Artists and Metal Workers
巴文化：艺术家和金属工匠
When initial excavations began for the Three Gorges Dam, archeologists uncovered artifacts unlike any they had seen before. These relics have since been attributed to the formerly unknown Ba people, now considered an important part of early Chinese history. Since the discovery of bronze masks in the 1970s, archeologists have located 100 sites that belonged to the Ba people, each considered a historical archive. The Ba disappeared after 316 B.C. with the invasion of the Qing Dynasty, and their whimsical animal statues and ornately inscribed daggers are all that is left behind.
当三峡大坝进行初步的挖掘工作时，考古学家发现了一些不同于他们以往所见的文物。这些文物来自于早期不为人知的巴族人民，巴文化现在已经成为了早期中国的重要组成部分。自从1970年代发现铜面具以后，考古学家确定了100处巴族人的遗迹，每个遗迹都是一座历史档案馆。巴文化在公元前316年左右由于强大的秦朝的入侵而消失，造型怪异的动物雕像和华丽雕刻的匕首成了他们仅存的遗物。
Ancient Fossils at Dragon Bone Cave
龙骨洞的古化石
One of the most exciting discoveries in the region are remnants of early man from two million years ago. A jaw bone and stone tools found 12 miles south of the river at Dragon Bone Cave provide evidence that cave dwellers lived in the region at the same time as the earliest humans on the African continent. The jaw bone, identified as belonging to a new sub-species of Homo Erectus, indicates that humans arrived in Asia almost a million years earlier than previously believed.
三峡地区一项最令人震惊的发现是两百万年前早期人类的遗迹。距长江12公里的龙骨洞内发现了一块下颌骨和一些石器，这证明了这个地区早在人类在非洲大陆生活的同期就有了居民。这块下颌骨被确认属于一个亚种直立人（直立人巫山亚种），这表明人类在百万年以前就在亚洲生活，这比起先估计的要早。
Shibaozhai Temple
石宝寨
Dating back to 1545, this Ming Dynasty temple was built against the side of a massive cliff that stands like a pillar on the bank of the Yangtze River. Called the “Pearl of the Yangtze,” the 12-story, wooden pagoda rises to a height of over183 feet. It contains portraits of famous historical figures from the Sichuan Province. An architectural marvel in Chinese history, it has been classified as one of the “eight strange structures of the world.”
石宝寨的历史可以追溯至1545年，其始建于明朝，是一座建造在四壁如削耸立在江边的悬崖上的建筑。石宝寨被誉为“江上明珠”，12层高，木塔高达183英尺（56米）。寨内有四川著名历史人物的肖像。石宝寨在中国建筑史上是一个奇迹，被称作“世界八大奇异建筑之一”。
Zhang Fei Temple
张飞庙
Located in Yunyang county, this temple from the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127 A.D.) honors the famous Shu Kingdom general, after whom the temple was named. Zhang Fei was one of the Three Sworn Brothers during the Three Kingdom Period (220-265 A.D.). It is said that when he was murdered by two subordinates, his body was buried in Lang Zhong and his head brought to Yunyang. Among other artistic treasures, the temple contains a statue of the legendary hero.
张飞庙坐落于云阳县，始建于蜀汉末期，扩建于北宋时期（公元960年-1127年），为纪念三国时期蜀国著名将领张飞。张飞是三国时期（公元220年-265年）著名的“桃园三兄弟”之一。相传他被两个部下所谋害，遗体埋在阆中，头颅葬于云阳。庙中的艺术珍品中，最为珍贵的是这位传奇英雄的塑像。
Ancient Village of Dachang.
大昌古镇
Situated on the banks of the Danning river, a tributary north of the Yangtze, lies the ancient village of Dachang. Built during the Ming Dynasty, entire street blocks exist as they did over 500 hundred years ago. A traditional way of life survives as it has for centuries. Remnants of family histories dating back to the Ming Dynasty still remain within the walls of houses untouched by the passage of time. The government has plans to move Dachang to higher ground.
大昌古镇座落于长江北部支流大宁河的沿岸。古镇始建于明朝，经历500余年仍完好如初。古镇传统的生活方式已持续了数百年。家家户户中从明朝就遗留下来的遗迹随着时间流逝还保持着原样。政府考虑将大昌古镇整体搬迁到高地。
Giant Buddha Sculpture.
大佛像
A massive sculpture of the seated Buddha rests in the yellowish sandstone cliffs at Single Pebble Village(Danzishizhen) just east of Chongqing. When the tide is high, thestatue’s base is flooded, and there are watermarks indicating variouswater levels on the Buddha’s feet, legs and lower belly. The sculpturewas carved by artist Zou Xing, a cadre general under Ming Yuzhen in the late 14th century. Ming, who later founded a dynasty, led apolitical party that believed that the Future Buddha, depicted in thestatue, would descend from Heaven and end the reign of Mongolian-dominated Yuan Dynasty.
大佛坐落于重庆东部弹子石镇附近一处黄砂岩悬崖上。涨水时，佛像底座会被淹没，大佛的脚上，腿上，下腹部均有水淹的痕迹。佛像由14世纪末起义军首领明玉珍手下的将领邹兴所雕刻。明玉珍后来建立了大夏政权，领导着信奉着弥勒佛的势力。据大佛像内部的壁画描述，他从天上降生，来终结蒙古人统治的元朝政权。
Song Dynasty Tombs.
南朝宋墓群
Song Dynasty tombs (420-479 A.D.) are rarely found in the Three Gorges area, but the region has onlyrecently come to the attention of the archeological community. Currently, archeologists are excavating recently discovered sites in a race against time, measuring remains and documenting as much asthey can before the entire area is submerged. Many mysteries of thetombs have yet to be answered: Why is the head missing from a nearly complete skeleton? Why is the upper half of the skeletonelevated, facing northeast – away from the river?
三峡地区发现南朝宋（公元420年-479年）墓群极为少见，但这一地区最近开始被考古学界所重视。目前，考古学家正争分夺秒地挖掘那些已经被发现的墓地，在这个地区被水淹没之前尽可能统计与记录考古结果。墓群中很多谜团有待解决：一副几乎完整的骨架为什么唯独没有头骨？为什么骨架的上半部分被立起，朝向河的北岸？
Various Han through Qing Monuments.
汉代到清代的各式古迹
Other endangered sites include the Dingfang Towers from 25-200 A.D. (pictured left), Precious Stone Treasury and Pagoda near Zhongxian, the WhiteEmperor City (Baidicheng), the Qu Yuan Temple at Zigui, Temple ofthe God of the Underworld at Fengdu, the hanging coffins on theDaning tributary that runs south into the Yangtze at Wushan, and theLate Warring States Ba cemetery at Fuling.
其他被危及的古迹有：建于公元前25年-200年间的顶方塔（图），位于忠县的珍贵石塔和石雕，白帝城，秭归屈原祠，丰都鬼城，向南流向长江的大宁河支流上的悬棺及战国晚期的涪陵巴王墓。
Endangered Species
濒危物种
The Three Gorges Dam project threatens many endangered species that are native to the Yangtze River. The baiji dolphin, the ancient river sturgeon and the finless porpoise depend on the Yangtze fortheir survival. The population of Siberian cranes in Poyang Lake will also be affected by the dam. Thesespecies may soon be extinct, and the Three Gorges Dam will accelerate their decline.
三峡工程危及到了长江流域很多物种。白鳍豚，古老的鲟鱼和江豚都生活在长江中。鄱阳湖中白鹤的数量也因为三峡大坝的建设受到影响。这些物种已经濒临灭绝，三峡大坝的建设则加速了其种群的减少。
Known as “pandas in water,” the baiji dolphin is a living fossil.Paleontologists believe that its ancestors moved from land to water over70 million years ago. Today’s baiji is the last surviving species of thislineage, and it has been given the highest level of protection by the Chinese government. But fishing and river traffic have already depletedthe baiji population. Dams block access to tributaries and lakes wherebaiji once caught fish and nurtured their young. There are fewer than one hundred dolphins alive today. Efforts to breed the baiji in captivity havefailed. All potential mates for QiQi, the lone baiji male at the Institute ofHydrobiology in Wuhan, have died in the transition to captivity.
白鳍豚，被称作“水中的大熊猫”，它可以说是动物界的活化石。古生物学家认为其祖先在7000万年前从陆生变为水生。如今，白鳍豚已经是其族系唯一存活的物种，中国政府对其进行了高度保护。但长江上的捕鱼业和航运业致其数量骤减。三峡大坝挡住了白鳍豚游向长江支流和其他湖泊的去路，它们曾在那些地方捕鱼和养育后代。如今，白鳍豚的数量已减到了一百头以下，人工饲养白鳍豚的努力失败了。淇淇生活在武汉水生生物研究所，它是目前唯一一头雄性白鳍豚，但所有可与其交配的雌性白鳍豚都不幸在转为人工饲养的过程中死亡。
Siberian cranes feed on the frogs, mollusks, insects and fish in Poyang Lake, which is filled by the seasonal flooding of the Yangtze. The dam’scontrol over the water that fills the lake would affect the animals livingthere. Siberians are the most endangered of all cranes. Captive breeding of these cranes is very difficult. The largest flock of 3,000 birds dependson its winter habitat on Poyang Lake. The cranes migrate 3,100 miles tothe Yangtze region from their breeding ground in western Siberia.
白鹤以鄱阳湖中的青蛙，软体动物，昆虫及鱼类作为食物，这些物种都会被长江季节性的洪水冲到鄱阳湖中。大坝对洪水的控制会影响这些生活在湖泊里的动物。白鹤是所有鹤类中最接近灭绝的。对它们进行人工饲养也十分困难。多达3000只的鹤群在鄱阳湖过冬。它们每年从西伯利亚西部的繁殖地迁徙到长江流域来。
The finless porpoise prefer to live in shallow, warm waters like those of theYangtze River. Although they are legally protected in China, their populations aredeclining due to habitat destruction. They are easily identifiable by their lack ofdorsal fins (on their backs), for which other porpoises are known. Among the smallest creatures in the whale family, at an average length of 5 feet, the finlessporpoise is found only in Asian rivers and the western Pacific Ocean. Some havebeen bred in captivity at the Tian’ezhou White-Flag Dolphin National Nature Reserve in central China’s Hubei Province.
江豚喜欢生活在长江这种较为温暖，黑暗的水中。尽管它们也受到中国政府保护，但其种群数量因为栖息地的破坏而不断减少。相对其他种群的豚类，江豚没有背鳍。作为鲸目下最小的生物，江豚平均只有5英尺（1.52米）长。江豚只在亚洲的河流及西太平洋中有分布。有一些江豚在位于中国中部湖北省的长江天鹅洲白鳍豚国家级自然保护区内进行人工饲养。
The giant Chinese river sturgeon breeds at Changshu, on theYangtze River. This fish, which dates back 140 million years, isamong the most endangered of China’s wildlife. Fishermen catchas many as 3,000 sturgeon by mistake every year. InAugust2000, when a fisherman spotted a rare sturgeon on the QiantangRiver, elders recalled that the fish disappeared from the riverafter the Xinanjiang Reservoir was built in the 1950s. Thereservoir affected the temperature of the water, making itunsuitable for this prehistoric creature.
中华鲟在长江常熟段繁殖。这种可以追溯到1.4亿年前的鱼类是中国最为濒危的野生物种之一。渔民每年错误地捕捞大概3000头中华鲟。2000年8月，一个渔民在钱塘江中发现了这种极为罕见的鲟鱼，老一辈的人回忆说，这种鲟鱼在50年代新安江水库修起来以后就再也没见过了。水库影响到了水温，使得这种史前生物不能适应环境了。
Environmental Concerns
环境问题
Environmental concerns about the Three Gorges Dam go beyond the affected wildlife and endangeredspecies. River sediment is a major threat that could undo all the positive effects the dam is supposed to bring. Extensive farming and unrestricted logging along the Yangtze’s banks have increased the earth’serosion into the river, making it the fourth largest sediment carrier in the world. Sediment buildup from the natural flow of the river will slowly cause the water level in the reservoir to rise – potentially flooding low-lying parts of Chongqing. Rising water levels could eventually transformthe Three Gorges Dam into a massive waterfall. Tens of millions of the people who live downstream of the dam would be endangered by overflow, or worse yet, the one-in-one-thousand chance of a dam collapse due to war, earthquake or design flaws.
三峡大坝所产生的环境问题会影响并危及到野生动物和那些濒危物种。河流中泥沙的堆积将是一个由大坝修建所产生的，能抵消所有正面影响的巨大威胁。粗放型农业和无节制的伐木加剧了长江河床附近地区的水土流失，使长江携带的泥沙量排名全世界第四。泥沙的堆积是由河水自然流动形成的，这缓慢地推动水库水位的上升，这造成了重庆部分低洼地区可能被洪水淹没的潜在危险。抬高的水位最终通过三峡大坝下泄。下游数千万的居民就会生活在过分泄洪的危险之中，假如有那么千分之一的几率，大坝由于战争，地震或者设计缺陷而溃坝，他们的处境就会变得更加危险。
Chinese experts have proposed a solution to the sediment problem.In order to flush sediment through, project engineers have designeda series of openings known as sluice gates at the base of the dam.These sluice gates have never been tested on a dam of thismagnitude. Nowhere in the world is there a successful model thatdeals with sediment on this scale.
中国的专家已经提出了解决泥沙堆积问题的方案。为了让泥沙和水流一起通过大坝，工程的设计师们在大坝底部设计了一系列的水闸门。但这种水闸门从未在这个如此大的大坝上试验过，世界上也没有任何一座大坝有大规模成功处理泥沙堆积问题的先例。
Another environmental hazard is toxin contamination fromover 1,600 factories and mines that will be flooded in the Three Gorgesarea. These dangerous materials may affect the water of thereservoir once the factories and mines are submerged. In addition,an estimated 265 billion gallons of raw sewage are dumped intothe Yangtze annually. Damming the river will prevent this sewagefrom being naturally flushed out.
另外一个环境问题则是三峡库区水下超过1600座工厂和矿井所产生的有毒物质。这些工厂和矿井一旦沉入水底，散发出的有毒物质就会影响水库的水质。除此之外，每年还有超过2650亿加仑（10亿立方米）未经处理的污水流入长江，大坝会阻止污水的自然下泻。
International Perspective
国际观察
Chinese and International Views
中国和国际的观点
The Three Gorges Dam sparks controversy on many fronts. The debate began in1919 when the founder of the Chinese republic, Sun Yat-Sen, first proposed a dam in the area. Since that time, the Chinese government has alternatelysupported and shelved plans for the project. The United States was involved untilthe communist takeover in 1949. Communist Leader Mao Tse Tung supportedthe project, but economic disaster and technical debate prevented its progress.
三峡大坝在很多方面存在巨大争议。关于这些争议的辩论从1919年就被提了出来，中华民国的缔造者孙中山是第一个提议在三峡地区建造大坝的人。从那时起，中国政府对这项工程时而支持时而搁置。美国在1949年中国共产党掌权之前还参与过此工程。之后，毛泽东大力支持三峡工程的建设，但经济灾难的发生和技术难题的争论使得工程又一次被阻止。
After the Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989, political tensions regarding the dam rose when thepublication of Dai Qing’s collection of essays against the Three Gorges Dam provoked the governmentto ban the book and imprison its editor. In 1992 Chinese Premier Li Peng finally won the approval forthe dam by the People’s National Congress, even though one third of its delegates either voted against it or abstained.
1989年政治风波后，关于三峡大坝是否应该兴建的政治形势陡然紧张，原因就在于戴晴出版了反对修建三峡大坝的论文集，中国政府后来将此书封禁，并将其编辑关进了监狱。1992年，时任总理李鹏终于在全国人民代表大会上通过了修建三峡大坝的提案，尽管三分之一的与会代表投票反对或弃权。（1767票反对票177票弃权票664票未投票25票）
Since ground was broken in 1994, constructionof the dam has become a symbol of Chinese nationalpride. Conquering its challenges has become the quest of Chinese engineers. Yet internationalorganizations of all kinds speak out against the dam, year after year. And the Chinese people who mustbe relocated await the government’s word on their fate – silenced by police scrutiny and arrests.
大坝自1994年正式破土动工。大坝的建造成了中国民族自豪感的标志。征服所有挑战已经成了中国工程师们孜孜的追求。但所有国际组织都反对修建大坝，年复一年，那些三峡库区的移民们得等着政府决定他们的命运，他们也不能随便说话，有警察会对他们进行审查，甚至逮捕他们。
Chinese Perspectives
中方观点
The Chinese government estimates that energy from the dam will increase industrial output and generate millions of desperately needed jobs.
中国政府估计，三峡所产生的电能将快速推动其工业化发展，创造出无数个就业岗位。
To prosper in the global economy, China must increase its economic strength. One key element is thedevelopment of infrastructure. As China develops its urban centers, new factories, offices and homescreate increased power demands. To avoid burning coal for power and causing massive pollution, China must develop alternative resources. The hydroelectric power produced by a dam is clean,renewable energy. The Three Gorges Dam will not only provide that energy, but it will increase shippingand commerce in the region, bringing economic opportunities to people in the middle of the country.
为了使全球经济繁荣发展，中国就必须提高其经济实力。关键就在于发展基础设施建设。中国在发展其城市中心的同时建造了大量工厂，公司，房屋，也创造了大量的劳力需求。为了进一步减少通过燃烧煤所获得能量而导致大规模污染，中国发展出了代替能源。三峡大坝的水能就是一种可再生的清洁能源。三峡大坝也不仅仅提供电能，也将提高这一地区的航运能力，促进商业发展，为中国中部地区的人民带来经济腾飞的机会。
The dam will control natural flooding and protect millions of people left homeless when thewaters surge beyond their banks.
大坝还可抵御洪水，保护数百万因为家园被冲毁而流离失所的难民们。
In addition to flood control, Chinese scientists state that the Three Gorges project will have an overall positive effect on the environment. Experts found that construction of the reservoir may help the climate of the area, causing winters to become warmer and summers cooler.
除了抗洪，中国科学家认为三峡工程整体上来说对环境的影响是有益的。专家认为，水库的建设有助于改善库区气候，使其冬天变暖，夏天变凉。
International and U.S. Perspectives
国际社会和美国的观点
A leading funder of hydroelectric projects around the world, the World Bank declined toparticipate in the Three Gorges Dam project.
全世界水电项目的主要资助者，世界银行拒绝参与三峡大坝的建设。
Responding to mid-1990s protest campaigns against the Three Gorges Dam by an international coalition of environmental, developmental and human rights groups, the U.S. National Security Council concluded that the federal government should avoid further involvement in the Three Gorges Dam. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation withdrew its support of the project. In May 1996, the U.S. Export-Import Bank announced that it would not support loans to U.S. companies pursuing Three Gorges contracts. Nevertheless, some banks in the U.S. have invested in the dam. As protests continue around the world, the Chinese engineers say that nothing will stop the construction of the dam.
20世纪90年代中期，国际上一些环保组织，发展组织，人权组织联合起来，抗议修建三峡大坝。作为对抗议活动的回应，美国国家安全委员会建议美国政府应该尽量避免参与三峡大坝的建设。美国垦务局撤回了对三峡工程的支持。1996年5月，美国进出口银行宣布将拒绝向那些继续寻求三峡工程合同的公司发放贷款。然而，一些美国银行却在三峡工程上投资。尽管全世界都在进行抗议，但中国科学家坚称大坝的建设不会停止。
本文由自动聚合程序取自网络，内容和观点不代表数字时代立场
