1    On May 10, 1869, a crowd gathered in dusty Promontory Point(普罗蒙特里点), Utah. All  eyes  were on Leland Stanford of the Central Pacific Railroad(中央太平洋铁路公司). He raised a silver-tipped(顶端镶银的) hammer(锤子) and drove a golden(金制的) spike(道钉) that completed the Transcontinental Railroad.

2    In an instant(瞬间), a telegraph(电报) signal alerted(通知) people from New York to California of the news. Across the country, cannons(大炮) blasted and celebrations(庆祝活动) began. The entire U.S., from coast to coast, was now united by rail(铁路).

A Radical(激进的) Idea

3    Although California had become a state in 1850, it was isolated(使…孤立) from most of the other states. To reach California, people in the East had three choices.

4    One, they could take a boat all the way around the southern tip of South America. Two, they could take a boat to Panama(巴拿马), cross Central America(中美洲) by land, then catch another boat up the Pacific coast to California. Or three, they could cross the U.S. by wagon(马车) train. Each alternative was costly, dangerous, and took months.

5    The solution? Build a railroad across the U.S. By 1850, there were already more than 9,000 miles of railroad track east of the Mississippi River(密西西比河). The railroads had transformed the U.S. economy in the East by allowing goods and people to move speedily(迅速地) from place to place. A train that crossed the continent(大陆) could be revolutionary.

6    But first, a route had to be chosen. Southerners(南方人) wanted the railroad to cross the South. But Northerners(北方人) were opposed to(反对) any railroad that passed through slave(奴隶) states. They favored(喜欢) a route that began in Omaha, Nebraska, crossed what is now Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada, and ended up in Sacramento, California.

7    In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Pacific Railroad Act(太平洋铁路法案). This act chose the northern route to Sacramento. And it named the two companies that would build the railroad. The Union Pacific (UP) (联合太平洋铁路公司) would build tracks from Omaha, going west. The Central Pacific (CP) team would start in Sacramento, and head east.

8    To encourage construction, the U.S. government made low-cost loans to the railroads. In addition, the railroads were given land grants — large parcels(一块) of free land along the railroad route. But not until 1865, when the Civil War(南北战争) ended, could construction begin in earnest.

Building the Railroad

9    Who were the workers who built the railroad? They were a true crosssection(具有代表性的实例) of Americans — Irish(爱尔兰的) and Chinese immigrants (移民), Civil War veterans(退伍军人) from both sides, former(以前的) slaves, and people from every corner of the country and world.

10    The CP hired most of the Chinese workers. Not many of California’s white residents wanted a grueling(使人筋疲力尽的), dangerous, and low-paying job like building a railroad. But the Chinese suffered severe discrimination(歧视). They were forbidden(禁止) to work at many jobs or to become U.S. citizens. The CP could pay Chinese workers lower wages(工资) than they paid whites.

11    The Chinese workers’ skill, bravery(勇敢), and discipline quickly impressed the CP management. Said one manager, “They are ready to begin work the moment they hear the signal, and labor steadily(踏实地) and honestly until admonished(告诫) that the working hours are ended.”

12    Their bravery was soon tested in crossing the Sierra Nevada(内华达山脉). These massive(巨大的) mountains — whose peaks range from 6,000 to more than 14,000 feet in height — stood in the way of the route. The CP had to blast

tunnels(隧道) through hard granite(花岗岩).

13    The Chinese proved themselves expert at this task. They drilled small holes, added blasting powder(火药) or a new explosive(炸药) called nitroglycerine(硝化甘油), lit the fuse(导火索), and ran before it exploded. Some workers lost limbs(肢，臂，腿) or even their lives.

Race to the Finish

14    The two railroad companies were in a race to the finish. Each tried to lay more miles of track per day. First, the UP laid four miles of track in one day. Not to be outdone(胜过), CP workers put down six miles. Then the UP did eight miles. Finally, the CP workers did 10 miles in a single day!

15    The two railroad companies, eager for payment(支付的款项 ),  kept building tracks right past each other. Congress learned what was happening and picked Promontory Point to be the spot where the railroads would officially(官方地) meet.

16    The Transcontinental Railroad crossed 1,700 miles of plains and desert, spanned(横跨) rivers, and tunneled through mountains. And it was finished ahead of schedule.

（693 words）

1. Leland Stanford of the Central Pacific Railroad:

利兰·斯坦福时任美国中央太平洋铁路公司总裁，后创立斯坦福大学。

2. The entire U.S., from coast to coast, was now united by rail. 

整个美国从大西洋沿岸到太平洋沿岸被一条铁路连接起来了。

from coast to coast 指从大西洋沿岸到太平洋沿岸的美国国土。

3. The railroads had transformed the U.S. economy in the East by allowing goods and people to move speedily from place to place.

这些铁路把物资和人员迅速地运往各地，为东部地区的经济发展带来了巨大的变化。

介词 by 引导的动名词短语在句中作方式状语。

4. … crossed what is now Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada, and ended up in Sacramento, California.

……穿过如今的内布拉斯加州、怀俄明州、犹他州、内华达州，最后到达加利福尼亚州的萨克拉门托。

宾语从句 what is now Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada 相当于 the land which is now Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada，说明修建铁路时这些地区还未加入联邦。

5. But not until 1865, when the Civil War ended, could construction begin in earnest.

但是直到1865年南北战争结束后，铁路的建设才正式开始。

本句中由于否定短语 not until 1865 置于句首，整个句子使用部分倒装语序，目的是为了强调移至句首的时间状语。

正常语序是：Construction could not begin in earnest until 1865, when the Civil War ended.

插入成分 when the Civil War ended 是1865的非限定性定语从句，对这个时间进一步说明。

6. the Civil War

指发生在1861至1865年间的美国南北战争，即为了废除奴隶制，阻止实行奴隶制的南方各州脱离联邦而发生的一场内战，最终以北方军队获胜国家取得统一而告终。

7. They were forbidden to work at many jobs or to become U.S. citizens. 

他们既不可以从事许多其他工作，也不可以成为美国公民。

这里指19世纪后期到20世纪初期美国国会通过的排华法案，禁止华人入籍。

8. They are ready to begin work the moment they hear the signal, and labor steadily and honestly until admonished   that the working hours are ended.

他们一听到信号就准备好开始干活了，干起活来又踏实又认真，直到告诉他们工作时间到了才收工。

本句中 the moment 引导时间状语从句，表示“一…就…”，相当于 as soon as。从句 until admonished that the working hours are ended 中省略了主语和 be 动词，相当于 until  (they are) admonished that the working hours are ended。 由于从句的主语与主句一致，可以省略主语及其后的 be 动词。

9. Not to be outdone, CP workers put down six miles.

中央太平洋铁路公司的工人不甘落后，每天铺设6英里的铁轨。

本句中不定式短语 Not to be outdone 作目的状语，置于句首起强调的作用，相当于 In order not to be outdone。

10. The two railroad companies, eager for payment, kept building tracks right past each other.

为了得到更多的报酬，两家铁路公司在铺设铁轨时你追我赶互不相让。

形容词短语 eager for payment 作插入成分，对名词短语 The two railroad companies 起补充说明作用。

11. Congress learned what was happening and picked Promontory Point to be the spot where the railroads would officially meet. 

国会知道这个情况后，选择了普罗蒙特里点作为两家公司正式的汇合点。

本句中 where the railroads would officially meet 作 the spot 的定语从句，关系副词 where 相当于 at which。