布鲁克林大桥，纽约市，美国 Brooklyn Bridge, New York City, USA (© shayes17/Getty Images)

跨越历史 Crossing into history

布鲁克林大桥，纽约市

布鲁克林大桥连接的不只是曼哈顿和布鲁克林——它还连接着历史、工程学以及几个令人惊讶的故事。大桥历经14年建造，于1883年开放，成为世界上第一座钢丝悬索桥，永久改变了纽约人跨越东河的方式。

这项工程真正称得上是一项全家共同参与的事业。设计师约翰·A·罗布林去世，而他的儿子华盛顿又因病重而无法监督施工后，华盛顿的妻子艾米莉学习了工程学和高等数学，以监督项目的完工。

并非所有人都信任这座新建筑。1884年，演出商P.T.巴纳姆带领21头大象和17峰骆驼走过大桥，以证明它足够坚固。桥内隐藏的拱顶后来曾用于储存葡萄酒和香槟，之后又被用作冷战时期的放射性尘埃避难所；2006年，人们在那里重新发现了被遗忘的应急物资。如今，游隼在大桥的石塔顶部筑巢，证明这座标志性地标仍有许多翱翔高空的居民。有些桥梁就是永不过时。

Brooklyn Bridge, New York City

The Brooklyn Bridge doesn't just connect Manhattan and Brooklyn—it bridges history, engineering, and a few surprising stories too. Opened in 1883 after 14 years of construction, it became the world's first steel-wire suspension bridge, forever changing the way New Yorkers crossed the East River.

The project was a true family affair. After designer John A. Roebling died and his son Washington became too ill to oversee construction, Washington's wife, Emily, learned engineering and higher mathematics to supervise the project's completion.

Not everyone trusted the new structure. In 1884, showman P.T. Barnum marched 21 elephants and 17 camels across the bridge to prove it was strong enough. Hidden vaults inside the bridge later stored wine and champagne before serving as Cold War fallout shelters, where forgotten emergency supplies were rediscovered in 2006. Today, peregrine falcons nest atop its stone towers, proving this iconic landmark still has plenty of high-flying residents. Some bridges simply never go out of style.

连接老挝和泰国的第三座泰老友谊大桥 (© chaiyut samsuk/Getty Images)

为拉近距离而建 Built to bring closer

连接老挝和泰国的第三座泰老友谊大桥

在没有桥梁的年代，河流决定人们能走多远；而随着桥梁的建立，节奏掌握开始在人的手中。这种转变正是跨境基础设施的重要意义所在，比如连接老挝与泰国的第三座大桥泰老友谊大桥。桥梁结构多样，各有针对性：拱桥应对压力，悬索桥跨越长距离，混凝土箱梁桥则追求稳定与高效承载。这座桥选择箱梁设计，正是为应对湄公河宽阔水面与快速水流的现实需求。

2011年启用的第三座泰老友谊大桥旨在加强泰国那空帕农府与老挝甘蒙省他曲之间的交通联系。该项目由泰国出资建设，延续了此前连接廊开与万象、穆达汉与沙湾拿吉的跨境桥梁体系。全长4669英尺，双向两车道，既服务本地通勤，也承担长途货运任务，有效缓解交通拥堵，提升跨境通行的稳定性和可靠性，并进一步推动区域物流、旅游和跨境合作，重塑区域联系。

Third Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge connecting Laos and Thailand

Before bridges, rivers set the pace of travel. Now, with bridges, people do. That shift explains why cross-border links like the Third Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge connecting Laos and Thailand matter. Bridges come in many forms, each built to meet a specific challenge. Arch bridges manage compression, suspension bridges span long distances, and concrete box-girder bridges prioritize stability and load efficiency. This bridge uses the box-girder design, making it a practical choice for crossing the wide, fast-moving Mekong River.

Opened in 2011, the Third Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge was developed to strengthen transport links between Nakhon Phanom Province in Thailand and Thakhek, in Khammouane Province, Laos. Thailand funded much of the project, continuing a pattern set by earlier crossings such as the First Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge between Nong Khai and Vientiane and the Second Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge linking Mukdahan and Savannakhet.

Measuring about 4,669 feet, the bridge comprises two traffic lanes, serving local commuters and long-haul freight alike. This has helped ease congestion at other crossings and made cross-border movement more reliable. Beyond transport efficiency, the bridge supports logistics, tourism, and cross-border cooperation, showing how infrastructure can quietly reshape regional connections without demanding attention.

皮埃尔桥，波尔多，法国 (© SergiyN/Getty Images)

加龙河上的历史通道

石桥，波尔多

皮埃尔桥横跨波尔多加龙河，自1822年落成以来一直是这座城市的象征。这座历史悠久的大桥由拿破仑一世下令建造，由工程师德尚普和比洛德尔设计，是第一座连接两岸的桥梁。桥长486米，有17个雄伟的拱门和16个桥墩，是那个时代智慧的见证。它最初在落成时被命名为“路易十八桥”，但很快就被波尔多人改名为“皮埃尔桥”，意思其实就是“石桥”。

如今，经过两个多世纪的使用和数次翻修，皮埃尔桥仍是一条重要通道，也是俯瞰卢恩港的绝佳视角。现在，皮埃尔桥禁止汽车通行，是行人、骑自行车者和公共交通的必经之地。该桥计划于2025年夏季进行加固工程，以确保这座见证波尔多历史的建筑能够继续留存下来。

塞纳河上的新桥，巴黎，法国 Pont Neuf over the Seine, Paris, France (© f11photo/Getty Images)

比赛开始 Let the Games begin!

夏季奥运会在巴黎开幕

今天是巴黎夏季奥运会开幕的日子。“光之城”巴黎成为继伦敦之后第二个第三次举办夏季奥运会的城市。这届奥运会的独特之处在于其开幕式：参赛选手不再站在体育场内，而将乘坐船队沿塞纳河游行，两岸观众会为之欢呼。其实，这不是巴黎第一次打破陈规了。在1900年的巴黎奥运会中，虽然在997名参赛运动员中只有22名是女性，但这是历史上第一次有女运动员参加奥运会。

自1923年塞纳河因污染和安全问题被禁止游泳后，今年的奥运会选手将首次获准重返塞纳河，参加各种游泳比赛。现在，一项耗资15亿美元的清理计划已经落实到位，以保持塞纳河河水的洁净，确保未经处理的水不会流入塞纳河，从而保证游泳者的安全。图中的新桥是塞纳河上最广为人知的地标之一。其他横跨塞纳河的华丽桥梁还包括亚历山大三世桥，它将成为巴黎奥运会马拉松游泳比赛的终点线。

Summer Olympics begin in Paris

Welcome to Paris, the City of Light, which is hosting the Summer Olympics for the third time. What makes these Games unique is the opening ceremony, which will be held outside a stadium for the first time. Participants will parade along the Seine on a flotilla of boats, passing under the Pont Neuf, pictured here, and cheered by spectators lining both banks. Paris is no stranger to historic firsts; the 1900 Games included women competing for the first time, although they made up only 22 of 997 athletes.

These Games are set to be rather special: Breakdancing will make its Summer Olympic debut in Paris. Competitors will be scored by a panel of nine judges who will look out for creativity and personality, along with other criteria. This could be a one-off, as breakdancing hasn't been included in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. The surfing event at Paris 2024 is also rather unique: the competition will take place in Tahiti, part of French Polynesia. Almost 10,000 miles away from the host city, Tahiti was chosen because the island's huge waves make it perfect for surfing.

维戈的兰德大桥，西班牙 (© Julio Conde/Getty Images)

这片水域里有很多故事！

庆祝重新夺回维戈

您准备好穿越时空了吗？为了纪念1809年维戈人民发动起义反对法国入侵，使维戈成为欧洲首个成功驱逐拿破仑军队的城市，每年春天，维戈的居民都会盛装打扮，回到1809年，庆祝他们重新夺回维戈。

为了纪念这段历史，村民们会穿着农民和水手的服装，再现这场战役。在这个活动中，也有孩子们的一席之地。孩子们会穿着19世纪的服装，以寓教于乐的方式重温这段历史。

在模拟战斗的喧嚣声中，你可以在200多个摊位品尝当地美食，这些摊位将该地区变成了19世纪的集市：伴随着传统音乐和舞蹈，这里有肉馅卷饼、巴西烤肉和美味的加利西亚葡萄酒。这个国家级旅游文化节吸引了成千上万的游客，是探索维哥河口和感受其历史的绝佳机会。

黄昏时分的亚历山大三世桥，巴黎，法国 Pont Alexandre III at twilight, Paris, France (© Sizun Eye/Getty Images)

在飞马珀伽索斯的守望之下 Under the watch of Pegasus

亚历山大三世桥，法国巴黎

一觉睡醒，身在巴黎，听起来很有皇家风范，是不是？今天，透过屏幕，您看到的是暮色中的亚历山大三世桥。这座拱形大桥横跨塞纳河，于1900年亮相。为纪念1891年俄法同盟的建立，这座桥以俄国沙皇亚历山大三世的名字命名。两座56英尺高的塔分别坐落在河的两岸，顶上是飞马珀伽索斯的镀金青铜雕塑，彰显了这一事件的崇高地位。站在桥中央，你可以欣赏到河两侧的美景，一边是浪漫花园和荣军院广场，另一边是巴黎大皇宫和小皇宫博物馆。

Pont Alexandre III, Paris, France

The 'golden hour' just before sunset is the perfect time to take in views of Paris' most ornate bridge, the Pont Alexandre III. Arching over the Seine, the bridge was opened in 1900 and named after a Russian tsar, celebrating a new alliance between the two countries. Befitting the nobility of the event, two 56-foot columns sit on each bank of the river, crowned with gilt-bronze sculptures of the winged horse Pegasus. From the center of the bridge, standing above reliefs decorated with nymphs and beneath Art Nouveau-style lamps, you can admire some famous Parisian monuments. Views include the Esplanade des Invalides, the Grand Palais and Petit Palais museums, and the Eiffel Tower.

金门大桥，旧金山，加利福尼亚州，美国 Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California (© Jim Patterson/Tandem Stills + Motion)

雾锁金门 On cloud forty-nine

金门大桥，旧金山，加利福尼亚

金门大桥是人类建筑的奇迹，它像哨兵一样矗立在旧金山湾区的入口处。金门大桥被金门海峡水域上方的浓雾所笼罩，桥塔高达746英尺，塔身上有着充满艺术气息的装饰元素。这座大桥是工程师约瑟夫·施特劳斯、建筑师艾尔文·莫罗和其他许多人为连接旧金山和马林县而共同协作的结果。金门大桥被漆成国际橘，而大桥名字中的“金”则指的是桥下那片反射阳光的金门海峡水域。这座桥于1937年向公众开放，但要建成这座大桥并不容易，尤其是在大萧条时期。不过因为它的建设雇用了数千人，间接促进了当地的就业和技术发展，所以付出还是得到了回报。光影变幻，时代变迁，金门大桥不仅成为了人类创新的证明，更是集功能性与美学于一体的永恒杰作。

Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California

An iconic feat of engineering, the Golden Gate Bridge stands like a sentinel at the entrance to San Francisco Bay. Pictured here blanketed by fog above the waters of the Golden Gate Strait, its towers, adorned with Art Deco elements, reach a height of 746 feet. The bridge opened in 1937, thanks to the efforts of engineer Joseph Strauss, architect Irving Morrow, and others who wanted to connect San Francisco to Marin County. It wasn't an easy vision to accomplish during the Great Depression, but the investment paid off as its construction created thousands of jobs and boosted growth. It was Morrow who picked the striking color, International Orange, an unusual choice at the time when many bridges were gray or black. He felt it would contrast well with the surrounding hills, sky, ocean, and fog. The Golden Gate Bridge, a testament to human innovation, is a timeless masterpiece blending functionality with beauty.

斯利加坎老桥，苏格兰斯凯岛 Sligachan Old Bridge, Isle of Skye, Scotland (© Aliaume Chapelle/Tandem Stills + Motion)

魔法之河深不见底 Enchanted waters run deep

斯利加坎老桥，苏格兰斯凯岛

迷人的苏格兰斯凯岛上有一座斯利加坎老桥，在19世纪初，才华横溢的苏格兰土木工程师托马斯·特尔福德设计并建造了这座桥梁。桥拱横跨斯利加坎河，桥面仅供骑行者和行人通过，在河流下游有一座现代桥梁用于汽车通行。站在桥面那饱经风霜、朴素且长满青苔的石头上，游客可以眺望远处雄伟的库林山脉。根据当地的传说，斯利加坎河中蕴含着仙女赐予的神秘祝福，而那些敢于将脸浸入河水中的人，则会获得永久的美貌。

Sligachan Old Bridge, Isle of Skye, Scotland

The enchanting Isle of Skye in Scotland is home to the Sligachan Old Bridge, built by Thomas Telford, a prolific Scottish civil engineer, in the early 1800s. The bridge arches over a river of the same name, and carries only cyclists and pedestrians, while a modern bridge downstream serves cars. From atop the bridge's weathered, mossy stones, travelers can take in the majestic Cuillin Mountains in the distance. According to local tradition, the Sligachan River's water contains a mysterious blessing provided by fairies. Those who dare to immerse their faces in these waters are said to be gifted with timeless beauty.

哥伦比亚河上的阿斯托里亚-梅格勒大桥，阿斯托里亚区，俄勒冈州，美国 Astoria-Megler Bridge on the Columbia River, Astoria, Oregon (© Dan Mihai/Getty Images)

一条用桁架架起来的公路 A road you can truss

阿斯托里亚-梅格勒大桥，俄勒冈州

1805年，梅里韦瑟·刘易斯和威廉·克拉克从圣路易斯附近出发，开始了他们传奇的北美探险。穿越平原、山脉和森林，历时近两年，他们最终抵达了这个地方，目之所及是滚滚江水西去的壮阔景象，浩浩荡荡的哥伦比亚河注入太平洋，无边无际的海水一直延伸至地平线。1811年，美国毛皮公司在附近建立了阿斯托里亚堡，这是美国在西海岸的第一个殖民地。155年后，图中的阿斯托里亚-梅格勒大桥竣工通车。这是一座横跨哥伦比亚河的连续桁架桥，101号美国国道从大桥上经过，连接洛杉矶和华盛顿奥林匹亚。来自美国7个州和加拿大2个省的水流经哥伦比亚河，穿过这座全长约21474英尺，北美最长的连续桁架桥。

Astoria-Megler Bridge, Oregon

Imagine traveling for nearly two years across plains, mountains, and forests and finally arriving at this setting, where the mighty Columbia River empties into the Pacific near present-day Astoria, Oregon. That is the sight that greeted explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark in 1805 at the culmination of their legendary 8,000-mile North American expedition that originated near St. Louis.

The expedition's success opened the way for further exploration and development of the Pacific Northwest and by 1811, Fort Astoria, the first US-owned settlement on the West Coast, was established. Oregon became the 33rd state in 1859. The Astoria-Megler Bridge opened in 1966, the final piece connecting Los Angeles to Olympia, Washington, via US Route 101.

Water from seven states and two Canadian provinces flows through the Columbia, passing under the 4-mile structure, the longest continuous truss bridge in North America.

基韦斯特的七英里大桥，佛罗里达州，美国 Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys (© Evgeny Vasenev/Cavan Images)

一把通向岛屿的钥匙 A key to island travel

七英里大桥，佛罗里达州，美国

很久很久以前，佛罗里达州住着一位富有的实业家，名叫亨利·弗拉格勒。他启动了一项艰巨的工程：修建一条连接佛罗里达大陆和基韦斯特的跨海铁路。最终，七英里桥于1912年正式落成，被称为世界第八大奇迹。然而，奇迹并不长久，1935年，这座大桥遭遇飓风从而停止了运营。后来，这座桥被卖给了美国政府，经历重建后摇身一变，成了一条汽车高速公路，于1938年重新开放。

如今，你若到访这座久负盛名的七英里桥，你会发现两座桥：一座是老七英里桥，仅对行人和骑自行车的人开放，另一座是于1982年建成的新七英里桥，用于车辆通行。好莱坞大片《杀人执照》和《真实的谎言》中都曾出现过这座桥的身影。

Overseas Highway, Florida Keys

Once upon a time, there lived a wealthy industrialist, Henry Flagler, who embarked on the herculean task of creating an overseas railway connecting mainland Florida to Key West. When it opened in 1912, it was dubbed the Eighth Wonder of the World. However, the triumph was short-lived. It was hit by a hurricane on Labor Day, 1935 and the railroad discontinued operations. The railway was sold to the US government and rebuilt as an automobile highway, opening in 1938.

These days, the Overseas Highway still stretches about 113 miles through the Florida Keys over 42 bridges, which jump from island to island over the Atlantic Ocean, Florida Bay, and the Gulf of Mexico. Many of the original bridges were replaced in 1982, including the longest, the Seven Mile Bridge pictured in the distance in our homepage image. Drivers crossing the Overseas Highway can still see remnants of some of the old bridges running alongside their replacements, including the Old Seven Mile Bridge, a section of which was renovated for cyclists and pedestrians. An engineering marvel, the ‘highway that goes to sea' has also featured in blockbusters like 'License to Kill' and 'True Lies.'