The Mystery of Why Roman Buildings Have Survived for Millennia古罗马建筑千年不倒的秘密

The majestic structures of ancient Rome have survived for millennia—a testament to the ingenuity of Roman engineers， who perfected the use of concrete. But how did their construction materials help keep colossal buildings like the Pantheon （which has the worlds largest unreinforced dome） and the Colosseum standing for millennia？

Roman concrete， in many cases， has proven to be longer-lasting than its modern equivalent， which can deteriorate within decades. Scientists behind a study say they have uncovered the mystery ingredient that allowed the Romans to make their construction material so durable and build elaborate structures in challenging places such as docks， sewers and earthquake zones.

The study team， including researchers from the United States， Italy and Switzerland， analyzed 2，000-year-old concrete samples that were taken from a city wall at the archaeological site of Privernum， in central Italy， and are similar in composition to other concrete found throughout the Roman Empire.

古罗马雄伟的建筑已经存在了上千年，这证明了古罗马工程师的聪明才智，他们完善了混凝土的使用。但是，他们的建筑材料如何帮助万神殿（拥有世界上最大的未经钢筋加固的圆顶）和罗马斗兽场等巨型建筑屹立上千年不倒呢？

在许多情况下，古罗马时期的混凝土已被证明比现代混凝土更耐用，现代混凝土可能在几十年内受损。从事一项研究的科学家们表示，他们发现一种神秘的原料，这种原料使古罗马人能够制造出非常耐用的建筑材料，可以在码头、下水道和地震区等具有挑战性的地方建造出精致的建筑。

包括来自美国、意大利和瑞士的研究人员在内的研究小组分析了从意大利中部考古遗址普里韦尔诺的一处城墙上采集的2000年前的混凝土样本，其成分与罗马帝国各地发现的其他混凝土相似。

They found that white chunks in the concrete， referred to as lime clasts， gave the concrete the ability to heal cracks that formed over time. The white chunks previously had been overlooked as evidence of sloppy mixing or poor-quality raw material.

The new finding could help make manufacturing todays concrete more sustainable， potentially shaking up society as the Romans once did. “Concrete allowed the Romans to have an architectural revolution，” said Masic， a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “Romans were able to create and turn the cities into something that is extraordinary and beautiful to live in. And that revolution basically changed  the way humans live.”

他們发现，混凝土中有一种被称为“石灰碎屑”的白色块，使混凝土能够愈合随着时间的推移形成的裂缝。这些白色块之前被忽视了，人们误认为是不小心混合进去的或是质量不佳的原材料。

这一新发现可能有助于把现在的混凝土制造成更耐用的材料，可能会像古罗马人那样对整个社会产生颠覆性的影响。“混凝土让古罗马人进行了一场建筑革命。”美国麻省理工学院的教授马希奇说，“古罗马人能够创造城市，并把城市变成奇美的住所。这场革命基本上改变了人类的生活方式。”

Word Bank

equivalent /?'kw?v?l?nt/ n. 相等的东西

sample /'sɑ?mpl/ n. 样本，样品

overlook /'??v?'l?k/ v. 忽略；未注意到

manufacture /'m?nju'f?kt??（r）/ v. 生产；制造