评论
打印
In a few hours, this sloppy wet concrete will harden into a solid, which, after a few days will be strong enough to hold many tons of weight.
几小时后，这些湿漉漉的混凝土就会硬化变成固体，再过几天，它就会变得足够坚硬，可以承受很多吨的重量。
Pasta also starts in a moist amorphous state, hardens after a few hours, and it can also hold a lot of weight.
意大利面也可以在几个小时内，从潮湿的无定形状态变硬，并且它也可以承受很多重量。
But there’s an important difference between capellini and concrete
但意面和混凝土之间有一个重要的区别
– noodles dry out (which you can tell because when you add water, they re-absorb it and become soft again),
- 面条会变干（你能看出来，因为当你加水时，面条会重新吸收水分变得柔软）
while concrete sets (you can pour as much water on it as you want, and it won’t become soggy
然而混凝土凝固(你想倒多少水就倒多少，它也不会变湿软
- which is good because you don’ want buildings and bridges to get soggy when it rains).
- 这很好，因为你不会希望建筑和桥梁在下雨时变得湿软)。
The distinction is that when pasta is made，water simply evaporates out of the dough,
它们之间的区别在于，做意大利面时，水只是从面团中蒸发出来，
leaving behind a desiccated, starchy scaffolding with plenty of holes and gaps ready to re-absorb water in the future and re-soften the dough.
留下一个干燥的，富含淀粉的框架，上面有很多洞和缝隙，以便在将来重新吸收水分，使面团变软。
When concrete sets, on the other hand, calcium oxide, silicon dioxide and other molecules in the cement
而当混凝土凝固时，水泥中的氧化钙、二氧化硅和其他分子
chemically combine with water molecules to create new compounds like calcium silicate hydrate.
与水分子进行化学结合，产生新的化合物，如水合硅酸钙。
These molecules grow into crystalline fibers that bond with each other
这些分子长成晶体纤维，它们彼此结合，
and literally cement together rock, sand, metal or whatever else you put into the mix.
把岩石、沙子、金属或任何你放入混合物中的东西粘在一起。
So when concrete hardens, it’s not drying out, because water isn’t leaving it
所以当混凝土变硬时，它并没有变得干燥，因为水并没有蒸发
– water is reacting with and becoming PART of the cement.
——水发生化学反应成为水泥的一部分。
In fact, concrete continues to set for months and even years after it’s poured,
实际上，混凝土会在浇筑数月甚至数年后持续凝固，
increasing in strength over time and enabling the construction of miraculously strong and durable structures,
随着时间的推移，它的强度不断增加，这样才有可能建造出奇迹般坚固耐用的建筑，
like the 2000 foot tall CN Tower in Toronto or the 2000 year old Pantheon in Rome.
比如多伦多2000英尺高的加拿大国家电视塔，或者有2000年历史的罗马万神殿。
