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230 years after monk Faxian passed through the Taklimakan Desert, monk Xuanzang of the Tang Dynasty called this desert the “Sea of death”.
在法显和尚穿越塔克拉玛干沙漠230年后，唐玄奘和尚将这片沙漠称为“死亡之海”。
1300 years after Xuanzang's journey to the west, the only railway looping around a desert in China was built here.
玄奘西行1300年后，中国唯一一条环绕沙漠的铁路在这里建成。
The Taklimakan Desert is an important stop along the ancient Silk Road.
塔克拉玛干沙漠是古丝绸之路的重要一站。
If Xuanzang were standing here, he wouldn't believe his eyes.
如果玄奘站在这里，他一定不敢相信自己的眼睛。
Water is needed for the construction of such a railway subgrade.
修建这样的铁路路基需要水。
But the nearby water source is 130 kilometers away from the construction site.
但是附近的水源距离工地130公里。
What's more, when sprinkled in the desert, water is quickly absorbed by the sand.
更重要的是，当水撒在沙漠里时，很快就会被沙子吸收。
Building a railway here almost seems impossible.
在这里修建铁路几乎是不可能的。
So why would China want to build a railway in this “Sea of death”?
那么，中国为什么要在这片“死亡之海”修建铁路呢?
In the seven months from March to September every year, the flights are canceled and highways are closed due to sandstorms.
在每年3月到9月的7个月里，由于沙尘暴，航班取消，高速公路关闭。
The people living in the southern part of the desert are almost isolated from the outside world.
生活在沙漠南部的人们几乎与外界隔绝。
In this harsh natural environment, railway is the only stable means of transportation.
在这种恶劣的自然环境下，铁路是唯一稳定的交通工具。
So how is solid subgrade built in the desert?
那么，沙漠中的固体路基是如何建造的呢?
Engineers have found that when sandbed with a water content of 12 to 16 percent is repeatedly run over by heavy road rollers, a solid subgrade will take shape.
工程师们发现，当含水量为12%至16%的砂床被重型压路机反复碾压时，就会形成坚固的路基。
Next, Engineers need to lay grids on the subgrade at 60 centimeter intervals to reinforce it.
接下来，工程师需要每隔60厘米在路基上铺设网格来加固路基。
This procedure is repeated several times.
这个过程要重复几次。
When the surface of the subgrade can endure a pressure of 150 kilopascals per meter, it is solid enough for trains to run on.
当路基表面能承受每米150千帕的压力时，它就足够坚固，可以让火车在上面运行。
Despite the many challenges, engineers are unfazed.
尽管面临许多挑战，工程师们并不担心。
But there are still dangers to overcome.
但仍有危险需要克服。
Taklimakan is the second largest drifting desert in the world.
塔克拉玛干是世界上第二大漂流沙漠。
65 percent of the 825 km-long Hotan-Ruoqiang Railway is in the windy and sandy area where the sand dunes move at an average speed of 20 meters per year.
和田至若羌铁路全长825公里，其中65%位于风沙地带，沙丘以平均每年20米的速度移动。
To avoid the threat of quicksand, five 15 to 30 meter high Railway bridges are built in places where the wind is the strongest.
为了避免流沙的威胁，在风力最强的地方修建了5座15 - 30米高的铁路桥。
This way, the drifting sand beneath the railway tracks won't affect the train's operation.
这样，铁轨下的流沙就不会影响火车的运行。
More than one thousand years ago, Faxian risked his life on a 35-day trek through the Taklimakan Desert.
一千多年前，法显冒着生命危险，在塔克拉玛干沙漠中跋涉了35天。
It was a much more dangerous time.
那是一个更加危险的时代。
The construction of the Hotan-Ruoqiang Railway will provide the people living in the Taklimakan Desert with access to unimpeded transportation.
和田至若羌铁路的建设，将为塔克拉玛干沙漠地区人民提供畅通无阻的交通。
Be it in the plateau or the desert, China has achieved its goal of common development with the help of Science and Technology.
无论是在高原还是在沙漠，中国都是依靠科学技术实现共同发展的。
This is fantastic China.
这是了不起的中国。
