Almost two kilometers of green grass stretch from the front of the U.S. Capitol building to the Washington Monument. Thousands of people walk on it every day. They also play games, have picnics, run their dogs and bike.

从美国国会大厦到华盛顿纪念碑总共有大约2千米长的草坪绿地。每天有数千人在上面行走。人们还在草地上玩游戏，野餐，遛狗和骑自行车。

The activities have damaged the expanse of land known as the National Mall. Now workers are in the middle of a $45 million project to return thick, healthy grass to the area.

这些行动对大家熟知的国家广场的扩张造成了损害。现在工人们正在进行价值4500万美元的绿化保护工程。

"This thick blade, this thick, flat blade, is tall fescue."

这些又厚又平坦的草皮是高羊茅。

That is Michael Stachowicz. He is a man who knows his grass. Stachowitz spent 20 years caring for golf courses. Now, he manages one of the best-known green spaces in the world.

这位是Michael Stachowicz。他很清楚他负责的草坪情况。Michael Stachowicz有着20年打理高尔夫球场的经历。现在他负责管理着世界上最著名的绿地之一。

"It is really cool to work on a piece of property that so many people around the world can relate to."

在这块财富土地上工作是一件很酷的事情，因为这里能与世界各地的人产生联系。

More than twenty-five million people visit the Mall each year for concerts, festivals and rallies, and, of course, to visit its popular museums. Over the years all those feet have compressed the soil to the density of brick. Only weeds can succeed in the rock-hard soil.

每年有2500多万人参加音乐会，节日和集会，当然还有参观博物馆的。日积月累年复一年这些脚步使得土壤挤压成块。在这种坚硬的土地上只有野草才能存活。

The whole Mall is in a very poor condition. But the repair project is rebuilding it, from the ground up. The old soil will be replaced with new soil like you'd find under a professional baseball field.

整个广场绿地现在处于一个非常贫瘠的条件下。但是修理工程正在对这种情况进行改善，首先要从地面开始。旧土换新土，就像职业棒球场一样。

The workers are even improving the grass itself. University researchers are helping to find the highest quality grasses for the space.

工人们甚至在提高草坪本身的质量。大学里的研究人员正在努力寻找适合广场的高质量草种。

"It being the most heavily trafficked piece of turf in the world, we're trying to find the most traffic-resistant, the toughest turf that we can."

这是世界上最繁忙的绿地。我们试图找到最能抵抗频繁踩踏的草种，希望能找到最不容易倒的草种。

Workers are also burying devices called cisterns that will capture nearly four million liters of rainwater. Michael Stachowicz says they will help reduce pollution during heavy storms.

工人们也在忙于设置地下蓄水池装置。这个蓄水池可以容纳将近400万公升的降水。Michael Stachowicz说这种装置可以帮助在暴雨期间减少污染。

Sometimes, storm waters flood waste sewers. Then that water and the waste flow directly into the Potomac River, polluting it.

有些时候，暴雨雨水会通过下水道排出。随后这种水和废水会直接流到波托马克河造成污染。

The cisterns will help prevent that.

而这种装置就可以避免污染事件的发生。

The dig of such a huge stretch of ground has been a complex effort.

这种巨大的地下安装工程是非常复杂的。

"There's at least a century's worth of wiring, piping and tunneling underneath the Mall."

广场地下装置至少安装着有一个世纪历史的配线，管道和隧道。

The job of rebuilding the Mall is expected to be completed by early 2017.

重建绿地广场工程预计2017年完工。

Hundreds of thousands of people will again walk all over it to attend the presidential inauguration in front of the Capitol.

成千上万的人将会再次踏上这片绿地参加总统的就职典礼。

I'm Jim Tedder.

VOA science correspondent Steve Baragona reported this story from Washington. Caty Weaver adapted it for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

picnic – n. a meal that is eaten outdoors especially during a trip away from home

manage – v. to have control of; to take care of and make decisions about

yard – n. an outdoor area that is next to a house and is usually covered by grass

compress – v. to press or squeeze (something) so that it is smaller or fills less space

turf – n. the upper layer of ground that is made up of grass and plant roots

Almost two kilometers of green grass stretch from the front of the U.S. Capitol building to the Washington Monument. Thousands of people walk on it every day. They also play games, have picnics, run their dogs and bike.

The activities have damaged the expanse of land known as the National Mall. Now workers are in the middle of a $45 million project to return thick, healthy grass to the area.

"This thick blade, this thick, flat blade, is tall fescue."

That is Michael Stachowicz. He is a man who knows his grass. Stachowitz spent 20 years caring for golf courses. Now, he manages one of the best-known green spaces in the world.

"It is really cool to work on a piece of property that so many people around the world can relate to."

More than twenty-five million people visit the Mall each year for concerts, festivals and rallies, and, of course, to visit its popular museums. Over the years all those feet have compressed the soil to the density of brick. Only weeds can succeed in the rock-hard soil.

The whole Mall is in a very poor condition. But the repair project is rebuilding it, from the ground up. The old soil will be replaced with new soil like you'd find under a professional baseball field.

The workers are even improving the grass itself. University researchers are helping to find the highest quality grasses for the space.

"It being the most heavily trafficked piece of turf in the world, we're trying to find the most traffic-resistant, the toughest turf that we can."

Workers are also burying devices called cisterns that will capture nearly four million liters of rainwater. Michael Stachowicz says they will help reduce pollution during heavy storms.

Sometimes, storm waters flood waste sewers. Then that water and the waste flow directly into the Potomac River, polluting it.

The cisterns will help prevent that.

The dig of such a huge stretch of ground has been a complex effort.

"There's at least a century's worth of wiring, piping and tunneling underneath the Mall."

The job of rebuilding the Mall is expected to be completed by early 2017.

Hundreds of thousands of people will again walk all over it to attend the presidential inauguration in front of the Capitol.

I'm Jim Tedder.

VOA science correspondent Steve Baragona reported this story from Washington. Caty Weaver adapted it for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

picnic – n. a meal that is eaten outdoors especially during a trip away from home

manage – v. to have control of; to take care of and make decisions about

yard – n. an outdoor area that is next to a house and is usually covered by grass

compress – v. to press or squeeze (something) so that it is smaller or fills less space

turf – n. the upper layer of ground that is made up of grass and plant roots