印度第100座机场建成 距中国60公里
India's 100th airport, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the northern-eastern state of Sikkim on Monday, is arguably one of the world's most beautiful airports.
周一，印度总理纳伦德拉·莫迪在该国东北部的锡金邦，为印度第100个机场举行落成典礼。该机场可以说是世界上最美丽的机场之一。The state's airport at Pakyong, some 30km (18 miles) from the state capital, Gangtok, and has been described as an "engineering marvel".
锡金邦的这座机场位于帕雍，距离首府甘托克约30公里（18英里），被称为“工程奇迹”。Some 60km from the border with China, the airport is located on top of a hill above Pakyong village at 4,500ft (1,371 metres) above sea level and it's spread across over 201 acres.
该机场距离中国边境约60公里，位于帕雍村上方一座山顶上，海拔4500英尺（1,371米），占地面积超过201英亩。
The airport is flanked by deep valleys at both ends of the 1.75km-long runway. It has two parking bays and a terminal building, which can handle about 100 passengers at a time.
机场两侧是长达1.75公里的跑道，两端是深谷。有两个停机坪和一个候机楼，一次可以接纳大约100名乘客。
Difficult topography and hostile weather conditions made this nine-year-long project "extremely challenging and exciting", according to a spokesperson for Punj Lloyd, an Indian company which built the runway.
负责建造跑道的印度公司布尼劳埃德集团的一位发言人称，地形和恶劣的天气条件使这个长达九年的项目“极具挑战性，让人心潮澎湃”。Engineers say the main challenge was to carry out heavy earthwork construction at the site and lug equipment through narrow mountain roads. The weather -- Sikkim gets monsoon rains from April to September -- hindered work.
工程师们表示，最主要的挑战是进行重型土方施工，还要通过狭窄的山路拖运设备。另外，锡金从4月绵延至9月的雨季，也时常让工作受阻。The hilly terrain and high seismicity were among some of the other challenges engineers faced on the rocky slopes.
丘陵地形和活跃的地质活动是工程师在岩石斜坡上面临的另一个挑战。The entire airport, including the runway, has been built on land which was itself created by building an embankment wall as high as 263ft in deep valleys. Punj Lloyd says it is one of the tallest "reinforcement" walls in the world.
包括跑道在内的整个机场，都建在深谷中修筑的高达263英尺的堤墙之上。布尼劳埃德方面称其是世界上最高的加固墙之一。Commercial flight operations from Pakyong will begin on 4 October. The airport is expected to boost tourism to Sikkim, which is home to a number of peaks, glaciers and high altitude lakes.
帕雍机场将于10月4日正式开始商业运营。该机场预计将促进锡金的旅游业。锡金冰川山峰众多，还有很多高海拔湖泊。
