A rapid means of long-distance transportation became a necessity for the United States as settlement spread ever farther westward. The early trains were impractical curiosities, and for a long time the railroad companies met with troublesome mechanical problems. The most serious ones were the construction of rails able to bear the load, and the development of a safe, effective stopping system. Once these were solved, the railroad was established as the best means of land transportation. By 1860 there were thousands of miles of railroads crossing the eastern mountain ranges and reaching westward to the Mississippi. There were also regional southern and western lines.
随着定居点向西部扩张，快速的长途运输成为美国的必需品。早期的火车是不切实际的珍品，很长一段时间以来，铁路公司都遇到了麻烦的机械问题。最严重的问题是建造能够承受载荷的轨道，以及开发安全、有效的停车系统。一旦这些问题得到解决，铁路就被确立为陆地运输的最佳方式。到1860年，有数千英里的铁路穿过东部山脉，向西到达密西西比河。还有区域性的南线和西线。
The high point in railroad building came with the construction of the first transcontinental system. In 1862 Congress authorized two western railroad companies to build lines from Nebraska westward and from California eastward to a meeting point, so as to complete a transcontinental crossing linking the Atlantic seaboard with the Pacific. The Government helped the railroads generously with money and land. Actual work on this project began four years later. The Central Pacific Company, starting from California, used Chinese labor, while the Union Pacific employed crews of Irish laborers. The two groups worked at remarkable speed, each trying to cover a greater distance than the other. In 1869 they met at a place called Promontory in what is now the state of Utah. Many visitors came there for the great occasion. There were joyous celebrations all over the country, with parades and the ringing of church bells to honor the great achievement.
随着第一个横贯大陆的铁路系统的建设，铁路建设达到了顶峰。1862年，国会授权两家西部铁路公司修建从内布拉斯加州向西和从加利福尼亚州向东，双向连接的线路，以完成连接大西洋海岸和太平洋的洲际穿越。政府为了铁路慷慨地投入金钱和土地。该项目的实际工作在四年后开始。从加利福尼亚州开始的中央太平洋公司使用中国劳动力，而联合太平洋公司则雇佣了爱尔兰劳动力。这两组人以惊人的速度工作，每一组都试图比另一组走得更远。1869年，他们在犹他州一个叫海角的地方回合。许多游客来这里是为了庆祝这一盛事。全国各地都举行了欢乐的庆祝活动，游行和教堂钟声响起，以纪念这一伟大成就。
The railroad was very important in encouraging westward movement. It also helped build up industry and farming by moving raw materials and by distributing products rapidly to distant markets. In linking towns and people to one another it helped unify the United States.
铁路在鼓励西进方面非常重要。它还通过转移原材料和将产品快速分销到遥远的市场来帮助建立工业和农业。通过连接城镇和人民，促进了美国统一。
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