塔桥, 伦敦, 英格兰 Tower Bridge, London, England (© Nick Brundle Photography/Getty Images)

小心空隙，桥面将开启！ Mind the gap—this one opens

塔桥, 伦敦, 英格兰

有些桥梁只是连接两岸，而伦敦塔桥则连接着历史、工程与戏剧张力。自1894年起，这座伦敦地标矗立于伦敦塔旁，横跨泰晤士河，既能振奋人心，又能疏导交通。双塔矗立，蓝白相间的漆面，以及能像巨型吊桥般开启的活动桥面，塔桥不仅是交通解决方案，更像是一位舞台表演者。

在塔桥建成之初，伦敦需要一座不会阻碍河上贸易的跨河通道。解决方案是什么？一座能从中间分开并抬升到足够高度，让帆船顺利通过的桥梁。维多利亚时代的巧思，用蒸汽机驱动液压系统；如今，重任则由油压和电力承担。游客可以走进桥体，探索它的机房，并漫步在高空玻璃走道，俯瞰泰晤士河的壮丽景色。从哥特式双塔到可升起的活动桥面，这座建筑始终连接着过去与现在，印证着有时通往前方的最佳方式就是将阻碍高高抬起。

Tower Bridge, London, England

Some bridges connect two sides. Tower Bridge connects history, engineering, and a flair for drama. Standing next to the Tower of London and rising over the River Thames since 1894, this London icon literally knows how to lift spirits—and traffic. With its twin towers, blue-and-white paintwork, and bascules that open like a giant's drawbridge, Tower Bridge is less a traffic solution and more a stage performer.

When it was first built, London needed a crossing that wouldn't block river trade. The answer? A bridge that could split in half and rise high enough for sailing ships to pass through. Victorian ingenuity powered the hydraulics with steam engines; today, oil and electricity do the heavy lifting. Visitors can step inside to explore its engine rooms and stroll across the high-level glass walkways for a bird's-eye view of the Thames. From its Gothic-style towers to its lifting bascules, the structure continues to bridge the gap between past and present, proving that sometimes, the best way forward is to raise the road.