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According to archeologist Molly McDonald, nearly one-third of lower Manhattan is man-made, reclaimed from marshes and riverbeds between 1797 and 1836. |
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About half of the area known as ground zero since 9/11 was under water during the early 19th century. |
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McDonald said many old structures and timbers were often sunk to create cliffs and piers. |
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考古學家莫莉．麥克唐納指出，下曼哈頓將近三分之一的土地都是人造的，在一七九七至一八三六年間由沼澤與河床開發而來。九一一恐怖攻擊後的災變現場地區，約有一半面積在十九世紀初都是在水中。麥克唐納指出，許多舊建築和木材都被沉到水裡，構成懸崖與碼頭。 |
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"This ship was most likely sunk for the same purpose, to retain land, to create new land," she said. |
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她說：「這艘船很可能也是為了這樣的目的而沉入水裡，以便保住土地、創造新土地。」 |
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Though several other ships have been found at similar locations over the last 40 years, McDonald said, "It's quite unusual and exciting to find it here on the World Trade Center site." |
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雖然過去四十年來類似的地點也有發現其他幾艘船隻，但麥克唐納指出：「在世貿中心遺址發現這麼一艘船相當不尋常，也非常令人興奮。」 |
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Doug Mackey agrees. |
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Mackey is chief regional archeologist with the New York State Preservation Office. |
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He said the ship represents an exciting find. |
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道格．馬凱同意她的說法。馬凱是紐約州史蹟保存處的首席區域考古學家，他說這艘船是一項令人振奮的發現。 |
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"We've known that those things exist, but we don't get the opportunity to record them very often," Mackey said. |
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馬凱說：「我們知道這些東西存在，但不常有機會記錄這些物品。」 |
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The discovery casts a light on the fact that Manhattan real estate, one of the most coveted plots of land in the world, was in demand even in its early history. |
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Both then and today, officials and landowners sought ways to add on to it. |
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這項發現顯示，曼哈頓的不動產不但是當今世界上最受覬覦的土地，而且遠在發展初期就已有大量需求。不論在當時還是今天，官員和地主都想盡辦法增添土地面積。 |
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The ship was unearthed at a depth of about 20 feet, just south of where the twin towers once stood. |
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Surprisingly, it was left untouched by earlier construction in the area. |
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這艘船發掘於約二十英尺深的地底，就在世貿雙塔過去矗立的地點南邊。令人驚奇的是，這艘船竟然都未受到這個地區過去的建設損害。 |
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Maps and historical documents suggest that much of Manhattan may be home to similar sites and artifacts. |
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Chemicals in the soil of these early landfills slow the breakdown of materials like wood, preserving them for hundreds of years. |
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地圖與歷史文件顯示曼哈頓大部分地區可能都藏有類似的遺址和文物。這些早期填地土壤裡的化學物質減緩了木頭等材料的分解速度，使其得以保存數百年之久。 |
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