881 英翻中 (581) Irrigation Engineering. 灌溉工程. 10/21/2024

881 英翻中 (581)         Irrigation Engineering.                       灌溉工程.               10/21/2024

1/31 日  晚禱   

        O You who are the Lord of the night as of the day and to whose will all the stars are                        統管黑夜如同統管白晝的,主在夜色蒼茫中,群星都听從你的命令,                                     obedient, in this hour of darkness I too would submit my will to You.                                               当此夜色深沉之時, 我也抛棄我的意志,以你的旨意為依歸.

        From the stirrings of self-well within my heart: 從一切背叛上帝混雜的心志中,                                From cowardly avoidance of necessary duty:     從一切怯懦卸責中,                                                    From rebellious shrinking from necessary suffering: 從一切逃避艱危, 抗命閃避中,                        From discontentment with my lot:                       從一切不滿現狀的怨尤中,                                        From jealous of those whose lot is easier:            從那艷羡別人的幸運而生的妒忌中,                        From thinking lightly of the one talent You have given me, because You have not given                    從輕視祢賦予我的一項才能，因為你沒有給予                                                                                           me five or ten:    更大禀賦的心情中,                                                                                                  From uncreaturely pride:  從那非人所應有的驕矜中                                                                            From undisciplined thought:  從那不受控制的思想中                                                                          Form unwillingness to learn and unreadiness to serve:     從那不願學習, 不願服務的態度中,                                                                                       O God, set me free.     主啊, 求你釋放我?

        O God, my Father, who is often close to me when I am farther from You and who is                        父上帝啊, 我願與你疏遠, 你却與我親近, 即使当我以為你離棄我的                                            near at hand even when I feel that You have forsaken me, mercifully grant that the defeat              時候, 你仍然近在咫尺, 求主使我自己意志的失敗,成為你那                                                              of my self-will may be the triumph in me of Your eternal purpose.                                                  永恆旨意在我心中的勝利.

        May I grow more sure of Your reality and power:                                                                                  求主使我堅信主的能力與真實,                                                                                                                May I attain  a clearer mind as to the meaning of my life on earth:                                                      求主使我对这塵世的人生有更深刻的了解,                                                                                            May I strengthen my hold upon life eternal:  求主使我对永亙的生命更有把握,                                May I look mone and more to things unseen:  求主使我更加仰望那未見的事,                                  May my desires grow less unruly and my imaginations more pure:                                                    求主使我剪除我的忘念, 澄清我的思想,                                                                                                  May my love for my fellow men grow deeper and more tender, and may I be more                          求主使我更能深切仁慈地愛人, 願意替別人担負重担.                                                                                 willing to take their burdens upon myself.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              To Your care,  O God, I commend my soul and the souls of all whom I love and who                        主啊, 我把我的心灵, 與那一切愛我的人與我所愛的人的心灵, 都交託在祢的鑒                                love me; through JESUS Christ our Lord.  Amen.                                                                                  護中.   奉主耶穌基督的名禱告,   阿們.   

Analyzing the project from an engineering economics perspective, why did it have such a long lifespan? There must be a reason. Just like the current concept of greening projects. Despite limited financial resources and a severe shortage of materials, Li Bing used locally sourced materials, including abundant bamboo, riverbed sediment, and pebbles, for building the dikes and flood barriers. He also employed local farmers during their off-season to weave bamboo cages and wefts, greatly reducing costs and maximizing the project's benefits, significantly benefiting the local people. After maintenance, a grand "opening the weir" ceremony was held "every year" for the Dujiangyan Irrigation System (i.e., cutting open the temporary flood barriers built for river maintenance). "Annual maintenance" involved dredging the inner riverbed and repairing the Feisha Weir every year. This "annual maintenance" was key to the project's smooth operation for over a thousand years. Li Bing's six-character motto for posterity, "Deepen the riverbed, lower the weir," is the culmination of his wisdom. Furthermore, diligent annual maintenance is essential. The longevity of an engineering project doesn't depend on investing heavily in creating an impregnable fortress during construction, but rather on diligent annual maintenance to address the impact of environmental and climatic factors on its lifespan. This is especially true for the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, as the Minjiang Riverbed is constantly changing, and siltation and erosion are inevitable. Therefore, Li Bing's dying words, "Deepen the riverbed, lower the weir," are crucial. The water intake at the Baopingkou (Bottle-Neck Opening) is closely related to the depth of the riverbed. If the riverbed is silted up, the water intake will be insufficient according to the "water gauge" (a measuring tool for determining water intake). Therefore, the riverbed must be dredged annually, and dug to a sufficient depth. Li Bing buried a reference rope in the Neijiang Riverbed to indicate the dredging depth (recently, it was reported online that a stone statue of Li Bing was unearthed in the Dujiangyan riverbed; this reference rope is a testament to the dredging depth). When was this dredging done? It was during the agricultural off-season after the autumn harvest and before the weir was opened, which was also the dry season of the Minjiang River. The dredged silt was used for the maintenance of the Feisha Weir. If the Feisha Weir were too high, it could damage the intake, as it would be washed away by floods. Therefore, the Feisha Weir had to be built low, not too high, to prevent the flow of floodwaters from the inner river from obstructing the flow of sand and gravel into the intake, causing siltation of the irrigation channels. The Feisha Weir and the Baopingkou (Bottle-Neck) are an organic engineering project, forming a natural flood discharge and water conveyance regulation system. It was entirely designed by Li Bing with ingenuity and has perfect engineering maintenance rules for future generations to follow.