美国工地惊现百年华人墓地
美国工地惊现百年华人墓地转自：http://blog.sina.com.cn/tieluhuagong
美国《洛杉矶时报》当地时间4月7日报道了这样一条消息：
一个古老秘密的纪念碑
Markers to an old mystery
美国洛杉矶工地惊现百年华人墓地
《洛杉矶时报》关于该事件的报道
The Chinese characters are barely visible etched into the headstones and burial bricks. The markers are cracked and missing pieces that would have completed a name or hometown. The artifacts leave an enticing but ultimately elusive clue to the fledgling Chinese community that existed in Los Angeles more than 100 years ago.
刻在墓碑上的汉字几乎已经无法辨认。墓石已经破裂，一些碎块不知所踪，因此许多名字或出生地都不完整。这些物品向人们提供了100多年前居住在洛杉矶的华人线索，这些线索虽然诱人，却难以追溯。
The markers were discovered in 2005 by construction workers in Boyle Heights building an extension of the Gold Line commuter rail. Now, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is hoping to find distant relatives to claim the artifacts and skeletal remains of 128 people found at the site near Lorena and 1st streets.
2005年，建筑工人在博伊尔高地修建金线轻轨时发现了一些墓石。这些在洛雷纳街道和一街附近发现的文物和遗骨属于128名中国人。现在，洛杉矶大都会交通局希望能找到这些人的亲人，来认领这些文物和遗骨。
The campaign launched last month is up against incredible odds to find anyone related to the interred — some of whom were buried as long ago as 1885. Compounding the problem is that local historians believe the graves belonged to Chinese sojourners who were probably just as anonymous when they walked the streets of Chinatown as their remains are today.
这项上个月展开的活动要发现被有埋葬者的亲人可能性非常小，有些遗体早在1885年就被埋葬了。更加复杂的是，当地历史学家认为，这些墓地属于旅居的华人，很可能他们活者的时候就与他们的尸骨一样默默无闻，无人知晓。
Many used fake names and had no children because laws at the time prevented Chinese women from immigrating to the United States — federal policy aimed at eradicating the Chinese population in America.
他们中的许多人都隐姓埋名，也没有子女。因为那时的美国法律规定，禁止华裔妇女移民美国——联邦政策甚至希望全部铲除在北美的华裔人口。
Historians believe the site may be that of a lost potter's field for Chinese that became obscured by development sometime after the 1920s. Chinese were not allowed to be buried among whites in the adjacent Evergreen Cemetery.
历史学者认为，这个地方有可能是一个专门制作有关中国文字或艺术品的陶匠的工作场，而后来在上个世纪20年代的时候被城市大规模的发展所湮没。这么说的根据是，当时华人是不允许被安葬在靠近白人的常青公墓的。
The MTA said it would continue its efforts to find relatives until the end of summer before reinterring the remains and artifacts, most likely at Evergreen Cemetery, with a memorial service and installation of a monument.
大都会交通局表示，这项寻找亲人的活动将会持续到今年夏末，之后将会重新安排安葬这些遗骨和物品，安葬地点很可能是长青公墓，届时还将举行纪念仪式，并建一块纪念碑。
Some Chinese community leaders are applauding the MTA for trying to find next of kin, especially after the initial discovery of the bones sparked controversy. Some accused the agency of stalling the announcement for months to avoid delaying the $898-million project to extend the Gold Line.
一些华人社团负责人对大都会交通局此举表示赞赏，尤其是在最初发现这些遗骸引发争议之后。当时有人指责大都会交通局为防止8.98亿美元的金线延伸段项目延期,将这一发现的公布推迟了好几个月。
Officials at the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Assn., the umbrella organization for the dozens of family groups that have existed in and around downtown Chinatown since the 1800s, said they have not located any next of kin among their members despite an exhaustive check of records.
中华统一慈善协会的官员说，尽管进行了彻底的资料核查，但他们没有找到与这些墓石记载有关人的后代亲缘。这个慈善救助性组织负责帮助从19世纪开始就居住在洛杉矶市中心唐人街附近的华人家庭。
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