Waterfalls
The name refers to(se
refiere a) three separate waterfalls(cataratas):
the American Falls, the Bridal Veil Falls, and the Horseshoe Falls (known
in(conocidas en)
Canada as the Canadian Falls). While not(aunque
no) exceptionally high, Niagara Falls is very wide(ancha),
and a large volume of water passes over it. The scenic view(vista
escénica) attracts millions of visitors, especially in the
summertime(época de
verano).
The name "Niagara" is said by some(según
algunos) to originate from an Iroquois word which can be
interpreted as "Thunder of Waters"(trueno
de aguas). Niagara Falls was brought to the world's
attention(acaparó
la atención de la gente) in the 17th century by the explorer
Father Louis Hennepin, who also discovered the Falls of Saint Anthony.
The Falls drop(caen
desde) about 170 feet(pies,
1 pie=30.48cm) although the American Falls have a clear drop of
only 70 feet before reaching(alcanzar)
a jumble(conjunto,
revoltijo) of rocks at its base. The American Falls are 1060
feet wide and the Canadian Falls are about 2600 feet wide. There is
nighttime(por la noche,
nocturna) illumination of both falls from Canada.
The Niagara River drains(desaguan,
drenan) four of the North American Great Lakes(lagos)
into the lowest Great Lake, Lake Ontario. The lakes and the Niagara river
are effects(efectos,
consecuencias) of the last continental ice sheet(capa
de hielo), an enormous glacier that crept(se
arrastra) across the area from eastern Canada. The ice, which
could be envisioned(divisado)
as a mile-high bulldozer, ground(afilaba,
desbastaba) up rocks and soil(tierra),
moved them around, deepened(hacía
más profundos) some river channels to make lakes, and dammed(estancaba)
others with debris(residuos),
forcing these rivers to make new channels(canales).
After the ice melted back(se
volviera a derretir), drainage(desagüe,
drenaje) from the upper Great Lakes became(se
convirtió) the present Niagara River and cut a brand new(completamente
nuevo) valley. When the river encountered a hard layer(capa
dura) or rock, known as the Lockport dolomite, a waterfall was
formed. The original waterfall was next to present day(actualidad)
Lewiston, New York, but the current waterfalls actually have retreated(retrocedido)
several miles southward(hacia
el sur) by erosion of the crest of the falls. Ultimately(finalmente)
the falls will retreat back far enough(lo
suficientemente lejos) to drain Lake Erie, which is not as deep
as the height(altura)
of the falls. Engineers are working to reduce the rate(promedio)
of erosion to retard this event as long as possible.
A portion (50% to 75%) of the river's flow is diverted(desviado)
from the visible waterfall to hydroelectric turbines that supply(suministran)
power to nearby areas(áreas
de los alrededores) of the United States and Canada.
Other facts(otros
datos, hechos)
Ships go around Niagara Falls by means of(a
través de, por medio de) the Welland Canal (see Saint Lawrence
Seaway)
A cable carteleférico)
from the Canadian side, built in 1916, crosses over the whirlpool(remolino,
vorágine). It is known as the Spanish Aerocar because it was
designed by Spanish engineer Leonardo Torres y Quevedo.
The area immediately around the falls includes the cities of Niagara Falls,
Ontario and Niagara Falls, New York. On the Canadian side(zona
canadiense) the Niagara Parks Commission oversees(supervisa)
the preservation of the Falls natural heritage(patrimonio
natural).
An upstream ice jam(atasco
de hielo que circulaba a contracorriente) stopped almost all
water flow(flujo)
over Niagara Falls on March 29, 1848.
On January 2, 1929 Canada and the United States reached an agreement on an
action plan to preserve the Falls.
There is a memorial(monumento
conmemorativo) of Nikola Tesla at Niagara Falls. Tesla was the
first to harness(aprovechar,
explotar) the falls into electrical energy.
The Buffalo Niagara International Airport in Buffalo, New York was named
after(tomó el
nombre de) the waterfall.
In October 1829 Sam Patch, who called himself The Yankee Leaper jumped over
the Horseshoe Falls and became the first known person to survive the plunge(caída).
Thereby(de este modo)
he began a long tradition of daredevils(temerarios)
trying to go over the falls and survive. Many have built various
contraptions(objetos,
chismes) to protect themselves (ie. "going over the falls in a
barrel") and some have survived. Others have drowned(ahogado),
and some have been torn(roto)
limb from limb(miembros,
extremidades). Anyone who survives the stunt(acrobacia)
will then face(afrontar)
charges(cargos)
and stiff fines(duras
multas), as it is illegal to attempt to go over(intentar
saltar desde) the falls. |
Inglés
|
Francés |
Alemán
|
Italiano |
Otros
1 (A-E)
| 2 (F-L) |
3 (N-S)
| 4 (T-U)
Árabe |
Chino |
Esperanto
|
Griego
|
Japonés
|
Portugués
|
Rumano
|
Ruso
|
Catalán
|
Euskera