The Statue is also often the first image used during the opening credits of the popular sketchcomedy show Saturday Night Live which proudly broadcasts its performance each week live from New York City. In fact， during the 1984~1985 and 1985~1986 seasons， an image of the statue surrounded in scaffolding was used during the credits to commemorate the renovations being done to the statue during that time.
The New York Liberty， New York，s professional women，s basketball team， has the Statue of Liberty as their mascotmascot n.福神， 吉祥的东西 and it appears prominently on their logo and team jersey.
The Gateway Arch大拱门
直到20世纪60年代，圣路易斯才又有了闪光的建筑，这就是享誉世界的“大拱门”。这个高192米的“大拱门”类似我国甘肃的嘉峪关，出了嘉峪关就会有一种“西出阳关无故人”的凄凉感。而在早年的美国，人们也普遍认为圣路易斯是通向西部的门户。“大拱门”的设计师萨里恩是1923年移民到美国的芬兰人，他的构想起始于1947年，但拱门的施工直到1965年10月28日才竣工，全部造价1300万美元。遗憾的是，没等到“大拱门”剪彩，萨里恩就在1961年因脑瘤去世了。
如今的“大拱门”已是美国的标志性建筑，比华盛顿纪念塔还要高。根据设计要求，拱门顶端的正常摆动幅度可在46公分之内，但据科学家计算，“大拱门”即使遇到时速80公里的大风，其摆动幅度也仅有5公分。由于整个拱门是用不锈钢建成的，因此每年都会遭到数百次雷电的袭击，这也创造了超高建筑物被雷电击中的最高记录，但由于拱门有非常先进的避雷电系统，至今没有任何地方损坏或人员伤亡。“大拱门”每天可接待游客6400人。乘坐斗式升降电梯，游客4分钟就能到达顶部，如果沿着楼梯攀登，则需要爬1076个台阶。在两米多宽的拱门顶部内，每侧各有16个小窗户，晴天时游客用肉眼就可看到圣路易斯市的全貌和48公里外的伊利诺伊州。
The Gateway Arch is the crown jeweljewel n.宝石 of St. Louis and also our nation，s tallest monumentmonument n.纪念碑 reaching 630 feet in height. This stainless steel marvel is part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial along with the Museum of Westward Expansion and St. Louis， Old Courthouse. During a nationwide competition in 1947~1948， architect Eero Saarinen，s inspired design was chosen as a perfect monument to the spirit of the western pioneers. Today the Arch symbolizes the spirit of the City of St. Louis， the Gateway to The West.
The St. Louis area has many attractions for tourists and locals but the Gateway Arch is by far the biggest attraction. Directly under the Arch is the Museum of Westward Expansion， a four story movie theater， and an exhibit with a 45 minute documentary depictingdepict vt.描述， 描写 the challenges experienced during the construction of the Arch.
Description
The Gateway Arch is a massive stainless steelstainless steel n.不锈钢 structure that towers 630 feet above the surrounding landscape. To the east of the Arch is the Mississippi River. Curvilinear， graceful staircases of toned concrete at the north and south ends provide access to the Arch grounds from the riverfront. The grounds themselves are carefully landscaped with pondspond n.池塘 v.筑成池塘， trees， and walkways that again reflect the gentle curve of the Arch. Similar curves are repeated in the tunnel entrances for the railroad tracks that cut through the property. The design of the concrete tunnel entrances is so finely incorporated into the landscape through the curvilinearcurvilinear adj.曲线的， 由曲线而成的 lines and placement below grade that the entrances hardly seem to exist. To the west of the Arch (across two major streets) is the Old Courthouse， whose dome lines up in an eastwest axis with the Arch. The original design envisioned a grander axis going several blocks west of the Old Courthouse.
Dominating the landscape is Eero Saarinen，s 630foot stainless steel Arch constructed in the form of an inverted catenary - the curve formed by a chain or flexible cord hung between two points. Saarinen，s design， however， is more complex and subtle than the pure geometric formgeometric form (素描用)几何形模型 of a catenary. Instead， the imaginary chain has heavier links on its ends with progressively smaller links toward its apex， making its shape rounder than a pure catenary.
The Arch was built in triangulartriangular adj.三角形的， 三人间的 sections and， like the weighted catenarycatenary ［数］n.悬链线 adj.悬链线的 chain， has larger sections at the base and progressively smaller sections at the apex. Each section is a doublewalled equilateral triangleequilateral triangle 等边三角形 of carbon steel on the interior and stainless steel on the exterior held together by welded high strength steel rods. The small spaces between the double walls of the triangular sections are filled with concrete up to the 300foot level. In turn， each triangular section is welded to the one above it. Thus the structural framework frame is the steel and concrete skin itself.
Inside the two legs of the Arch are “trains” that transport visitors to the top of the Arch. Each train is made up of eight capsuletype cars that are round in crosssection. Each car seats five people and carries them up to the small observation room at the top of the Arch. The cars are equipped with leveling devices that adjust the angle of the capsule as it climbs up the leg of the arch. The observation room has rectangular windows that afford long distance views to the east and west - the Illinois and Missouri sides. The windows are cut in at an angle so that the viewer can look 630 feet directly below him to the base of the Arch. Also inside the legs of the Arch are staircases used for maintenance of the trains and as emergency exits.
Entrance ramps at the north and south bases of the Arch lead down into the subterraneansubterranean adj.地下的 visitor center and Museum of Westward Expansion， finished in 1976. Inside， a large pool is centered at the core directly below the apex of the Arch. The pool was added in recent years. Most of the square footage below ground is taken up by the museum. Some area is used for administrative offices and for mechanical systems.
