The strip of land, known as the Isthmus of Panama, was formed about 3.5 million years ago.

巴拿马地峡形成于350万年前。

But they are technically connected by land to one another across the narrow Isthmus of Panama.

但严格来说，它们是通过陆地上狭窄的巴拿马地峡相互连接的。

For thousands of years now people have been walking across the Isthmus of Panama between the two halves of America.

几千年来，人们一直步行穿过南北美洲两部分之间的巴拿马地峡。

It had made its way from the south, crossing the still-forming Isthmus of Panama and onto the coastal plains of Texas and then Florida.

它从南方出发，穿过仍在形成的巴拿马地峡，进入得克萨斯州的沿海平原，然后进入佛罗里达州。

When this exciting news reached the East, a mighty rush began to California, over the trails, across the Isthmus of Panama, and around Cape Horn.

当这个令人振奋的消息传到东方时， 人们开始涌向加利福尼亚，越过小径，穿过巴拿马地峡， 绕过合恩角。

The only hope for avoiding a grueling six month wagon journey was to travel the narrowest portion of the continent— the 48-kilometer Isthmus of Panama.

避免六个月的艰苦旅行的唯一希望是穿越大陆最狭窄的部分——48 公里的巴拿马地峡。

The very narrow isthmus of Panama presented a unique opportunity for mankind to build a shortcut by carving a Canal across just a bit more than 50 kilometers worth of land that separated the two oceans here.

巴拿马非常狭窄的地峡为人类提供了一个独特的机会，通过在仅 50 多公里的土地上凿出一条运河来修建一条捷径，这条运河将这里的两大洋分隔开。