A time capsule from the 1820s that appeared to be empty when opened in a highly anticipated ceremony at the West Point US military academy was later found to contain coins and a medal.

一個在美國西點軍校某萬眾矚目的典禮上打開的來自19世紀20年代的時光膠囊在當時似乎是空的，但之后人們又在里面發(fā)現了錢幣和一枚獎章。

The lead box was searched in front of a room of cadets and a livestream audience, but it appeared to contain nothing but sediment. Hopes of a big discovery were dashed. Yet further examination and a careful sift through the silt revealed a medal and six very old coins.

The coins were minted in years ranging from 1795 to 1828. with values ranging from one cent up to one dollar.

時光膠囊的鉛箱在一眾軍校學員和直播觀眾們的注視下被打開，但它里面似乎除了沉積物以外什么都不剩。在膠囊中獲得大發(fā)現的期望破滅了。然而，經進一步檢測和仔細搜索，一枚獎章和六枚古老的硬幣從淤泥中現出身影。

這些硬幣的鑄造年份從1795年到1828年不等，而硬幣價值則自一美分到一美元不等。

The box also contained a medal that celebrates the completion of the Erie Canal in 1825. The canal was built in eight years and connected the Hudson River in New York to the Great Lakes.

這個箱子里還裝著一枚慶祝1825年伊利運河通河的獎章。打通該運河用時八年，它將位于紐約的哈德遜河與五大湖連接在了一起。

After the anti-climax of the event, West Point archeologist Paul Hudson used a wooden pick and a brush to carefully search the sediment inside the box.

"Before long, lo and behold, there's the edge of a coin sticking out," he told Associated Press. "And I thought, well that's OK. That's something, that's a start."

在該事件令人失望地結束后，西點考古學家保羅·哈德森用一個木制鑿子和一把刷子仔細檢查了盒子中的沉積物。

“沒過多久，一枚硬幣的邊緣從里面伸了出來?！彼嬖V美聯(lián)社，“我想，行吧，至少有東西了?！?/span>

At Monday's ceremony, young troops had watched as some of West Point's top brass took the stage to celebrate the exciting moment.

In front of them, centre stage, was the grey box - 12in by 12in by 13in (30cm by 30cm by 33cm) - and two school employees, standing by with purple rubber gloves and white masks, prepared to unveil its contents.

在周一的慶典上，年輕的學員們目睹了西點軍校的一些高層領導慶祝這個激動人心的時刻。而在他們面前的臺中央，則是事件中心的灰盒子——12x12x13英尺（30x30x33厘米）——二兩名校內雇員戴著紫色橡膠手套和白色面具站在一邊，等待著揭露它的內容物。

The box had been found a few months earlier, during the restoration of a bronze statue of Thaddeus Kosciuszko, a celebrated war hero and statesman.

Underneath the marble face of the monument the box was discovered, apparently placed there during the completion of the statue in 1829.

這個箱子是人們在幾個月前修復著名戰(zhàn)爭英雄和政治家薩迪烏斯·柯斯丘茲克的銅像時發(fā)現，它藏在紀念碑的大理石碑面下，顯然是在1829年雕像完工的時候放在那里的。