新概念英语3--（一天学一篇）---课文17 世界上最长的吊桥

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课文17  世界上最长的吊桥
  E: V8 C8 |- {+ p8 e275. Verrazano, an Italian about whom little is known, sailed into New York Harbour in 1524 and named it Angouleme.
9 [+ T( ^' |$ ]2 P) w/ p        1524年，一位鲜为人知的意大利人维拉萨诺驾船驶进纽约港，并将该港名为安古拉姆。
2 x! b  i3 M8 k: q2 Y& U5 E276. He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river.'
        他对该港作了这样的描述：“地理位置十分适宜，位于两座小山的中间，一条大河从中间流过”。
: f+ o( A/ H* w1 S* c# q: \277. Though Verrazano is by no means considered to be a great explorer, his name will probably remain immortal,
        虽然维拉萨诺绝对算不上一个伟大的探险家，但他的名字将流芳百世，
278. for on November 21st, 1964, the longest suspension bridge in the world was named after him.
        因为1964年11月21日建成的一座世界上最长的吊桥是以他的名字命名。
1 i3 ?! ^% I6 ]; |6 W3 G* @5 K4 z1 f279. The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island.
7 H7 g' N+ u8 r4 Q6 d  X( @        维拉萨诺大桥由奥斯马.阿曼设计，连结着布鲁克林与斯塔顿岛，
" o9 q$ i7 U( Q1 S4 w; U* p280. It has a span of 4,260 feet.
        桥长4,260英尺。
* Q( G+ Q0 S8 W* F281. The bridge is so long that the shape of the earth had to be taken into account by its designer.
        由于桥身太长，设计者不得不考虑了地表的形状。
282. Two great towers support four huge cables.
        两座巨塔支撑着4根粗大的钢缆。
" C% v+ Y6 |) l  @. k9 `1 C283. The towers are built on immense underwater platforms made of steel and concrete.
) q' w7 s: ~2 k1 a        塔身建在巨大的水下钢盘混凝土平台上。
7 D$ o4 v5 ~- a1 z8 M( X0 U284. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.
0 R) p  K4 I4 v5 C+ ~  E        平台深入海底100英尺。
285. These alone took sixteen months to build.
9 g0 ?/ G2 v! z1 |        仅这两座塔就花了16个月才建成。
$ o, P) W) r0 O' N( A( K7 f286. Above the surface of the water, the towers rise to a height of nearly 700 feet.
        塔身高出水面将近700英尺。
( z2 B- l* w$ [; O$ g. W287. They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended.
+ g, y4 A: @; ~$ s/ p* F        高塔支撑着钢缆，而钢缆又悬吊着大桥，
288. Each of the four cables contains 26,108 lengths of wire.
        4根钢缆中的每根由26，108股钢绳组成。
289. It has been estimated that if the bridge were packed with cars, it would still only be carrying a third of its total capacity.
        据估计，若桥上摆满了汽车，也只不过是桥的总承载力的1/3。
% l1 m& L7 y- m290. However, size and strength are not the only important things about this bridge.
        然而，这座桥重要特点不仅是它的规模与强度。
291. Despite its immensity, it is both simple and elegant,
* H9 D. ?; O+ S: E: h8 z4 u0 R        尽管此桥很大，但它的结构简单，造型优美，
4 O: ], ^, p/ ^( R) b8 _292. fulfilling its designer's dream to create 'an enormous object drawn as faintly as possible'.
% z# n6 _" r0 t! g+ v( q6 a- `; J8 m        实现了设计者企图创造一个“尽量用细线条勾画出一个庞然大物”的梦想。