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
- |* g+ F3 _! m- e: o275. Verrazano, an Italian about whom little is known, sailed into New York Harbour in 1524 and named it Angouleme.
        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。
* q8 M* D! w* P- ^: @7 B  O1 X276. 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”。
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。
% ~, J" W! {$ v# f279. The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island.
1 g% k/ K  B* i' z' Y        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，
280. It has a span of 4,260 feet.
        桥长4,260英尺。
281. The bridge is so long that the shape of the earth had to be taken into account by its designer.
1 R6 A/ S$ u$ {& L7 ]! r5 Y5 O2 V! I        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.
+ u* F! e: w: U6 C8 k        两座巨塔支撑着4根粗大的钢缆。
283. The towers are built on immense underwater platforms made of steel and concrete.
        塔身建在巨大的水下钢盘混凝土平台上。
- F) A1 y" L( Q; a. K5 p) {# \0 ^284. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.
! i2 C. k( s+ A3 G  H        平台深入海底100英尺。
5 ?6 c9 @, m; [4 u  h) A285. These alone took sixteen months to build.
( i; k4 p# P, [* J/ h# U) b        仅这两座塔就花了16个月才建成。
286. Above the surface of the water, the towers rise to a height of nearly 700 feet.
  W+ B! g6 @7 ]+ r3 y        塔身高出水面将近700英尺。
9 h2 |6 ?! Y* o5 u% X287. They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended.
        高塔支撑着钢缆，而钢缆又悬吊着大桥，
8 S, L/ c/ X, v4 i8 {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。
/ |+ R2 b5 T2 j5 E* _0 z1 w290. 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。
3 Y4 T7 Q% n# w; W291. Despite its immensity, it is both simple and elegant,
5 `% a2 ]3 K! U8 O# n! o9 I        尽管此桥很大，但它的结构简单，造型优美，
292. fulfilling its designer's dream to create 'an enormous object drawn as faintly as possible'.
        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。