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
275. Verrazano, an Italian about whom little is known, sailed into New York Harbour in 1524 and named it Angouleme.
3 ]3 v, q- E) G  w  t; a        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。
; n" X9 [% Q- r' c% ~& V  \276. He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river.'
8 P" I4 N3 U) `        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,
/ V, B) v& ~, P8 g        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.
% I; ?/ r* M: @        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。
, A. @4 A1 U( ~* N% G9 t279. The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island.
4 }6 R# Z9 R4 D4 R- r5 T+ i: 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，
, f2 C9 X0 N: ]' M5 K' E280. It has a span of 4,260 feet.
        桥长4,260英尺。
& C, O1 p. W% p! \1 r: R4 \281. The bridge is so long that the shape of the earth had to be taken into account by its designer.
5 m+ w" i2 p1 K: F        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。
283. The towers are built on immense underwater platforms made of steel and concrete.
, U6 ?+ N7 {3 {. i4 Q* F        塔身建在巨大的水下钢盘混凝土平台上。
6 ^; l3 @7 ^+ h# Y  ?7 ?) q284. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.
        平台深入海底100英尺。
285. These alone took sixteen months to build.
        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.
/ s! J2 T8 e9 I  A/ }        塔身高出水面将近700英尺。
287. 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，
/ s7 n) k; g3 E, d0 d6 P288. 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.
  x, |9 c. L) y9 j        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。
2 m' u! O% S9 n290. 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,
: W0 {2 X/ u. x0 a7 W- k        尽管此桥很大，但它的结构简单，造型优美，
6 N7 b6 T7 P7 i8 T% r7 P5 `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。