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
# b/ \# ^. ~, A" R: X8 i! p275. Verrazano, an Italian about whom little is known, sailed into New York Harbour in 1524 and named it Angouleme.
/ E9 d% `* ~) T/ \/ h        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。
/ ?$ U9 U6 y( S& j+ a# B* V9 N276. He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river.'
" ^/ m& D; D( q2 R        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,
% K; h; o. p% q, H" J$ P# B; R+ @        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.
* A5 S0 E7 _. f% d( R        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。
) h" d1 {& K, i) e$ M279. The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island.
        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，
- }+ A1 \  u; y" t' S280. 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.
        由于桥身太长，设计者不得不考虑了地表的形状。
$ r7 d8 S1 ]. q282. 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.
; Z* }7 F; W+ J  J7 a; I        塔身建在巨大的水下钢盘混凝土平台上。
- d. E% @8 ?, G. t' c284. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.
( r6 P/ c; {- i! t3 a6 r# w        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。
, r9 B& j4 X) v# [- P286. 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。
287. They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended.
. p" @1 W  k8 L; a) y% ~% z; K6 A, S        高塔支撑着钢缆，而钢缆又悬吊着大桥，
1 p. K8 u: N; F) ]: B  B7 e288. Each of the four cables contains 26,108 lengths of wire.
  F0 V  S+ s( u2 [2 X, ~        4根钢缆中的每根由26，108股钢绳组成。
# R: f, @1 x: w- @+ E289. It has been estimated that if the bridge were packed with cars, it would still only be carrying a third of its total capacity.
8 R0 N3 n3 @  G) m0 q        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。
$ [" [/ |( y3 @" w1 C' T0 y290. 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,
        尽管此桥很大，但它的结构简单，造型优美，
" l4 Y* `  E0 U2 P# n' @; [292. fulfilling its designer's dream to create 'an enormous object drawn as faintly as possible'.
5 ?  I, k: F& s0 a        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。