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
; z5 z3 |( D1 S275. 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。
: \/ s1 N) x0 b4 f( e276. He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river.'
+ \4 u+ B' a5 P4 Q* T        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”。
6 D, G7 W9 m" g0 o277. 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.
- o3 ^, n: F: H2 s7 U, m, T        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。
279. The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island.
% t0 M( {8 E3 {* @+ t        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，
7 q  J/ f3 R7 Z1 ~, H1 I0 l# @- T280. It has a span of 4,260 feet.
0 r2 c4 _7 O: {% K9 _* H        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.
9 j/ i) O; H# O: B  l2 w0 O9 J$ Z        由于桥身太长，设计者不得不考虑了地表的形状。
4 i/ G2 |6 ~7 {. L. k! o. e282. Two great towers support four huge cables.
8 m( d3 e. N1 {2 H, B        两座巨塔支撑着4根粗大的钢缆。
2 {0 `7 g1 @3 b. n) V  }& ^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。
284. 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.
        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，
288. Each of the four cables contains 26,108 lengths of wire.
2 w+ l9 g5 g7 d9 L$ V$ |+ [* J, X        4根钢缆中的每根由26，108股钢绳组成。
" L5 m4 Y# \7 b* y0 A1 p# B5 s289. 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。
  O$ B" n  |) }% w- Z5 W290. However, size and strength are not the only important things about this bridge.
. `0 E9 I/ z4 A3 n2 T% E        然而，这座桥重要特点不仅是它的规模与强度。
" ]- A4 m& `5 N- Z* L291. Despite its immensity, it is both simple and elegant,
: V7 z* Y! B+ c' [0 \6 B        尽管此桥很大，但它的结构简单，造型优美，
/ ]. @( J& H& \+ @6 f, t292. fulfilling its designer's dream to create 'an enormous object drawn as faintly as possible'.
7 C6 N1 D7 b7 _+ Z- n/ f# G" y        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。