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
7 J- x% q6 m* Y$ q8 V275. Verrazano, an Italian about whom little is known, sailed into New York Harbour in 1524 and named it Angouleme.
, I. p+ I: x' i+ W4 V        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。
276. He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river.'
% r& s; ~  Y* O3 @  ?  {, |        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，
/ o8 Q: C8 X2 W3 }& N: |/ a278. for on November 21st, 1964, the longest suspension bridge in the world was named after him.
  N; }5 x8 `4 y6 {5 E7 A2 ~# ?* n: 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。
0 n0 d2 k* E* c7 n# Z+ I; H" A  h279. The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island.
" a7 E1 H9 U- o9 v& O        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，
  X- O6 f. I; X% E& S# a280. It has a span of 4,260 feet.
1 L1 \+ s; N. ?0 {% x  D        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。
282. Two great towers support four huge cables.
9 _1 H6 ]4 l* ]! q0 ?1 y        两座巨塔支撑着4根粗大的钢缆。
1 k4 h3 @9 ^0 q! a: _( m6 e283. 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。
& h4 P5 E3 Y1 f! E8 A: a9 f284. 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.
: D" @* M  a) Q4 n  U9 v        仅这两座塔就花了16个月才建成。
" N6 y& `+ n" I. t- k* S286. 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.
/ x0 s6 U# H/ D" a        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。
4 J( q: B- X6 `% S- I! W289. It has been estimated that if the bridge were packed with cars, it would still only be carrying a third of its total capacity.
7 G# a3 n  v" o( 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。
290. 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。
5 o: O( K* M7 b' k7 s+ F% C9 r' g291. Despite its immensity, it is both simple and elegant,
0 ~: t4 k8 [. H        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'.
' I& T8 s2 t$ K$ t0 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。