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
- P+ i! x' G0 b275. 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。
& J6 S4 f" d3 K, ]7 v276. 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”。
% x5 q# u; i5 L277. 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，
! w6 d: A- D6 T9 ^/ n" N5 ?" T278. for on November 21st, 1964, the longest suspension bridge in the world was named after him.
) I' K: Y7 t- M1 A8 ^: z. ~        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.
' W& E* V+ G% n        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.
# b* d8 j( _& j7 f. 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。
8 C* Q3 s9 w) X/ V; a& F# D282. 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.
        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.
* _/ D4 r) K) D        平台深入海底100英尺。
285. These alone took sixteen months to build.
7 L- J" n0 @! g) m. [        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。
. Q: `1 O: _7 h1 |: V- Q5 N  }* E287. They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended.
* U+ J8 _. y5 b! S; r( o% ]% P        高塔支撑着钢缆，而钢缆又悬吊着大桥，
- v1 M; O& y/ T. x" e288. 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。
8 F, P6 G9 r- o- y7 d2 n$ [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。
* s8 Y! w3 ?9 v# L& ~+ C2 c/ p290. 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,
: `7 d' a' `* `* D3 m& p: f' i, }- N# b        尽管此桥很大，但它的结构简单，造型优美，
% i- i: }  o: B6 }292. fulfilling its designer's dream to create 'an enormous object drawn as faintly as possible'.
6 Y6 \4 [: z# Z        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。