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
; O  U8 J! Q/ w/ B, x275. 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。
( E/ o6 G& r0 p4 r- P, x276. He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river.'
, Y) p# d) ~5 H/ c6 c        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”。
5 C0 k& Z7 i! g3 c277. Though Verrazano is by no means considered to be a great explorer, his name will probably remain immortal,
  H2 w0 _; k$ V- S/ Q9 {        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.
8 R/ ]9 U. Z. B' R7 h" ^" r9 ]        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.
        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，
$ H  j" G8 L5 h. H$ p280. It has a span of 4,260 feet.
! u$ S4 W' H/ Q* m1 L0 Y        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.
8 X- W! }7 d0 J        由于桥身太长，设计者不得不考虑了地表的形状。
; [: W$ G. ~5 ^. u! s% ~282. Two great towers support four huge cables.
  Z9 C* w2 t1 x        两座巨塔支撑着4根粗大的钢缆。
8 f  z1 U3 ]) t0 B# a283. 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.
7 T) P1 u$ r! s3 r) C0 n        平台深入海底100英尺。
285. These alone took sixteen months to build.
0 ~- Y' D  A4 d: U- Y        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。
7 I+ m% J) j, |. j/ S- N5 p287. They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended.
" t( |$ l" a: K' V4 I        高塔支撑着钢缆，而钢缆又悬吊着大桥，
+ n  Q# D0 R/ M0 U$ t: v288. 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。
3 R2 V# h" C6 k6 r  D) t$ ?& ?) x289. 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。
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。
291. Despite its immensity, it is both simple and elegant,
# T# l& `, i/ b5 l3 e        尽管此桥很大，但它的结构简单，造型优美，
' j! s! r+ h/ w8 b292. fulfilling its designer's dream to create 'an enormous object drawn as faintly as possible'.
/ l& T1 v* i3 |* o7 v0 e  |        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。