新概念英语3--（一天学一篇）---课文17 世界上最长的吊桥

ltlong52010

课文17  世界上最长的吊桥
275. Verrazano, an Italian about whom little is known, sailed into New York Harbour in 1524 and named it Angouleme.
! ^; r  ~  ~  w' z! n9 B0 q        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。
: I# p! f) ?1 k* O& |276. He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river.'
' e3 T1 O& w1 A        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”。
- o+ F/ o6 ]) {# ]) K3 V, `277. Though Verrazano is by no means considered to be a great explorer, his name will probably remain immortal,
9 O! h; j4 o. R0 n; X4 }7 W# }        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，
/ ?1 a# M1 V0 [$ Q) e4 E278. for on November 21st, 1964, the longest suspension bridge in the world was named after him.
        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。
; f1 N9 O3 u" v0 j279. 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，
280. It has a span of 4,260 feet.
# Z# s5 R0 T1 _0 v) M8 t        桥长4,260英尺。
6 [- J% e+ W6 I8 Z' I8 g' m7 _281. The bridge is so long that the shape of the earth had to be taken into account by its designer.
  v8 q' d( T, A$ l; M5 U: N$ [6 [* D        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.
        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。
5 m" |- v( L9 G1 s! `, S284. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.
        平台深入海底100英尺。
) F, K* i) x( ^- s' f7 ~285. These alone took sixteen months to build.
  u3 O* B1 @( Q        仅这两座塔就花了16个月才建成。
" \# l+ U; H1 O$ h* `286. Above the surface of the water, the towers rise to a height of nearly 700 feet.
& Q# U* F* `, @+ l& n        塔身高出水面将近700英尺。
( \0 q2 n& O0 l6 Q0 g287. They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended.
) R+ o7 ^/ ]) c" r3 _2 [        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。
/ z  J, V3 _' {6 J289. It has been estimated that if the bridge were packed with cars, it would still only be carrying a third of its total capacity.
& Y" w  C: H( J! V' ^        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.
% m5 |  ?- l9 F% R$ K5 K        然而，这座桥重要特点不仅是它的规模与强度。
5 s5 d) i4 D$ {% B# u291. Despite its immensity, it is both simple and elegant,
6 p- R) _8 Z! |1 d        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'.
        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。