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课文17 世界上最长的吊桥
. b% e1 Q) s1 F0 G1 u0 M+ w275. Verrazano, an Italian about whom little is known, sailed into New York Harbour in 1524 and named it Angouleme.
1 [ r+ D, L, T( w6 v% U 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。
3 l+ `. ?1 a1 v276. He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river.'0 w; f, T$ H* ^# N# w" i/ g. G
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 h5 C9 P/ Y5 i1 Y. t
277. Though Verrazano is by no means considered to be a great explorer, his name will probably remain immortal,' Q8 x* D* B) E" P
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,- n1 u- V9 s% p. {: z0 ~1 e
278. for on November 21st, 1964, the longest suspension bridge in the world was named after him.# G+ O/ c7 J7 b5 a/ r" q8 e
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。
_" r( \ H3 f& z1 s# h# ^279. The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island.) @7 |! y0 L# c1 ^! k2 }
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,* T. d0 Y: _" G" B
280. It has a span of 4,260 feet.
9 ^7 L1 `9 R9 V 桥长4,260英尺。3 N0 h2 z+ _- k6 h% n
281. The bridge is so long that the shape of the earth had to be taken into account by its designer.
1 j2 m. ?7 a& X# F8 w- r; N 由于桥身太长,设计者不得不考虑了地表的形状。
9 h1 A* I) G& d; w282. Two great towers support four huge cables.+ L8 R5 S n' \" f" h3 S! d5 L* R/ q
两座巨塔支撑着4根粗大的钢缆。6 v+ J& K6 B8 G6 X9 |/ `
283. The towers are built on immense underwater platforms made of steel and concrete.
. m0 D! s: h- F$ ^ 塔身建在巨大的水下钢盘混凝土平台上。
7 z5 g0 b- q: y5 b3 q284. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.
1 |' p( ?% w! T* c* w3 f 平台深入海底100英尺。* P% ]2 W* e/ M* N
285. These alone took sixteen months to build.
$ @$ q1 M2 F6 e% e- r7 j7 n( f 仅这两座塔就花了16个月才建成。
/ D g* M( g1 e/ a% l, Z286. Above the surface of the water, the towers rise to a height of nearly 700 feet.
5 D& o% M7 {+ o7 o2 [3 T 塔身高出水面将近700英尺。
; N) z+ I8 S" F: c6 {287. They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended.% B6 J, q2 Q) \1 W ?0 g6 D5 r
高塔支撑着钢缆,而钢缆又悬吊着大桥,
* M; U: e% e$ s( E" {288. Each of the four cables contains 26,108 lengths of wire.
) R5 ]! f r4 g 4根钢缆中的每根由26,108股钢绳组成。
$ B1 R4 \ V$ v) R/ }: q289. It has been estimated that if the bridge were packed with cars, it would still only be carrying a third of its total capacity.2 `; x+ s1 Q5 z* o i
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。
, }! q2 y3 X9 `5 [7 Q, a290. However, size and strength are not the only important things about this bridge.
* h5 Y" R% X. Z7 _" l9 W+ C1 P6 P 然而,这座桥重要特点不仅是它的规模与强度。+ `: N7 \: `3 u4 K' g4 [9 G
291. Despite its immensity, it is both simple and elegant,
" J& T( Z* c# l4 N 尽管此桥很大,但它的结构简单,造型优美,
% |" e6 d1 g; z) j7 s/ }292. fulfilling its designer's dream to create 'an enormous object drawn as faintly as possible'.& `. e* ^+ l; h7 I' X
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。 |
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