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
275. 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。
( A) f3 A% q7 |$ H  O3 t; w276. He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river.'
. a( d/ W, a/ Y. p2 X9 Z        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”。
& p. J! ]' s, a% m* c" V3 ?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，
278. 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。
% F3 T' f$ r  T8 s7 W1 f  T" C3 w& z279. The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island.
! ^6 D+ t* l  |( U        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.
; I3 G5 O& A' @( z" k  x' O$ g        桥长4,260英尺。
  t; ]* W8 n3 q! T2 p281. The bridge is so long that the shape of the earth had to be taken into account by its designer.
  G& n  @  x9 z) i2 C        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。
2 c% F% T7 s! k, j* ]& \; y283. 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。
! V6 V. ?2 s4 e284. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.
        平台深入海底100英尺。
+ \) h% h6 b% f# N285. These alone took sixteen months to build.
        仅这两座塔就花了16个月才建成。
# P# y3 W) W6 L. Y. l- h+ u/ Z286. 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.
        高塔支撑着钢缆，而钢缆又悬吊着大桥，
/ d- _! y8 F( m. ?0 h288. 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。
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。
+ A! G  {: R# ?& X6 z5 C290. 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,
        尽管此桥很大，但它的结构简单，造型优美，
1 m1 H& Y1 T4 J" I! M292. fulfilling its designer's dream to create 'an enormous object drawn as faintly as possible'.
5 ~7 s! T% o9 D7 d/ @        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。