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
. 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.'
        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”。
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。
  _" r( \  H3 f& z1 s# h# ^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，
280. It has a span of 4,260 feet.
9 ^7 L1 `9 R9 V        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.
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.
        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.
. 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。
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.
        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.
        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。
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'.
        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。