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.
' b. H) P* S- d4 c2 V        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。
276. He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river.'
% i6 P( |  I; Z: E# 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”。
277. Though Verrazano is by no means considered to be a great explorer, his name will probably remain immortal,
1 Z0 p: T8 p9 f$ y3 [4 ]1 g4 i        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.
; |$ _, U. K" Y/ F: @9 c) N2 Z        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。
" I3 V% `4 P& |9 p4 K/ i279. The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island.
% Q1 s: K' W: o        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.
        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.
. T* k5 E- g( e( g7 T        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.
9 h* z5 D8 E: K7 x1 O        两座巨塔支撑着4根粗大的钢缆。
" @/ J1 `6 [$ A/ g$ z7 s/ [% }* f283. The towers are built on immense underwater platforms made of steel and concrete.
6 T  l0 Z0 A$ Z8 k+ _  O        塔身建在巨大的水下钢盘混凝土平台上。
% F" G+ n! T& R5 y284. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.
        平台深入海底100英尺。
+ o% n: C: I+ {8 I* H9 y# g9 a5 G% O7 u285. These alone took sixteen months to build.
        仅这两座塔就花了16个月才建成。
  x! T3 B# |( T6 b( [7 ~286. Above the surface of the water, the towers rise to a height of nearly 700 feet.
( b: I9 u7 o9 r$ b& U        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，
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。
# r" F( A  O5 `6 M1 f289. It has been estimated that if the bridge were packed with cars, it would still only be carrying a third of its total capacity.
, A* R' j* f7 l' _9 W        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。
9 j  \# q6 I9 Y, |' y. D290. 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。
. G/ a+ K  a7 U" @6 m291. 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，
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。