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课文17 世界上最长的吊桥
" l$ x6 s. x8 E; ?0 e& N8 ?275. Verrazano, an Italian about whom little is known, sailed into New York Harbour in 1524 and named it Angouleme.6 x1 }8 x0 B( e z: r! c
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。7 f; r/ S5 ]8 X! M9 E& H* x
276. He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river.'
% }# z6 S6 w$ [ [; r, O1 u% Y 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”。. x: ^* _0 O/ R6 y# z" e
277. Though Verrazano is by no means considered to be a great explorer, his name will probably remain immortal,
/ F* A0 I4 W) B9 d 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,
$ A/ h5 n o9 b& E" v9 w3 k278. for on November 21st, 1964, the longest suspension bridge in the world was named after him.
2 \$ j) x( }9 `. P 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。
7 W, q" m( x- v279. The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island.: s+ K9 ~4 H. w9 R- i7 ~
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,9 e4 x) o% X% N- k: S. Z
280. It has a span of 4,260 feet.2 K" D+ G0 U, d d u" f/ Z
桥长4,260英尺。/ u& d |4 ]. P* Q+ |4 I: _
281. The bridge is so long that the shape of the earth had to be taken into account by its designer.
: S7 o/ x0 F4 J! f: u6 y 由于桥身太长,设计者不得不考虑了地表的形状。
4 e3 S' a& f4 J6 d6 a2 _, p/ T; s' g282. Two great towers support four huge cables.
L3 k8 }0 @; `6 t- l 两座巨塔支撑着4根粗大的钢缆。2 S2 t/ P- ^7 s
283. The towers are built on immense underwater platforms made of steel and concrete., i( X5 U) f$ ?3 C
塔身建在巨大的水下钢盘混凝土平台上。
. S0 {) ~- {" d7 n4 k( h0 Z284. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.
5 ]+ h) e9 V2 r) ]' o 平台深入海底100英尺。6 g3 T6 _9 m9 H; u. d) z& y* H
285. These alone took sixteen months to build. Q8 T. {, B& Y$ ?1 `8 @6 J% z
仅这两座塔就花了16个月才建成。0 m" O, O& Z0 Q$ k
286. Above the surface of the water, the towers rise to a height of nearly 700 feet.5 X) [ Z0 q( s1 h. a
塔身高出水面将近700英尺。3 z5 q& l6 R4 d9 \: I5 r
287. They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended.
( Z' @' ~$ M; Q8 ^/ l: h 高塔支撑着钢缆,而钢缆又悬吊着大桥,
/ m6 e* U: z5 Y288. Each of the four cables contains 26,108 lengths of wire.; X7 U/ h# j% z3 H0 n+ W
4根钢缆中的每根由26,108股钢绳组成。
& B9 x6 Y8 b- \3 r5 a e6 \- o289. It has been estimated that if the bridge were packed with cars, it would still only be carrying a third of its total capacity.1 X% t- r& T' ]8 m, O
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。
j) W9 c" y+ ? ?6 Q290. However, size and strength are not the only important things about this bridge.) Y/ }/ a y& S) m$ ]) x
然而,这座桥重要特点不仅是它的规模与强度。9 y- M' T# Y3 V$ c
291. Despite its immensity, it is both simple and elegant,
% T& J2 w9 U* Z( k: X9 x' { 尽管此桥很大,但它的结构简单,造型优美,
5 J9 m. [6 t9 M292. fulfilling its designer's dream to create 'an enormous object drawn as faintly as possible'.
1 B7 E, L" n; H" ^, P2 ] 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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