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.
7 N% N& m0 n) r+ X! N        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.'
* [/ D+ T7 b4 t% V% l, m& A6 _        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，
, ^3 }% `5 e& O% l. q278. 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。
8 j2 N) ^% F/ x2 x. V: P: I279. The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island.
' Q$ v  M+ {# K/ F5 @8 S        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，
& i+ q& N' j: r280. It has a span of 4,260 feet.
        桥长4,260英尺。
% i8 q/ o; q! i1 `281. The bridge is so long that the shape of the earth had to be taken into account by its designer.
' z$ A$ g/ D) K% U5 E        由于桥身太长，设计者不得不考虑了地表的形状。
0 W, K, p$ }  x: S5 U5 o+ y282. Two great towers support four huge cables.
        两座巨塔支撑着4根粗大的钢缆。
; Z" ^) V6 F2 x283. The towers are built on immense underwater platforms made of steel and concrete.
6 O% k/ h& U- p' _- D! J        塔身建在巨大的水下钢盘混凝土平台上。
& C7 @( Y! A* t, I5 T( Y+ _+ J284. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.
0 v1 g9 ?0 O% t2 z        平台深入海底100英尺。
285. These alone took sixteen months to build.
        仅这两座塔就花了16个月才建成。
8 i% h; t9 c: U6 N6 `1 z3 ~* W5 k286. Above the surface of the water, the towers rise to a height of nearly 700 feet.
# R) z5 ~) M) g% p! W        塔身高出水面将近700英尺。
" S8 q4 h" P' c  J$ {4 N4 \5 M287. 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，
+ o3 C' K, u* }: [' B7 R. C288. 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.
9 T1 S) J9 b( u6 s' G        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。
290. 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。
; a* \# j/ o; u" G291. Despite its immensity, it is both simple and elegant,
* A7 k  d. p, l$ ]# n% B. S        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'.
$ g; O7 o! `; x; L        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。