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.
; n: c( L! Y9 R/ G, @        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。
6 n0 t+ L: {  h276. He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river.'
/ T- h' N  F1 G, g7 u- I        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”。
1 [2 i- `- `0 q% F277. 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。
# [; P  ^. r% r8 C* I4 J279. The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island.
# h& Z+ W0 i2 [1 }4 x9 }! [        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。
) M0 _5 K& y8 {' ]; ~281. The bridge is so long that the shape of the earth had to be taken into account by its designer.
        由于桥身太长，设计者不得不考虑了地表的形状。
. ^. F) a2 I$ o: V# b( z. k* i- Z% n282. 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.
        塔身建在巨大的水下钢盘混凝土平台上。
" G$ o* E2 N* q& H9 a284. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.
$ I7 i/ v' s5 v8 v        平台深入海底100英尺。
285. These alone took sixteen months to build.
- s6 _4 Q6 ]7 W$ |        仅这两座塔就花了16个月才建成。
286. Above the surface of the water, the towers rise to a height of nearly 700 feet.
2 r. x6 s4 f/ O1 c% V( ~2 b7 T        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。
- G6 o- c  w' R289. 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。
290. However, size and strength are not the only important things about this bridge.
6 N# L. @7 W: V6 X. S        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，
0 {1 d5 N; R" }3 ]$ s" H0 I292. 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。