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.
$ I2 o0 @5 |" K9 O        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。
* s9 R/ R+ n1 u% x, f5 D276. 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，
8 F9 A  e* o" P278. for on November 21st, 1964, the longest suspension bridge in the world was named after him.
3 Z6 }) I5 \# g! p' A  F* h        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。
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.
% q8 [7 R" R. X+ e        桥长4,260英尺。
& T4 X3 z) J$ Y" C281. The bridge is so long that the shape of the earth had to be taken into account by its designer.
; @2 ~4 J+ G1 u8 F4 k1 r6 Z        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.
        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.
0 D* a; t3 W" {  f% Q* V        塔身建在巨大的水下钢盘混凝土平台上。
8 t% J1 x& X8 |9 l284. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.
        平台深入海底100英尺。
2 M! a% O5 V) u6 M3 B% d* D' [285. These alone took sixteen months to build.
        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.
        塔身高出水面将近700英尺。
( x4 E; a% n3 C; g7 X( n! C2 [% D287. 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，
9 B4 ?+ k) k6 E+ K' ]; ^288. Each of the four cables contains 26,108 lengths of wire.
( J* r# i4 A  D6 h9 ~) Y9 ?7 D0 k        4根钢缆中的每根由26，108股钢绳组成。
$ D! ~6 i- x3 w$ l$ n6 k289. 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 {1 [0 l6 |6 a/ c' z        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.
* I: u! V) A- s, n: x        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,
" O4 x7 [  X  y; F        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'.
9 e( H% U! d7 [) @" y        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。