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
+ m* f% }3 G$ ?: V275. Verrazano, an Italian about whom little is known, sailed into New York Harbour in 1524 and named it Angouleme.
; t2 x2 W& s9 v  T) y2 o8 e        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。
0 [: n1 m+ o+ B  a276. 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,
. G* z+ O0 I. s7 e  ^, G        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，
2 o- w! n; J2 ^; o  H2 O4 |278. for on November 21st, 1964, the longest suspension bridge in the world was named after him.
# Q: T& I4 L" v- H! p2 M/ x& W        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，
* n9 c' P1 N: R. T280. It has a span of 4,260 feet.
/ x7 p( a6 j6 s: H        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.
, }, p- `' w! Y" I        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。
3 y7 c- `/ L, q5 H7 f. h; x3 F283. 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。
# H5 H% L. p* {" J- N284. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.
; X" }& S: j: G/ s6 x( C        平台深入海底100英尺。
' H1 ?- L* s( n' q285. These alone took sixteen months to build.
7 H3 k- t* S' K# F        仅这两座塔就花了16个月才建成。
9 f/ Q2 V6 |9 ]0 h* R( u" D$ `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。
# r. n4 [' `" G2 I1 ]& ]0 \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。
; @& P6 h8 v: W7 M- v289. 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。
8 Z5 z0 y7 E$ a6 {2 Z7 w" U9 R" G. l6 G290. However, size and strength are not the only important things about this bridge.
0 P* K. A3 a4 ]; v8 H# s$ j        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,
9 @; W; x: ^6 |4 {: S8 j, V# M7 O1 p        尽管此桥很大，但它的结构简单，造型优美，
/ _1 H7 n% G' [" g292. fulfilling its designer's dream to create 'an enormous object drawn as faintly as possible'.
5 T2 J( c9 m: a0 J6 X1 P5 \        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。