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.
9 G5 O$ T7 {  ^9 o; j  S" x        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。
5 }& `& B* l& m% ?1 M3 D276. He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river.'
% Q7 i, \' e; f6 k5 t" z  u        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，
278. for on November 21st, 1964, the longest suspension bridge in the world was named after him.
# @" Y( K- k. M  ~        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，
  Y6 O6 J' w: q280. It has a span of 4,260 feet.
' b2 S9 C) H6 n7 l6 L. K1 Z        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.
% E2 i+ ^& S# u* F& {1 f        由于桥身太长，设计者不得不考虑了地表的形状。
2 W6 W7 r, p  w: R+ |9 c. c, j282. Two great towers support four huge cables.
        两座巨塔支撑着4根粗大的钢缆。
8 g- D1 E, m, \1 T( l) [283. The towers are built on immense underwater platforms made of steel and concrete.
. O2 G5 s' }. ]; @  A        塔身建在巨大的水下钢盘混凝土平台上。
& F: u% T  H4 }( n0 h* N  [3 v+ J: ^284. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.
        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。
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。
- `; |# x2 ]8 N2 l. {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。
/ [) ^- j9 \+ a0 G. L) W5 L289. 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。
* V3 E2 t, i( j0 d( L0 S' P290. However, size and strength are not the only important things about this bridge.
1 ?" v+ |# Z0 C/ N2 N        然而，这座桥重要特点不仅是它的规模与强度。
5 g! ^  _" ]2 [. S  Y* Z291. Despite its immensity, it is both simple and elegant,
! ?! j  @) [% F& ]$ P        尽管此桥很大，但它的结构简单，造型优美，
! I# n" B6 {* f0 e* u7 R9 C% C1 K" w9 Y292. fulfilling its designer's dream to create 'an enormous object drawn as faintly as possible'.
3 \' ]7 d. R( P        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。