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
3 V4 D2 q1 ~' l# n275. Verrazano, an Italian about whom little is known, sailed into New York Harbour in 1524 and named it Angouleme.
        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。
9 h" S' h3 T$ m6 @  V276. 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，
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。
' ]) {) ]5 h5 Q  I279. The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island.
/ p6 |4 W+ p5 U5 L" |" x( @# b        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，
( r- d& m7 b, N280. It has a span of 4,260 feet.
* H) N5 A  m- w( h3 K1 k8 i/ F        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.
2 f) J. R) E: ~6 H9 Y0 P3 I" ]) _        由于桥身太长，设计者不得不考虑了地表的形状。
2 {3 S/ W$ I& h+ T  ^282. Two great towers support four huge cables.
        两座巨塔支撑着4根粗大的钢缆。
+ n" G5 S: k+ q$ w* 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。
( i- M5 e4 s3 F& W8 z284. 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.
8 z. D. S# b* n5 j( T        仅这两座塔就花了16个月才建成。
/ u; M9 n8 S1 \' O, U286. 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。
/ a+ t1 f" d/ Y; M8 p, U287. 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，
; j1 V1 k* W+ t! O( p# q( }1 X288. Each of the four cables contains 26,108 lengths of wire.
6 s, W3 ?/ \% e' `& g        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.
        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。
7 o$ G& M0 l* _% R2 M* v: e: H291. 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，
292. 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。