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
  g- W+ ~+ s; D, v& b5 t275. Verrazano, an Italian about whom little is known, sailed into New York Harbour in 1524 and named it Angouleme.
( B; O- o: m7 e' C        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。
276. He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river.'
/ D7 J8 s0 n( u" h& r2 p6 D7 }( D        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,
: k7 A5 `- G. _9 X5 S1 M        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。
6 \6 E3 l; G8 ~9 D) S279. The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island.
' D% p( i+ X# X        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。
+ ^. [9 Y) q2 F% {4 Z( z; _281. The bridge is so long that the shape of the earth had to be taken into account by its designer.
" x0 @& L' t% }4 |0 R& H: s$ @  g        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。
' f7 M+ \: H8 \/ d" E283. The towers are built on immense underwater platforms made of steel and concrete.
$ D; J( s7 z* r$ @        塔身建在巨大的水下钢盘混凝土平台上。
, i+ t3 w6 W2 Q; q- m$ {& Y+ O284. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.
        平台深入海底100英尺。
) C  p# P& Y  x: x1 D( w285. 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.
; X; m- P* \7 U3 {        塔身高出水面将近700英尺。
287. They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended.
" v6 X' c$ a9 C( M- b  y0 I2 `        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.
7 S$ a. R7 c& B. }4 x) u( T% _        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.
. J/ A/ m& ?. y& D1 `( K1 }# N+ a1 r        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 M/ g# F: d2 j6 K4 f: \6 g        然而，这座桥重要特点不仅是它的规模与强度。
3 y* j& m' i$ v5 J291. Despite its immensity, it is both simple and elegant,
; B2 Y# Z$ Q' c" Z) }9 M        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'.
- a" ^. c' E- S& e* n, 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。