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
' q( e$ X- n8 u+ P275. Verrazano, an Italian about whom little is known, sailed into New York Harbour in 1524 and named it Angouleme.
4 a1 K8 f* o* u1 Z0 J        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.'
* ]! y4 m( Q, a! ?  }  p) 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”。
4 _3 q7 X! e/ [% U277. 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，
5 W( Q5 W. Q- `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。
& L: u% q& ~1 O. H6 N279. 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，
, F7 t* N3 h* z0 X7 [0 w- y4 @* H) e280. It has a span of 4,260 feet.
        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.
8 ~) t' \% O8 U4 h        由于桥身太长，设计者不得不考虑了地表的形状。
$ Q# B( A' v8 M282. 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.
6 f# O2 q( R) T7 Y% a) s8 Q" k        塔身建在巨大的水下钢盘混凝土平台上。
284. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.
7 ]2 X$ a  v" U9 U  X1 `( v        平台深入海底100英尺。
; D/ W  T1 Q/ S, q285. 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。
287. They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended.
( m3 }& `! g0 N; k2 f3 T* T        高塔支撑着钢缆，而钢缆又悬吊着大桥，
% |# h0 L: N0 ^- H) P: N" J288. Each of the four cables contains 26,108 lengths of wire.
* J8 U& j6 S& w2 w/ A        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。
9 q4 G- C3 U- ^* ]+ |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。
6 M# W6 B. ?" Z; M291. Despite its immensity, it is both simple and elegant,
  U  g; \* @8 r. e# K) Y. h        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。