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
4 G: Y; y5 M0 v275. Verrazano, an Italian about whom little is known, sailed into New York Harbour in 1524 and named it Angouleme.
8 B# N4 W: X+ B' n: w        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。
2 m0 C5 O* i. ~* ^1 h276. He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river.'
+ m( A; I& i2 q        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,
% F4 Z- @# K3 ~9 z  E% Q        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.
. Y2 n" N) t5 T" W( d        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.
% Y1 A3 H* X$ R        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。
' _, P# T9 M6 u( I  ^281. The bridge is so long that the shape of the earth had to be taken into account by its designer.
# x/ L7 i/ U* D" B' z0 v" N7 R        由于桥身太长，设计者不得不考虑了地表的形状。
/ l* d* u& g  {" @1 l282. 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.
        塔身建在巨大的水下钢盘混凝土平台上。
; H) d6 Q! v, G/ d284. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.
! F' k4 ?; L5 l4 k3 h+ u8 ]        平台深入海底100英尺。
5 C. R8 I  [6 p8 D' i285. These alone took sixteen months to build.
4 h# }( s$ P+ d: U" P1 V. Y1 J        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.
        高塔支撑着钢缆，而钢缆又悬吊着大桥，
0 f9 T5 x6 O  S+ B288. 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。
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。
# f. B% c4 f) _' A; c290. However, size and strength are not the only important things about this bridge.
6 ^5 S! S1 Y1 k, w4 Y  e9 h        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,
$ v' |( t7 ^( l& N# Q- e& `        尽管此桥很大，但它的结构简单，造型优美，
4 ]) K2 p: c8 y3 p6 N% B292. 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。