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.
        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。
0 W" l1 Y8 a  H. i5 V( O2 @276. 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”。
& G, k2 A4 j  I5 V, A277. Though Verrazano is by no means considered to be a great explorer, his name will probably remain immortal,
! _" M* U! F! v5 W6 b        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，
' l2 @' w8 e: D2 w+ B! `278. for on November 21st, 1964, the longest suspension bridge in the world was named after him.
6 {* S' B1 Y% l% `        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，
280. It has a span of 4,260 feet.
0 J4 H1 S5 i+ ~) _; [/ t+ q! Q% t; 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.
        由于桥身太长，设计者不得不考虑了地表的形状。
$ Z( [0 P: Z& a6 E282. Two great towers support four huge cables.
        两座巨塔支撑着4根粗大的钢缆。
, ?, K# x* r( m+ ^. w* D- E9 _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。
284. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.
        平台深入海底100英尺。
7 Z+ P& I9 b! `285. These alone took sixteen months to build.
        仅这两座塔就花了16个月才建成。
- C/ P/ b: R- C2 c1 s& |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。
6 z. x7 S* Z, Y287. They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended.
5 W* ?8 F  a6 L5 W9 \* A) i- U        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.
: B- Q2 e; J$ f        4根钢缆中的每根由26，108股钢绳组成。
" n* u' w1 d& j4 L) C289. It has been estimated that if the bridge were packed with cars, it would still only be carrying a third of its total capacity.
+ s7 j& R$ q+ x5 W; G% p        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。
  _' m4 y) z$ s! P290. However, size and strength are not the only important things about this bridge.
/ x0 P1 T/ Y) Y3 }: C  ~9 h: T+ Y        然而，这座桥重要特点不仅是它的规模与强度。
# i. D+ m" W$ a0 d# Q291. Despite its immensity, it is both simple and elegant,
& r+ N% D( c# n+ N        尽管此桥很大，但它的结构简单，造型优美，
$ R  M, [" j4 V( A  G: P292. 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。