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
# f0 O- }6 `! U* k2 A- E; U! e275. 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。
4 D0 U# f" L# M- T276. He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river.'
4 z6 ~/ p0 U( F/ w: M; }        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,
  [0 n) I3 e' E! y) I        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，
& V, I# R+ n: E2 P% v278. for on November 21st, 1964, the longest suspension bridge in the world was named after him.
$ S+ K& m6 M) E5 y        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。
: T* s( k7 n3 V+ H9 Q279. 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.
        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。
& `, U, N9 S. D+ ^282. Two great towers support four huge cables.
        两座巨塔支撑着4根粗大的钢缆。
, A, c" ?1 y# c1 Y& q283. The towers are built on immense underwater platforms made of steel and concrete.
) y) R+ i4 G6 s" e        塔身建在巨大的水下钢盘混凝土平台上。
3 T$ A% {! g% [! k; C284. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.
        平台深入海底100英尺。
+ |7 W8 T2 `& T  y/ g; u3 z) O/ x285. 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.
        高塔支撑着钢缆，而钢缆又悬吊着大桥，
$ o; k. K3 e! j0 v3 |( P7 W3 s. R288. Each of the four cables contains 26,108 lengths of wire.
9 B# T5 G& }# ?. _, y9 _        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。
* X) j# J" E) A290. However, size and strength are not the only important things about this bridge.
8 [1 D4 z# Z, }# F0 j! i& k        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,
        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'.
: d9 i3 h2 E5 |& O- U% T        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。