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
2 k$ Q) J# P6 W% e( W/ d: i275. 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。
5 ]4 u$ A8 X* f% ?276. He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river.'
( U$ O) s2 P8 ?" c8 P        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”。
6 N# _# z% \* O) P) ?& j6 ^277. Though Verrazano is by no means considered to be a great explorer, his name will probably remain immortal,
& g6 o/ J" f3 u        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 S: K- Z/ A4 o! `278. for on November 21st, 1964, the longest suspension bridge in the world was named after him.
5 e# f* w% _: x# x% l: b; a        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，
/ B( s1 H8 r: l4 ~6 [280. It has a span of 4,260 feet.
0 Y8 C5 H# J' v& V# x3 r) n& [        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。
282. Two great towers support four huge cables.
) ]$ P6 Q+ k! C% A9 t        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.
; [/ ?5 H7 }7 D        塔身建在巨大的水下钢盘混凝土平台上。
3 ~. |6 |: J% y" B$ J284. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.
0 m  B+ k0 z9 \( q7 e3 `        平台深入海底100英尺。
$ p* m  k! B/ i/ {285. 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，
- |. y+ w5 w* \" A% n* h288. Each of the four cables contains 26,108 lengths of wire.
9 t6 y4 U7 I  K( l" z5 _9 B0 Q        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.
% k" D) j- m. L6 W# {        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.
% H- A/ ?5 b9 f% k( S0 {$ U. T        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，
* D. E$ m8 G6 a& \' e6 i292. fulfilling its designer's dream to create 'an enormous object drawn as faintly as possible'.
, {: q4 r5 x5 r' k2 s        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。