 鲜花( 0)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
课文17 世界上最长的吊桥- B: Z$ B& Z q9 v
275. Verrazano, an Italian about whom little is known, sailed into New York Harbour in 1524 and named it Angouleme.
) N" @- n% G6 V5 ]+ I+ L9 ^ 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。
% |# F# g/ U7 Y2 S# v4 \- L' k276. He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river.'% ~5 F u/ j( a* P. S. V7 R* @7 O
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”。
. L/ G$ V* C! N# { K' O- R277. Though Verrazano is by no means considered to be a great explorer, his name will probably remain immortal,
6 I% K/ v4 } T0 { 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,' | {* I$ ^5 |* J$ I
278. for on November 21st, 1964, the longest suspension bridge in the world was named after him.$ X8 \, d- q- u" M" g# m) r
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。( B' z4 C+ V/ _4 H& O. d+ T, B
279. The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island.
2 e* `, S5 c `+ v$ e! j% p1 @ 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,
: o+ Q d$ O8 G) Y1 w9 w280. It has a span of 4,260 feet.' C0 \: a. C5 A
桥长4,260英尺。
7 S/ T) v- p ~5 L6 h281. The bridge is so long that the shape of the earth had to be taken into account by its designer.
% o# r% H" }' W4 B& U- b) | 由于桥身太长,设计者不得不考虑了地表的形状。
# W( g/ P- V$ X7 i" ~. `- u282. Two great towers support four huge cables.1 W; F& ]7 s: m: C) `7 F
两座巨塔支撑着4根粗大的钢缆。
$ R: C7 ]5 q2 v8 I" D283. The towers are built on immense underwater platforms made of steel and concrete.3 ]# ~1 y' T0 R1 h
塔身建在巨大的水下钢盘混凝土平台上。* C' o3 k. l9 G* y! I
284. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.
3 G B* Y, G& ?! j$ Y3 q 平台深入海底100英尺。
8 b6 m, C$ q) H; c u: ]285. These alone took sixteen months to build.2 s I) F3 k& v: n0 H+ ]
仅这两座塔就花了16个月才建成。. C1 j2 h% D2 X+ w( V% j
286. Above the surface of the water, the towers rise to a height of nearly 700 feet.
2 B6 } {0 p7 s& L( V3 j8 ]4 @ 塔身高出水面将近700英尺。
0 c/ ?$ J9 I" Y4 D! k287. They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended.
& e3 e2 _! u, a; R 高塔支撑着钢缆,而钢缆又悬吊着大桥,0 G$ K- q6 u+ a2 N1 C4 A4 k1 R
288. Each of the four cables contains 26,108 lengths of wire.
/ x4 _( }# r: x0 i- ^2 `0 P& E 4根钢缆中的每根由26,108股钢绳组成。
$ |" |$ B* q* m. m289. It has been estimated that if the bridge were packed with cars, it would still only be carrying a third of its total capacity.
/ _2 Y, s( }$ q 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。% K7 u8 [$ {, s4 Q
290. However, size and strength are not the only important things about this bridge.+ `) q3 c6 B9 x- h
然而,这座桥重要特点不仅是它的规模与强度。! [& K, o0 J O! z, E _# ~
291. Despite its immensity, it is both simple and elegant,
" \2 _: @" p8 z, n 尽管此桥很大,但它的结构简单,造型优美,% v" L A1 ?5 G: d" i0 a2 F
292. fulfilling its designer's dream to create 'an enormous object drawn as faintly as possible'.6 H6 i2 b" ~1 R1 B" Z
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。 |
|