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
+ ^+ z8 i4 d1 C/ U9 @+ J275. 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。
7 B7 L/ ]+ g* c; ?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”。
5 R4 t, L  X- w277. Though Verrazano is by no means considered to be a great explorer, his name will probably remain immortal,
  S7 Z3 l  ]3 ^" ~        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，
  p( {5 d: S+ ?( ~3 Q278. for on November 21st, 1964, the longest suspension bridge in the world was named after him.
        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。
( y9 s* b8 I! F* p4 r279. The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island.
" O: ]( g+ _& f2 {: X! ^, J) i' a" N        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，
! l: o0 c& z0 N- b# B280. It has a span of 4,260 feet.
        桥长4,260英尺。
" [3 \5 g9 l1 h8 |8 ~2 Q. v281. 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。
0 [" M/ y9 a& _  _- e% N/ T( ?) _282. Two great towers support four huge cables.
        两座巨塔支撑着4根粗大的钢缆。
& Y  u: H) p, O& M283. 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。
285. These alone took sixteen months to build.
        仅这两座塔就花了16个月才建成。
3 y7 J; [( p, [. ^) s8 N286. 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 ?! r" ]: `' x287. 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，
: i2 V# e$ Z% Q* {, B5 j4 a, }, y9 ]% U288. 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。
( p5 V; d4 G, @' {6 s$ t289. It has been estimated that if the bridge were packed with cars, it would still only be carrying a third of its total capacity.
) M! }) F6 N+ o. O5 G7 F        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。
& u0 B, b! i' v$ y290. However, size and strength are not the only important things about this bridge.
        然而，这座桥重要特点不仅是它的规模与强度。
0 H8 }, a( n/ Q# O3 }7 l3 `291. Despite its immensity, it is both simple and elegant,
6 o7 H, D* @9 Z8 n  }. e+ p        尽管此桥很大，但它的结构简单，造型优美，
- [8 `5 T( a8 q$ p! ^/ v292. fulfilling its designer's dream to create 'an enormous object drawn as faintly as possible'.
& g: q( x7 z0 ^$ T. v$ c        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。