新概念英语3--（一天学一篇）---课文17 世界上最长的吊桥

ltlong52010

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.
" Z# p6 m) @! M4 z- }5 u8 b        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。
$ i+ F6 ^- J5 W1 f* Q276. He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river.'
! y8 x4 o: `8 Y2 `, s9 F        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,
$ t& z' u! I5 X; I- E2 P9 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，
278. for on November 21st, 1964, the longest suspension bridge in the world was named after him.
  Y  u4 m6 V7 m8 R" r4 o  s        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.
) Y( J* j: L+ L        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.
/ a) W3 e9 [# o( P        桥长4,260英尺。
  ^& L- j4 L4 S. P8 @& z% o281. The bridge is so long that the shape of the earth had to be taken into account by its designer.
& E# ~3 E. ^$ T' x/ X        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.
        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.
        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。
( N# ?$ A9 P4 ~/ A286. Above the surface of the water, the towers rise to a height of nearly 700 feet.
( v2 @! B' V- }        塔身高出水面将近700英尺。
) s7 x8 x' F  u; x+ C1 V287. They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended.
' c" e4 C7 D' n) V& D2 `        高塔支撑着钢缆，而钢缆又悬吊着大桥，
  _. \+ |" I+ }4 g+ l0 D4 ~288. 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。
$ K! b# J1 N) J) g* U5 _1 z289. 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。
. O& ~1 [) M3 F% h0 R290. However, size and strength are not the only important things about this bridge.
, ^9 `$ m+ S5 o) }6 g6 y        然而，这座桥重要特点不仅是它的规模与强度。
' `4 M" P2 e. W% H291. 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，
% o, q4 p* P# a" S1 ]" O292. fulfilling its designer's dream to create 'an enormous object drawn as faintly as possible'.
, s5 S1 [2 [4 a) R9 N4 ]3 G        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。