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
5 j( @# P3 ^0 e- |  y/ N275. Verrazano, an Italian about whom little is known, sailed into New York Harbour in 1524 and named it Angouleme.
: u0 j1 ^9 E- G1 _        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。
276. He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river.'
  h* w- D8 c. 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,
! k2 |1 _7 J2 N! e7 L        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，
: }7 {1 }+ _6 j9 Q3 \- {278. for on November 21st, 1964, the longest suspension bridge in the world was named after him.
. n3 X/ v7 C2 `; y9 C        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.
5 l1 j: b) o6 `  ?- w* u        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.
( r. c$ H9 J+ @5 [( }        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。
, b9 ^9 P; R/ F, q, R3 j8 ^282. Two great towers support four huge cables.
1 f2 k  `5 t5 y* M' y1 f+ e        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.
7 S' y) r( F5 F6 `, Q        塔身建在巨大的水下钢盘混凝土平台上。
) f7 Z* G- {( ?: S/ ~7 M( H/ b284. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.
        平台深入海底100英尺。
; R$ ?" Z" t  h285. These alone took sixteen months to build.
        仅这两座塔就花了16个月才建成。
$ E# z* }+ J0 L( ~: D& F& g7 G+ E: V' i' H286. Above the surface of the water, the towers rise to a height of nearly 700 feet.
8 N8 S- B& j6 `3 e9 S* w        塔身高出水面将近700英尺。
+ d3 x; S" M0 \( m* N/ X287. They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended.
% w1 E0 t5 \1 C6 p0 n        高塔支撑着钢缆，而钢缆又悬吊着大桥，
+ O% d3 H0 O5 I7 i. D288. 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。
6 T( |* R6 W! j6 g; W) J: z5 L  c289. 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。
290. 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。
! t; p7 b: {5 g$ `- J291. Despite its immensity, it is both simple and elegant,
- b9 r5 w8 ^: ]5 n' ]/ a        尽管此桥很大，但它的结构简单，造型优美，
6 r& \; C2 p9 y, O) T292. fulfilling its designer's dream to create 'an enormous object drawn as faintly as possible'.
        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。