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
- K9 @% l/ ?+ u3 F6 O6 _# E& g$ S275. 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。
# D( ], K8 v1 B5 _% ~276. He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river.'
2 Q/ T! f3 ^+ n# P3 P, g        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,
9 O7 M4 s( G) S+ |) t/ T        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，
. A; j/ t1 |: _2 A# ?) x% D278. for on November 21st, 1964, the longest suspension bridge in the world was named after him.
0 }8 P; V" Z! |3 ]        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。
& {+ [. k% H: w5 Z279. The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island.
$ O9 w; e" |$ P9 Z        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，
0 F' j) j3 \/ @) ~, _280. It has a span of 4,260 feet.
6 P! b6 b  ^& ^1 y, |& e        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.
7 m+ c5 {* x6 Y7 U3 x        由于桥身太长，设计者不得不考虑了地表的形状。
  q7 \4 p5 @# ]+ H7 P282. Two great towers support four huge cables.
/ h# E. Y0 b7 q! P4 C: }        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。
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，
# i& S4 r5 F' f) P288. 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。
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.
0 y2 g- y4 `1 O2 S        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。
. [4 v: x) ?( u$ A7 H7 Q290. However, size and strength are not the only important things about this bridge.
; K& d/ ?" o( W- p7 t! Z        然而，这座桥重要特点不仅是它的规模与强度。
9 h% O1 f' g4 H7 D0 ~$ Y9 R$ d4 p- k291. Despite its immensity, it is both simple and elegant,
0 J0 {2 V( |( M. R' J# U        尽管此桥很大，但它的结构简单，造型优美，
292. 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。