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
3 x- N/ i$ k; H* s6 h8 ?2 j275. Verrazano, an Italian about whom little is known, sailed into New York Harbour in 1524 and named it Angouleme.
- j) u0 z; K7 |/ c, x; V3 e  d        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。
" d9 z5 V+ z4 w276. He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river.'
8 r/ R, z- z/ E" ]        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”。
  n# a" L. n% \* G8 P277. Though Verrazano is by no means considered to be a great explorer, his name will probably remain immortal,
        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.
, d- d9 d; n3 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。
279. The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island.
        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，
/ Y8 w2 t# j* Q8 h280. It has a span of 4,260 feet.
' c( W5 X) ^  ~2 Z+ `) ]1 F9 B. J        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.
# T3 N  h9 Q" ], ]2 f4 p) {; f2 Y        由于桥身太长，设计者不得不考虑了地表的形状。
' }) U3 l7 o  D5 W282. Two great towers support four huge cables.
        两座巨塔支撑着4根粗大的钢缆。
3 u3 K  Y9 O5 h283. 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.
- |' C  P. V# i4 G" H: U        塔身高出水面将近700英尺。
7 a$ w; i3 t4 V. F, `' V287. They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended.
  h3 C  O8 K! T0 k$ j        高塔支撑着钢缆，而钢缆又悬吊着大桥，
288. Each of the four cables contains 26,108 lengths of wire.
: s5 u1 H0 b" r        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.
        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.
% M! u! ]& w1 ^        然而，这座桥重要特点不仅是它的规模与强度。
. O5 k( }+ z& l& Z7 x3 p291. 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，
" Q4 _9 ?# O0 E# c& c292. 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。