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.
& y1 y1 x1 q  W8 m        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。
& n. Y3 V& V0 p$ O276. He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river.'
' I* Y  T/ R% i  r        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,
        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.
# l, o# V' P8 U' j7 L        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。
& Q2 O4 p( P7 ~2 p5 V: p9 K1 Y279. 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，
280. It has a span of 4,260 feet.
1 B# j$ R; E4 g5 a        桥长4,260英尺。
0 s" t+ G  i7 K# ]6 ?281. The bridge is so long that the shape of the earth had to be taken into account by its designer.
3 t$ q' u$ ^& J8 @/ A$ M7 g1 c        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.
6 p: S" A" a) r1 S: x! K        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.
# f, I: L* D: V* c5 G3 n        塔身建在巨大的水下钢盘混凝土平台上。
  g& z5 K" ^1 a# Q: R. l7 ?284. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.
        平台深入海底100英尺。
5 C# j2 j: X3 m! Q- w285. These alone took sixteen months to build.
: ]* y* e7 X; J        仅这两座塔就花了16个月才建成。
8 F0 Y# e7 j0 |% C- O- j286. 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。
$ h/ \. Z' j3 i! q3 M! ?& ]2 l287. They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended.
* M6 f: K/ \6 g* m2 ]6 F        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.
        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.
" I6 I) E5 Z& x( t1 V# i& x# J' s8 \        然而，这座桥重要特点不仅是它的规模与强度。
- J$ p! N3 u# X8 T. T291. Despite its immensity, it is both simple and elegant,
! t( [3 M2 m9 L  _4 m5 V) M2 h# B7 w        尽管此桥很大，但它的结构简单，造型优美，
! S! L# f: G* X& s2 T4 ~292. fulfilling its designer's dream to create 'an enormous object drawn as faintly as possible'.
  S6 S% u# T% l$ F" r& v1 s( c0 S        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。