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
275. 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。
" F* }& O* S+ h' [$ A5 U276. He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river.'
' b  N) }. o/ M% |- ?0 Z        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，
7 X" u3 T  _. M' @& A278. for on November 21st, 1964, the longest suspension bridge in the world was named after him.
$ n# ~" h. _. f        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。
& X" }' {: ]% V  Z6 O: \# m& B: C279. The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island.
$ F# |  U$ J3 B6 F- H        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，
$ `. L- ^- G6 A& ^280. It has a span of 4,260 feet.
        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.
8 d$ ^: h% E, }+ g2 V% G) h        由于桥身太长，设计者不得不考虑了地表的形状。
+ }/ ^) _: T) ~282. Two great towers support four huge cables.
6 ?0 X8 {3 z6 U& G$ Q: L        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.
2 B3 y7 Z- b" T3 c        塔身建在巨大的水下钢盘混凝土平台上。
9 o/ I- K, ?( S! p0 `2 O284. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.
        平台深入海底100英尺。
  j" h7 z8 [) O285. 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。
3 @  Q5 o8 j/ y6 Q287. 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，
288. Each of the four cables contains 26,108 lengths of wire.
5 Y5 P9 C) u, a/ i; T" m2 c! s        4根钢缆中的每根由26，108股钢绳组成。
0 _: x8 j2 d! G& S289. 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。
8 @9 d' P# L. {# W290. 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: @( }8 j$ t% [291. 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，
; N' |. B1 ^' M0 n292. fulfilling its designer's dream to create 'an enormous object drawn as faintly as possible'.
' W: x+ x4 s- J$ b6 O        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。