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。
) i6 N! v- ]/ d* y276. He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river.'
        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,
" w- B/ D( V+ j0 b        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，
! ^! p7 h; b% ~9 z) u: Q3 x* c278. for on November 21st, 1964, the longest suspension bridge in the world was named after him.
        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。
7 f8 \, Q; a3 b0 B& u% e" e: ]6 I279. 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.
        桥长4,260英尺。
8 O! D- p9 d6 R( d% t* b5 c281. The bridge is so long that the shape of the earth had to be taken into account by its designer.
/ A6 J$ e8 \. ]1 V& a7 V( p        由于桥身太长，设计者不得不考虑了地表的形状。
8 R# D+ t+ d; b* N- b" J282. Two great towers support four huge cables.
' Y! @% x# x9 x2 \$ ~) Z! I. {        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。
$ V4 t/ \. ^1 ]' @6 M( K  M5 T284. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.
6 @/ p0 v! c7 y( m        平台深入海底100英尺。
9 g; ?2 q9 w" G7 A" l3 V4 Q! Q285. These alone took sixteen months to build.
        仅这两座塔就花了16个月才建成。
: @9 I# |7 f3 f0 K4 s* j; a286. Above the surface of the water, the towers rise to a height of nearly 700 feet.
5 K  N2 \' x+ |1 D0 ]3 K        塔身高出水面将近700英尺。
287. They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended.
' \, p2 y: Q, N4 }2 t        高塔支撑着钢缆，而钢缆又悬吊着大桥，
* y! a% b- N) I8 v% d) }288. Each of the four cables contains 26,108 lengths of wire.
( l$ p9 k: ~$ `' }) g9 J/ [7 j! E        4根钢缆中的每根由26，108股钢绳组成。
; D$ c; f, X+ l* {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.
+ n+ v( l6 q) M! ?2 y  q        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 b- F6 Y4 s# b  Y! A290. 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。
291. Despite its immensity, it is both simple and elegant,
7 D# `1 |- |+ @" Y0 m' W5 |        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。