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 L# g$ K4 A4 I275. Verrazano, an Italian about whom little is known, sailed into New York Harbour in 1524 and named it Angouleme.
% z; l' V* i, @' B) Q" T) g        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。
, [% i, }3 {: P. N0 g7 k9 j276. 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”。
# I5 U) @/ ^6 X; E/ F277. Though Verrazano is by no means considered to be a great explorer, his name will probably remain immortal,
8 s! ~( ]9 {5 e4 W- }        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.
        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 w2 U5 X" h. B5 v( {279. The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island.
$ g6 T+ s! F' M, l6 L" E7 j        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 W& k" r) l  }; i  E1 i280. It has a span of 4,260 feet.
+ h" m( N. |& I1 O. y% t        桥长4,260英尺。
# L- [+ y& I8 Z2 x' i& _/ @281. The bridge is so long that the shape of the earth had to be taken into account by its designer.
6 ?" b, r/ e4 {2 Q2 \% z0 i        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.
        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.
1 \; N* N5 c9 i7 d! O- v3 z' L( ]        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.
4 Z( A6 {8 y0 R  X& `" c        塔身高出水面将近700英尺。
287. They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended.
4 {" i# V' Y+ M/ Y% [2 o6 O& |        高塔支撑着钢缆，而钢缆又悬吊着大桥，
- a% v7 o* T! I( |; u288. 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 r) I) K( F1 N+ f; x6 i4 [6 M4 r        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.
        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,
5 D9 p8 A8 b8 C$ `+ H8 o$ }% w        尽管此桥很大，但它的结构简单，造型优美，
8 d) @8 s" C/ y: U# @$ o" n292. fulfilling its designer's dream to create 'an enormous object drawn as faintly as possible'.
! n- K; }* v! B0 {" E* v1 g        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。