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
+ w% c. k& G: X7 d# C/ o275. 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。
' O6 o$ `" i$ g- r+ P276. He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river.'
0 Q; ~  U. S# Y: t        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,
' Y" U! P- S# U2 D        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，
! y1 [0 ]# s5 {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。
4 ~% T1 ~1 E& U/ Y% h/ X279. The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island.
5 p( n. |' t1 e, J( Z6 V        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。
! }) l/ {! M& q; p( g- M/ A281. The bridge is so long that the shape of the earth had to be taken into account by its designer.
        由于桥身太长，设计者不得不考虑了地表的形状。
& k1 F$ I1 A6 a8 r3 v7 ?9 A/ t282. Two great towers support four huge cables.
# C2 {9 r2 t! W/ e4 s) ?        两座巨塔支撑着4根粗大的钢缆。
, n# Y2 A" ~: `2 N! O283. 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。
5 L/ u/ m) V( d& x5 Y! M" T& ~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。
/ P! @; T& b5 e/ @, ]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。
7 o  P2 {- r; ^4 c# y5 k* F  G287. They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended.
( c. D: M% E. v7 w1 g        高塔支撑着钢缆，而钢缆又悬吊着大桥，
7 ~  m4 u  W" t+ _4 O288. Each of the four cables contains 26,108 lengths of wire.
% T9 H* P. q( J8 s* M% f* P+ D        4根钢缆中的每根由26，108股钢绳组成。
/ Q3 c; p5 Y% d7 i0 W: u289. It has been estimated that if the bridge were packed with cars, it would still only be carrying a third of its total capacity.
9 ?" ~. m( N* J$ }6 D4 }9 l% _        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。
9 m" F8 X8 u. h- d290. 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,
/ h! y& \: ^% ?- S, A        尽管此桥很大，但它的结构简单，造型优美，
9 q+ ^! J4 T3 ?$ q+ f: H% ?& I" z4 n292. fulfilling its designer's dream to create 'an enormous object drawn as faintly as possible'.
7 f6 ]) Y% {/ H        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。