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。
8 u: g2 e$ t# l/ s8 I276. He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river.'
- r4 I' N& g% j% o- C        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”。
+ o2 W9 o5 Y# N- ?6 c% P277. 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.
        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。
2 `8 ~* d) H- Z3 o) p279. The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island.
9 M; ^  M) i5 ^) D3 |/ _" i        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，
# }" a7 x: }& w/ z( H280. 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.
        由于桥身太长，设计者不得不考虑了地表的形状。
0 v  t' U% K6 h! d) l9 o- V282. 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.
& N& v7 A  v# c! d$ o' T, Y        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。
, \) f9 e+ @* P- R" G$ N286. Above the surface of the water, the towers rise to a height of nearly 700 feet.
/ m2 s8 P) l5 |; ^' [& }        塔身高出水面将近700英尺。
. H& }4 t" f! i; T! a  ?0 y287. They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended.
9 m3 H- t0 |! Y- C        高塔支撑着钢缆，而钢缆又悬吊着大桥，
( j5 I# i  c6 t4 a, R: _+ O288. Each of the four cables contains 26,108 lengths of wire.
2 ]7 u2 d3 i# H4 z% p" ^. @        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.
/ X8 b- D) \( _/ ?. s6 J, Z        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。
. F5 _9 _; a- J6 u$ B290. 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。
5 k- E) i3 |9 ~- w291. 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，
0 i& Q2 f6 G4 O5 Y$ M% `5 p292. 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。