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.
! S4 _1 C1 Z. v) s# j! o        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。
7 r# W% x: J0 g3 F5 x% n% M% v276. 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”。
7 V$ `% K$ U- m3 S8 o. Q; V277. 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.
3 Q. c5 d7 Q" s1 r        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。
! [' d, X3 P9 B. c+ z279. The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island.
: {4 H* M1 \$ N9 y: 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，
280. It has a span of 4,260 feet.
" ^8 P9 J, x2 o8 K        桥长4,260英尺。
2 D( ?6 m. ^. j$ E6 ?  {  H7 [7 h281. The bridge is so long that the shape of the earth had to be taken into account by its designer.
8 d5 J- p4 R0 R6 P' M1 x        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.
% g* @' p4 G& B        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.
; d  w! G& Q$ s& H$ Q5 K        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。
+ N$ |; s3 k* o9 {( k3 k286. 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。
: P# E) S/ q) n: m0 f2 O287. 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，
# Y+ S" O1 z5 d: D6 }0 v288. 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.
- n5 C. N+ z8 L% J0 g        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 M! l$ ]1 F; |7 t9 p( x( {290. However, size and strength are not the only important things about this bridge.
4 C) S+ J* S- _4 X; y. f        然而，这座桥重要特点不仅是它的规模与强度。
4 V4 ]0 m, ?' d  R291. Despite its immensity, it is both simple and elegant,
. h5 e7 j! ~% L- B" B( P        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。