新概念英语3--（一天学一篇）---课文17 世界上最长的吊桥

ltlong52010

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.
$ ]1 m& l! J4 b+ r4 I: s        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。
1 u: v3 R5 U/ p$ t276. He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river.'
# G) r" y$ O- y; W        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,
+ X( B5 O+ _0 B7 h0 {% A- o        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.
) q" [1 v/ P9 w+ ?: G        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 ?% I2 B' h, h( M6 B( h279. The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island.
! x  d6 D/ r2 }" \# U7 a3 g        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.
5 R& g$ d, U8 R        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.
5 i0 _. V) D/ G% L7 i7 ~# `; C+ n        由于桥身太长，设计者不得不考虑了地表的形状。
7 V) U. |0 g; R6 a282. Two great towers support four huge cables.
& _8 f. D" c- W0 u" s$ y        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。
% V3 Q7 G6 i7 J# b284. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.
        平台深入海底100英尺。
* c2 @. |3 |0 D! X; t3 Y- p* p285. These alone took sixteen months to build.
        仅这两座塔就花了16个月才建成。
' G6 t/ `) v- D5 a286. Above the surface of the water, the towers rise to a height of nearly 700 feet.
+ ?$ E7 b4 h3 p/ j2 Q        塔身高出水面将近700英尺。
/ O4 L( a& s. m4 s287. They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended.
; i9 u7 W6 F5 @; j) F6 K( l        高塔支撑着钢缆，而钢缆又悬吊着大桥，
' i/ x4 z# v8 k  b2 `. B288. Each of the four cables contains 26,108 lengths of wire.
  \$ v! T, O* n# I        4根钢缆中的每根由26，108股钢绳组成。
, L0 R1 \, F( _" ?5 O! 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.
+ D/ P1 |1 p/ o        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。
' d; M$ Z/ S8 K& @# z% s  V290. 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,
& G% l, ~) r1 b4 ]: Q6 F- s. z; {        尽管此桥很大，但它的结构简单，造型优美，
0 b' y3 {# E1 L2 Z  }292. fulfilling its designer's dream to create 'an enormous object drawn as faintly as possible'.
3 r" f1 }$ t6 ?6 Z# U        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。