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 O. X, o4 Y+ B8 {! k. B$ d$ g4 e275. Verrazano, an Italian about whom little is known, sailed into New York Harbour in 1524 and named it Angouleme.
8 ?5 O) R0 W0 b$ Q: j        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。
276. 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”。
277. Though Verrazano is by no means considered to be a great explorer, his name will probably remain immortal,
! m$ u5 |6 W) g  p# l        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，
/ i4 i5 X  h4 i6 R+ G2 E2 t278. 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 d+ W& v! U! S, h: ]" e279. The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island.
        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。
8 \3 l: t; Q# ?% f281. 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。
+ B& L+ T( ~6 n282. Two great towers support four huge cables.
+ c# i8 w* i) P' S+ _; q        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.
6 K8 i3 s# L0 I/ y' d  I4 B        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.
. m, ~! {& |) U  M1 E; d9 R        平台深入海底100英尺。
# O" s; a: v9 C' Y: l1 a; }/ ^285. These alone took sixteen months to build.
        仅这两座塔就花了16个月才建成。
& M) d( y$ @7 O5 A7 o286. 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。
. A  b" ]7 {4 q5 F9 _$ E287. They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended.
/ k5 {/ w- H7 ~3 p' `        高塔支撑着钢缆，而钢缆又悬吊着大桥，
% k8 d) \& Y8 d' a. {288. Each of the four cables contains 26,108 lengths of wire.
& z/ M* T, H; N) k5 M. y        4根钢缆中的每根由26，108股钢绳组成。
# ^/ @. n& J9 ]  n9 c289. It has been estimated that if the bridge were packed with cars, it would still only be carrying a third of its total capacity.
        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。
2 g' |0 _  P7 k" 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。
1 {0 D* M) Q2 W8 c' X& b291. 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，
$ U" {: K! S. M292. fulfilling its designer's dream to create 'an enormous object drawn as faintly as possible'.
$ O: a$ y: Y) s; w7 g7 W2 i        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。