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。
7 T3 q4 p# h; p276. 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,
        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，
/ S- E" O% L" a6 o278. 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。
, r* V) R' V& b9 K' t5 ?1 R279. The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island.
! A, ?5 O+ x) N, N2 B! M        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，
% Q* L: Y) e" Y8 O) r3 [6 D" _280. It has a span of 4,260 feet.
+ I( a. w8 {4 w; q5 a        桥长4,260英尺。
& m" i- P9 R) A' p) Z5 R281. 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。
282. Two great towers support four huge cables.
( u" }2 C3 [* n! |( ]        两座巨塔支撑着4根粗大的钢缆。
: E  z7 z5 z& E5 w* k; h283. The towers are built on immense underwater platforms made of steel and concrete.
+ J! _7 i+ f) F3 B0 T        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.
7 t! H7 ]/ X- P+ X        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。
: x7 r9 W* T7 K# p9 K; W; q% ~# D286. Above the surface of the water, the towers rise to a height of nearly 700 feet.
6 L/ L1 A  `, Q/ L, E. Z: t& P# N+ e        塔身高出水面将近700英尺。
287. 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，
288. Each of the four cables contains 26,108 lengths of wire.
6 M4 f* k6 J' z) l6 |        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.
        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。
290. However, size and strength are not the only important things about this bridge.
0 h$ X1 v4 ^1 T  S) P        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,
        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'.
# f2 G+ S) B' H$ 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。