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
8 S  L6 ?# V6 h( t2 f; l9 F. z' l275. Verrazano, an Italian about whom little is known, sailed into New York Harbour in 1524 and named it Angouleme.
: N% B+ N: N: \' t5 t4 o' a& ^7 u. u        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。
, f3 k" ?, |5 o# a5 U  T0 W  D276. He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river.'
8 d! _* I# @; h, ^2 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”。
277. Though Verrazano is by no means considered to be a great explorer, his name will probably remain immortal,
! @( N3 F, m6 j, W        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，
6 j, z% R$ M$ r5 G: N9 [. w* ?& ^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。
3 o8 ]8 e1 F2 |3 c0 w279. The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island.
% z7 A4 R, m7 a: R$ p        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.
9 B5 q0 h8 F0 I( z* D" @) F/ y# l        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。
5 A. [& \# X0 n; {) }- y282. Two great towers support four huge cables.
5 M- s9 X- w; O        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。
284. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.
        平台深入海底100英尺。
: a" @4 }( j- c0 w: \7 @% `285. These alone took sixteen months to build.
1 c* y, F( B/ m" w4 h        仅这两座塔就花了16个月才建成。
, ^" P6 a* V$ P286. Above the surface of the water, the towers rise to a height of nearly 700 feet.
2 b* f3 c0 g% u9 x        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.
        4根钢缆中的每根由26，108股钢绳组成。
3 o3 Y" Y% ^" g& f289. It has been estimated that if the bridge were packed with cars, it would still only be carrying a third of its total capacity.
& N% b3 q5 ]9 Y. R" ?# X& X" Y5 `        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.
9 Z% K! H$ [/ D& i        然而，这座桥重要特点不仅是它的规模与强度。
5 ]8 j9 n7 C7 N, O291. Despite its immensity, it is both simple and elegant,
* q0 y/ p) e$ r: X+ B/ [        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。