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
) g0 i; d1 o3 K/ Z275. Verrazano, an Italian about whom little is known, sailed into New York Harbour in 1524 and named it Angouleme.
0 Q4 G$ ~3 Z, p. Z/ }        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.'
' N% }6 C$ J; v# P. h$ q        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,
% k: G( k* V; {4 T! M! S        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.
9 }+ H+ C$ x1 D' S/ B5 X9 }        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。
! M1 l& `1 B" a279. 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.
0 D, y- H# F" k        桥长4,260英尺。
9 S2 z) X7 l4 q# k& e3 Q+ T281. The bridge is so long that the shape of the earth had to be taken into account by its designer.
! E1 n, B% U$ ]: K6 T. g        由于桥身太长，设计者不得不考虑了地表的形状。
7 F& c7 I/ I7 a! o4 J0 z! Q" O282. Two great towers support four huge cables.
& @! ?: x8 K7 N0 Q        两座巨塔支撑着4根粗大的钢缆。
9 h, k; a1 T9 L/ M6 I; E1 I283. The towers are built on immense underwater platforms made of steel and concrete.
) r: z+ Y4 W$ K. N+ K7 @& ^        塔身建在巨大的水下钢盘混凝土平台上。
" p* i+ A( E1 b7 _" N284. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.
$ k5 Z& [' t) r* E$ h7 w) V        平台深入海底100英尺。
3 E% v( c3 r! d8 O$ @6 y: q285. These alone took sixteen months to build.
        仅这两座塔就花了16个月才建成。
0 b% w6 ]5 R0 \# ^286. 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。
1 x* e1 X) z6 j+ X$ X2 l, `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，
3 v( k* A% b. Q: [0 W4 Q288. 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。
) t9 W5 S1 Y; i* G7 t8 N289. 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 Y9 h2 u8 a6 I, N290. However, size and strength are not the only important things about this bridge.
1 M* e. U% |; N4 l$ M. n4 T* p2 _& m" O        然而，这座桥重要特点不仅是它的规模与强度。
; V, n( i$ y' M5 @: t) t2 O3 o$ Q291. Despite its immensity, it is both simple and elegant,
# c' Z2 y" v0 L7 ~& F        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。