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
4 G2 d" d/ S! g3 u2 \3 b7 u1 X: z275. 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。
" S* Z4 Q. r7 p  ~276. He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river.'
6 N" Y( D& A/ Y  z0 ]        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”。
2 r: w5 w8 l# D& ~1 S$ L6 A277. Though Verrazano is by no means considered to be a great explorer, his name will probably remain immortal,
/ l" T( I! U8 p6 H. X        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，
! u; Z7 R) _3 K: K; R6 V278. for on November 21st, 1964, the longest suspension bridge in the world was named after him.
7 o5 a6 q" e% W1 w# S        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。
279. 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.
& W+ i0 |8 L9 a; M        桥长4,260英尺。
$ l3 j8 n7 e: u# N5 `8 B# r2 R: X% E, W281. 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.
- l$ g. D/ z2 O* ^        两座巨塔支撑着4根粗大的钢缆。
2 q+ J$ W5 }: _% P& ?8 {+ \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。
' Q/ n' B+ ~2 @2 h284. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.
2 W- b! j* n4 u0 x% z        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。
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。
$ j# e: y6 l4 p; P# P3 p287. They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended.
  e0 ]! v# _. R# {        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.
% a* X3 u- u4 S! D        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.
  U( n9 _% U9 u$ j4 M        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。
4 o0 ~: D5 j+ D3 N9 x! R# ?% H290. However, size and strength are not the only important things about this bridge.
8 T  _1 x6 {6 I, a! L) j1 }6 L        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,
' S! l6 ?8 t' q; ^8 t% u9 ?/ Z        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'.
7 x6 I" l/ V; F- Z; c        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。