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。
. u# s9 g, i3 s# B7 K: j276. He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river.'
0 W6 |: }1 j& j+ f4 o; j5 @. |+ X        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”。
8 e) T9 O% Z1 T3 H277. 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，
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。
. t/ p2 m/ s: O& g! y. H+ V! d279. 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，
2 z8 a" Y% l  z+ {0 ^/ D% \280. It has a span of 4,260 feet.
( n8 \2 T/ Z+ E' X        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.
5 c0 U6 X. P. Z! X  z+ K- \        由于桥身太长，设计者不得不考虑了地表的形状。
& W$ K$ Z2 Q: i5 a9 ?282. Two great towers support four huge cables.
( o; \# S" D+ m  Y; b        两座巨塔支撑着4根粗大的钢缆。
& M/ n0 ^; z# m+ _( |3 {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。
* P. w! J& \7 i7 K( G# `284. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.
        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.
# r6 }7 g, N% z  s7 D, N5 Y% a0 O        塔身高出水面将近700英尺。
; ?% }3 b0 H: l9 N. \: F% S287. They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended.
2 d6 B# f' ^/ O; i; @5 d3 X) i9 W        高塔支撑着钢缆，而钢缆又悬吊着大桥，
+ X4 {/ k3 k0 {" Y: i+ a4 i288. 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。
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。
9 ]: }7 G' @+ J/ ~290. However, size and strength are not the only important things about this bridge.
# Q- Y' }/ p: C' {, ~8 Z3 p3 k        然而，这座桥重要特点不仅是它的规模与强度。
6 E2 }. [. U* S1 [& H291. Despite its immensity, it is both simple and elegant,
& {, E3 ]6 h. r        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'.
) g+ F" M/ F; d* b        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。