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
# w; y- I. a( k1 q2 `275. Verrazano, an Italian about whom little is known, sailed into New York Harbour in 1524 and named it Angouleme.
& C9 _$ G% t3 i8 g% W: R        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。
& f- p3 ]6 d7 }276. 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”。
3 K( e  I$ B, u6 S) R277. 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。
" D# |+ p* r' w& ?1 m279. 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，
# c; b6 h7 o1 o# G280. It has a span of 4,260 feet.
: v+ P$ t. D, K8 H        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.
! p) }0 I8 ^2 k5 t& p        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.
        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。
* r" F$ s+ t0 ]- c: V# a6 K3 E' m285. These alone took sixteen months to build.
8 z5 O9 l) G/ \' j        仅这两座塔就花了16个月才建成。
3 P8 I4 a- Z1 I: j/ ?' {6 H5 Q  z* E286. Above the surface of the water, the towers rise to a height of nearly 700 feet.
7 }7 H$ G! j$ M5 C' T5 N, b        塔身高出水面将近700英尺。
) J0 u8 z& ]- }, x1 J! Y8 {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，
8 m0 O8 Y2 Y5 Y! M- p288. 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.
+ J3 t* l; T8 z8 N. U        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.
+ R2 s# r- i- x* H' m) r        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，
" \9 V5 [8 n- O1 ~1 x7 \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。