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 Z+ ^0 Z* C9 w; b275. Verrazano, an Italian about whom little is known, sailed into New York Harbour in 1524 and named it Angouleme.
! R; r! O# v! p$ w8 G" {- A        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。
" @& Y  [- O, T0 L2 F/ d2 @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”。
7 q* P0 [/ l5 e# E$ Y9 V# U7 f/ g9 Z4 B277. Though Verrazano is by no means considered to be a great explorer, his name will probably remain immortal,
0 P  m+ @* \8 G+ {6 a& g        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。
4 ~1 I, b. |( r4 }279. The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island.
0 w1 c* l8 E! ?: f0 I/ h1 C        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，
4 h7 L8 Y( M, F* y280. It has a span of 4,260 feet.
        桥长4,260英尺。
, m1 H+ R) g% {" A281. The bridge is so long that the shape of the earth had to be taken into account by its designer.
% ]7 R+ U9 E2 C( y        由于桥身太长，设计者不得不考虑了地表的形状。
2 J8 w; i/ h( b  D; H: v282. Two great towers support four huge cables.
        两座巨塔支撑着4根粗大的钢缆。
0 K. j! J- w2 u) ^: F  e2 H283. The towers are built on immense underwater platforms made of steel and concrete.
* q& K2 X. g4 ~        塔身建在巨大的水下钢盘混凝土平台上。
8 H! b/ s1 }! o/ G. Z284. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.
# Q. b' ?0 h6 A: d6 {        平台深入海底100英尺。
' u: ~5 m. W1 Y8 D+ N* F, W285. These alone took sixteen months to build.
- D/ C( T& t7 t        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。
287. They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended.
7 ]4 \! r' ?5 m. R0 U( W        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。
7 }$ l; P% Z! [! \5 \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.
, C. M/ I3 J- d' R        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.
$ E7 `/ x7 p) |4 v( C, Q        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，
# f) [3 I, o: v1 e7 n. G292. fulfilling its designer's dream to create 'an enormous object drawn as faintly as possible'.
9 n, p0 ?; i9 ~3 b" Z        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。