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
" ]0 t5 |; q. a# E0 _1 X- o275. Verrazano, an Italian about whom little is known, sailed into New York Harbour in 1524 and named it Angouleme.
* N/ m' o+ j6 i8 [' _7 u        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.'
8 }( O9 ?+ d; o+ \( K        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,
        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.
  s: m9 j* }$ S+ g        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.
3 P- X: `. n0 J        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.
2 F! K+ v1 r3 U6 g2 ^& v( F4 R        桥长4,260英尺。
% x( |$ F  q! I) p" o. V; `281. The bridge is so long that the shape of the earth had to be taken into account by its designer.
( X# d$ P9 E; X9 }( j! {' A        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.
! k: n( ?. o& \" |: P, D        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。
; I" C% j7 Q3 i+ ?- X" a0 m5 J5 b% ^284. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.
        平台深入海底100英尺。
9 {- n0 b7 k4 c( B- ]/ N5 p285. These alone took sixteen months to build.
        仅这两座塔就花了16个月才建成。
: Z* Y0 o! C! s6 t( \3 }! O7 b286. Above the surface of the water, the towers rise to a height of nearly 700 feet.
; [6 U3 |7 j" J, G        塔身高出水面将近700英尺。
( m1 j# }/ o9 R8 x) B# n9 T0 r287. They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended.
& }6 Y; D; A7 B2 ?2 ^% U' S; K  E        高塔支撑着钢缆，而钢缆又悬吊着大桥，
+ W# [% Y  {9 G& |9 E4 z: ~/ m288. 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。
- f4 W& j( d5 L/ g289. It has been estimated that if the bridge were packed with cars, it would still only be carrying a third of its total capacity.
& b' `3 s3 f$ S- J: E+ a        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。
$ C$ q+ g0 d2 ^7 I: i290. However, size and strength are not the only important things about this bridge.
        然而，这座桥重要特点不仅是它的规模与强度。
3 T% O. t2 N! l4 C2 s291. 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，
292. fulfilling its designer's dream to create 'an enormous object drawn as faintly as possible'.
2 I: a8 E3 ~0 x+ m, d- n$ p        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。