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。
" R- n% T2 j; s4 D  L6 L276. 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”。
277. Though Verrazano is by no means considered to be a great explorer, his name will probably remain immortal,
& D, A0 f  _, h  i6 a" z5 T        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。
" S: v- `  }; l- T( H& J0 h279. 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，
9 U% U( m# {2 l& {3 d* I2 z280. It has a span of 4,260 feet.
        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.
: C0 P2 ]0 D3 O. G" i" U        由于桥身太长，设计者不得不考虑了地表的形状。
; Q; }9 W; H* X282. Two great towers support four huge cables.
% m6 R0 d4 H( x! H  `: \- I        两座巨塔支撑着4根粗大的钢缆。
! p8 ]3 W% ]: D+ F* ^( ~283. The towers are built on immense underwater platforms made of steel and concrete.
- Z: N% T6 @. w6 q' S/ U        塔身建在巨大的水下钢盘混凝土平台上。
+ R( h. h. Z* n284. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.
        平台深入海底100英尺。
2 H4 j& b' \. X  D7 |6 W- M4 n285. 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.
1 J6 ^; N8 |* |7 P. v# U        塔身高出水面将近700英尺。
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，
288. Each of the four cables contains 26,108 lengths of wire.
% k2 A. I' c# y) y! p6 J9 j9 A        4根钢缆中的每根由26，108股钢绳组成。
$ v: X6 ?  C4 l# S# c! n, _2 O: }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。
# X8 {: ]) E! i* g" z290. 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。
7 {# |. b; U2 t6 ^, n3 G4 k% b. |291. Despite its immensity, it is both simple and elegant,
- D8 V" a4 K& R        尽管此桥很大，但它的结构简单，造型优美，
0 J! j; V* j' i* a; e/ h; `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。