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。
- e% {* _, d4 O- ^& c* t7 u: J276. He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river.'
1 @  `2 w3 f% I3 d7 V+ I        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,
8 Z* g4 X: K% Y! b% p0 z        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，
3 L0 J# E5 h* Z0 i- @7 g278. for on November 21st, 1964, the longest suspension bridge in the world was named after him.
! p* U3 N5 N  |: G) k$ H: c        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。
3 N6 I+ F; B% ?2 z, C* X, I279. The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island.
' L7 _7 o8 }+ a* w, p4 W        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，
6 `4 d9 s/ G4 c; y5 P' A0 }280. It has a span of 4,260 feet.
        桥长4,260英尺。
# h* {" S$ U5 M) u1 s5 S281. The bridge is so long that the shape of the earth had to be taken into account by its designer.
        由于桥身太长，设计者不得不考虑了地表的形状。
3 N+ d1 @/ L% A) a282. Two great towers support four huge cables.
) }! S/ Z$ n- E7 l4 f% ~  P* @# A        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。
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.
6 v' x+ s' A6 P5 J% \: O        塔身高出水面将近700英尺。
8 _8 i( ^$ k7 x0 u2 O. q3 T7 @287. They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended.
# l  B" O, K4 ?        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。
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.
$ p* ^) h  o3 V0 Y        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.
        然而，这座桥重要特点不仅是它的规模与强度。
* N' L' v; i8 B291. Despite its immensity, it is both simple and elegant,
' g- H) @8 I- v2 p8 w% }        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'.
        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。