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.
" D- ]; w$ v( H5 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。
$ E$ y/ [9 E* N" f+ y# C276. 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,
; P# [. B: a" R; 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，
+ F% j- b1 V4 f( \! J2 W8 \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。
) W7 Z  [6 }+ g4 S6 |  [. n279. The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island.
5 y' P/ }; q4 u3 t; @        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，
# u0 T* C+ @) [* |, G' {/ k! o( O280. It has a span of 4,260 feet.
* t6 T  E3 f8 u/ q: L        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.
( [7 z' h. L4 g1 b. Q' E6 I9 Z        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.
1 Z; v$ X3 d. @3 L& [        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。
4 C% D8 t) o# X) \3 \& ]' r1 T: H+ V284. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.
  [: ~. g- e$ G4 ^4 G3 T$ R7 y        平台深入海底100英尺。
. j. S; Q* v) U1 v8 J285. These alone took sixteen months to build.
        仅这两座塔就花了16个月才建成。
6 T" R/ p# V$ m' b286. 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。
, n) U0 _6 H9 L3 Z' C3 n+ t287. They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended.
7 `. M8 w) v" }) [9 h9 ]        高塔支撑着钢缆，而钢缆又悬吊着大桥，
4 l+ {# o" z" G* r/ b288. 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。
1 i2 W! C2 t6 C0 U289. It has been estimated that if the bridge were packed with cars, it would still only be carrying a third of its total capacity.
+ {- z6 q! X+ [" v        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.
8 Z3 ]( H9 H9 @9 Z9 Q9 Z& Y2 r. I: y7 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,
( a- L" b6 d% U. V( l% U        尽管此桥很大，但它的结构简单，造型优美，
; ~( i: y- P& T- ?: c5 h# ]/ d292. 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。