新概念英语3--（一天学一篇）---课文17 世界上最长的吊桥

ltlong52010

课文17  世界上最长的吊桥
6 P$ j1 o+ V2 c  W" v- t% o275. Verrazano, an Italian about whom little is known, sailed into New York Harbour in 1524 and named it Angouleme.
+ \) ^; e$ V$ E8 r# \7 J$ |        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。
4 U' R' a0 ~8 r276. 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,
        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，
' P8 A$ m( I# {- l- S278. 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。
: k- t/ P- L8 s, s& n. ]279. 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，
! {" T" ?& ]8 R& n. j280. It has a span of 4,260 feet.
3 a/ Q% s+ J) X( v9 ]- n) G2 Q        桥长4,260英尺。
9 ~# k6 p, L2 U9 q281. 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。
0 b6 c. b! u/ ]. O6 o8 e: f282. Two great towers support four huge cables.
' h7 k0 v& |1 l7 m8 v        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.
+ c3 q/ X) s: w! e" I. l        塔身建在巨大的水下钢盘混凝土平台上。
$ |9 \& a3 n8 W% S284. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.
- f& g3 K. r1 a* o5 @7 M        平台深入海底100英尺。
285. These alone took sixteen months to build.
, U* {/ q( C/ q3 b1 ^% J: @, A        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。
& X' k' P4 ~8 X287. They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended.
0 f9 `! @5 Q( I7 V2 g+ a        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.
) K/ V( Z4 N% l% }7 T! J( 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。
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。
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，
1 N. O$ q2 Q$ M+ ~! v292. 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。