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 [0 g* W9 w" e- w( i275. Verrazano, an Italian about whom little is known, sailed into New York Harbour in 1524 and named it Angouleme.
* g. Z% H$ ^2 H' Q) @, 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。
276. He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river.'
1 t: |" p2 w0 ]$ X8 p1 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.
        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。
$ \9 }4 e4 z5 t: [7 u  p279. The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island.
1 q8 o7 S/ V, q$ C        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.
        桥长4,260英尺。
3 \6 h# C* K; K281. The bridge is so long that the shape of the earth had to be taken into account by its designer.
  E/ T. T! b: n0 f4 {        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.
8 x4 B5 r, n' D5 F4 [        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.
+ c; |* @# U6 e' {& P& J& \6 t        平台深入海底100英尺。
) t( m' V( I" n2 b285. These alone took sixteen months to build.
! w, ]# b- `  U5 Y        仅这两座塔就花了16个月才建成。
7 V5 m: r: ^/ N7 |( Y4 t286. Above the surface of the water, the towers rise to a height of nearly 700 feet.
5 u6 S: @# ^2 K; D/ X& c        塔身高出水面将近700英尺。
287. They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended.
4 X/ u# r# h2 Y2 ]3 [        高塔支撑着钢缆，而钢缆又悬吊着大桥，
9 w3 n9 T9 f. k  O4 r( i288. Each of the four cables contains 26,108 lengths of wire.
# O) u6 l2 j) F( i& A        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.
        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。
! f( D% U" ]0 Y) m9 v290. 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,
2 _' G; _  w, l        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。