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
- ]1 i' Y" @7 J; {) f275. Verrazano, an Italian about whom little is known, sailed into New York Harbour in 1524 and named it Angouleme.
4 D7 H6 c( G9 c) D6 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.'
: N& Q; O) d% D+ w& A1 v* W        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”。
8 {: \- `9 \5 x  c9 I! _3 C: d277. 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.
; V3 w: r: r% U4 t# H# T        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。
: m& b5 q( o0 F, P# ^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，
280. It has a span of 4,260 feet.
1 ^& x$ a- _6 Q0 `) ]; [6 p- c8 b        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.
) Y, S: G  a# Z" S! v, F& v, O        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.
        两座巨塔支撑着4根粗大的钢缆。
3 I* {, @. v1 w" J283. The towers are built on immense underwater platforms made of steel and concrete.
- y. X8 f% B+ m' X2 k# B        塔身建在巨大的水下钢盘混凝土平台上。
) A# i& _0 A) \. y3 v1 {7 v" K3 L284. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.
/ ~( G8 t3 X! x7 M; @# s5 G        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。
: @4 w1 H7 F4 U* L( h286. Above the surface of the water, the towers rise to a height of nearly 700 feet.
! O$ g1 ?) ^7 ~        塔身高出水面将近700英尺。
287. They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended.
1 Q4 I+ `# Y: Y  p, D1 X( u        高塔支撑着钢缆，而钢缆又悬吊着大桥，
* ^( m; C! H9 R- ]288. Each of the four cables contains 26,108 lengths of wire.
( L7 T! p0 j- ^5 ~/ R, H        4根钢缆中的每根由26，108股钢绳组成。
; k: v$ H! _1 W6 B& U) q289. It has been estimated that if the bridge were packed with cars, it would still only be carrying a third of its total capacity.
# G* u1 t, ^9 O4 u        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。
9 W; G/ P) V, L291. Despite its immensity, it is both simple and elegant,
- K+ U; o8 Q) Q) V. E        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。