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课文17 世界上最长的吊桥
* _ Q4 l+ J5 N% g+ @275. Verrazano, an Italian about whom little is known, sailed into New York Harbour in 1524 and named it Angouleme.
) ?( ] d* a8 f0 W( h+ Y 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。+ F' ?* @. k' i$ f4 R2 {& X+ u
276. He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river.'0 o3 y k# P* x' y, _! l4 x8 w/ l5 l
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”。3 ~4 N: @! u" p$ \: C5 A
277. Though Verrazano is by no means considered to be a great explorer, his name will probably remain immortal,
( o, |+ ]- }. \- k* Y1 M* ^; H* 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,. I% E* Z9 X* M9 R0 x
278. for on November 21st, 1964, the longest suspension bridge in the world was named after him.+ j, j% [1 N( p1 t% B5 |
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。
$ {' E2 `' G9 n! G# K0 W D279. The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island.
0 F) d2 `% v' [' a. c+ @+ b 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,$ R+ m+ H# V5 H1 N8 M. w
280. It has a span of 4,260 feet.
6 m+ M4 X$ n: l Z" B; t2 y 桥长4,260英尺。! C: [( x5 E/ |3 F9 U- ^) Q9 J
281. The bridge is so long that the shape of the earth had to be taken into account by its designer.% X6 M5 S: k3 {% d" _2 E
由于桥身太长,设计者不得不考虑了地表的形状。6 {( w% U$ D! a' w& y
282. Two great towers support four huge cables.
( U3 f @/ I6 Q1 g+ E9 i7 O! o- y 两座巨塔支撑着4根粗大的钢缆。6 c/ @/ Y- w/ g& I& G1 c* |* P8 l
283. The towers are built on immense underwater platforms made of steel and concrete.' |9 n' I: A% q8 ^
塔身建在巨大的水下钢盘混凝土平台上。2 X: K0 J* D9 e# s
284. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.
4 b1 b! O7 D* m 平台深入海底100英尺。) F( y$ t+ w* T" s1 ?* f, u
285. These alone took sixteen months to build.' l5 b, x$ V/ g9 K5 W- l `
仅这两座塔就花了16个月才建成。# |! U0 G, l/ ^9 X# ^
286. Above the surface of the water, the towers rise to a height of nearly 700 feet.
1 ~9 M: Q4 O2 r4 @: I4 F 塔身高出水面将近700英尺。& b) C# k4 ]% C- s
287. They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended.1 e: i6 l* \ N9 R9 B3 ]2 l2 A
高塔支撑着钢缆,而钢缆又悬吊着大桥,
# f; w# k5 M9 o( |288. Each of the four cables contains 26,108 lengths of wire.
5 W& O; Q3 n: Z4 ~4 T 4根钢缆中的每根由26,108股钢绳组成。
+ u0 }2 b% S9 A( g5 o4 [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.
+ Q- H. }; J: O" a; c 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。& R+ [+ z4 U" @3 C/ a- ]
290. However, size and strength are not the only important things about this bridge.( Q8 j; j/ O+ |0 s9 [! C" X6 D" p
然而,这座桥重要特点不仅是它的规模与强度。
, ], e$ b- w( I291. Despite its immensity, it is both simple and elegant,
5 S7 a$ D7 x4 S' F0 U 尽管此桥很大,但它的结构简单,造型优美,) e0 `; @1 P' s3 i. e8 j6 c
292. fulfilling its designer's dream to create 'an enormous object drawn as faintly as possible'.$ e- X, q, q: r! _( k$ f
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。 |
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