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
7 a/ V: `3 i: u275. Verrazano, an Italian about whom little is known, sailed into New York Harbour in 1524 and named it Angouleme.
2 v7 K/ Y! c- I        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。
! I* Y5 D, W+ k& x5 M" x276. 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”。
  K, q( |; N/ `/ d2 o) A, Z! \$ v9 y277. Though Verrazano is by no means considered to be a great explorer, his name will probably remain immortal,
6 H- O9 \' f0 }" ^4 r        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，
- u, U& t3 H7 _6 P6 h278. for on November 21st, 1964, the longest suspension bridge in the world was named after him.
. C+ }3 B8 J/ }5 r: ]! [; Z        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。
8 x2 G* R' c9 M4 F279. The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island.
! u+ l, d' |" |  U        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，
3 c* F" K8 H8 s3 [: V/ }% f280. It has a span of 4,260 feet.
3 Z3 R7 p! @& P. ~, D0 P        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.
        由于桥身太长，设计者不得不考虑了地表的形状。
9 S7 ~3 n7 k/ `9 I% ?282. Two great towers support four huge cables.
        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.
* v9 r, ~5 s( B- A# j4 l% q        塔身建在巨大的水下钢盘混凝土平台上。
- c9 X6 s+ E' C+ |9 L- `( M1 S284. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.
        平台深入海底100英尺。
# h3 i% F8 U2 M/ j; _  N285. These alone took sixteen months to build.
        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.
" F5 w4 `# m; |        塔身高出水面将近700英尺。
287. They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended.
        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。
! }# b7 ^& O& b, Q3 m$ [  w289. 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。
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,
+ r9 ]% q; T' d" L4 k  L' f        尽管此桥很大，但它的结构简单，造型优美，
* K% h6 b4 ?. i, ?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。