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
8 s" h- m; q" U/ H275. Verrazano, an Italian about whom little is known, sailed into New York Harbour in 1524 and named it Angouleme.
0 ~% i: f, L1 e        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.'
5 w  a6 t9 A1 W5 R4 {1 M        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”。
! i- x. }$ d3 ]7 R277. 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，
! a! C% O0 H; m/ x6 `6 R2 A% \278. for on November 21st, 1964, the longest suspension bridge in the world was named after him.
, ]$ Z& e% c* Z' g- m) l4 o/ P- f        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。
1 B5 O" X# J' R& @0 x" h279. 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，
1 t1 X7 K8 h5 j* S280. It has a span of 4,260 feet.
        桥长4,260英尺。
) d4 T2 `6 X  \1 T% i281. 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。
' G- C" z1 |' r. ]282. Two great towers support four huge cables.
        两座巨塔支撑着4根粗大的钢缆。
0 z% b* q* S% X283. The towers are built on immense underwater platforms made of steel and concrete.
1 d/ {  a  s% Q) I/ }& o; l        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.
* d9 ~) ]6 N5 s        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。
% c7 [) a7 B# t* X! K286. Above the surface of the water, the towers rise to a height of nearly 700 feet.
8 ^" N. a% T" A8 |7 J        塔身高出水面将近700英尺。
287. They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended.
: j6 i  @) t" f- \" ]        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.
( v& h% v% f% [        4根钢缆中的每根由26，108股钢绳组成。
( a9 X9 L6 F+ U$ z- s5 M" @8 U289. 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。
5 ?; d7 ^( ~. c; n% v3 @290. However, size and strength are not the only important things about this bridge.
5 Q1 e: C# N5 B9 `/ g1 y) H        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,
* }5 q& w) `$ ?        尽管此桥很大，但它的结构简单，造型优美，
* V" o, v2 }  Z292. fulfilling its designer's dream to create 'an enormous object drawn as faintly as possible'.
* d: b0 i* q9 ?+ w% y: P        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。