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
& h" I1 i1 t  ]( g8 \9 `) K, P275. Verrazano, an Italian about whom little is known, sailed into New York Harbour in 1524 and named it Angouleme.
        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。
0 S% p; `+ G2 ^+ M276. He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river.'
8 [( {" M2 O1 I! e' W& s        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，
+ T: G6 x0 u, D; J, H, W  V278. 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。
/ g& h! e) |4 `$ a$ y; M$ o' u279. The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island.
" o2 m. {6 G! L2 a8 {( E3 j9 M, S* 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，
! I2 y0 J8 W- ~, c7 _# l3 I280. It has a span of 4,260 feet.
& p/ y+ T+ O- f: ^3 \        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.
  q- B% O. I9 R" r        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.
  X# N, o: V) Z. l5 E        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.
        平台深入海底100英尺。
: e* T1 _9 q7 s) J285. These alone took sixteen months to build.
        仅这两座塔就花了16个月才建成。
4 o' Z4 M4 r$ C/ j5 C9 z286. Above the surface of the water, the towers rise to a height of nearly 700 feet.
        塔身高出水面将近700英尺。
( e, L& c+ t! }# R; D5 f3 D: T4 L8 m287. They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended.
/ [/ x7 ?/ O; a: w8 O# d" g        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。
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.
) q0 r4 t* g2 q: t+ D5 w        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.
' M) q0 x8 ^7 w; X, C: W; s        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,
* A" Z# ?# Q& s/ P        尽管此桥很大，但它的结构简单，造型优美，
& c$ }9 [, |8 F292. 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。