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
  {$ Y2 \& V" i9 n, K9 h275. Verrazano, an Italian about whom little is known, sailed into New York Harbour in 1524 and named it Angouleme.
* w/ M- M: j# o8 `        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。
. S; k% n6 [& x8 ^9 O2 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”。
- t0 y, e5 p& i2 T$ N1 }277. Though Verrazano is by no means considered to be a great explorer, his name will probably remain immortal,
9 o, P( p% X% P        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.
        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。
) L% X6 Y" y# [9 i5 {% M' N279. 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，
3 J& v' U* t5 a' r8 d280. It has a span of 4,260 feet.
# K0 U; Z3 H, _0 K" Z        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。
; O3 m% s2 y, ^- n! m+ ^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.
        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.
. d% ]( h4 l, ~# d& f        平台深入海底100英尺。
( @* W+ z" j9 N2 i# k285. 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.
& C/ S1 I0 d$ T+ H9 i        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。
' O+ x4 Y# M5 r+ r% I$ |3 Y289. 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.
8 r% e0 ]1 X" r1 |; Q% q        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,
        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。