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
/ T, C' q9 p& H, R; C2 k& i8 |8 A275. Verrazano, an Italian about whom little is known, sailed into New York Harbour in 1524 and named it Angouleme.
0 e8 h6 M) G. c3 m  @2 @- f        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。
" R  U2 R0 n' L" D% q) E3 b276. He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river.'
3 i* _4 B& c* u0 T2 |5 f        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”。
& C+ U6 ]7 ]: [* w; W' e; a: x277. 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，
% c/ A& l/ S# S& @+ i2 O0 I6 j+ R278. for on November 21st, 1964, the longest suspension bridge in the world was named after him.
3 T! S( i$ o, K/ v! T& F2 D        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。
279. The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island.
' W+ `: z8 M; U8 g( t& c. j        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，
280. It has a span of 4,260 feet.
3 N% _: z( z8 J        桥长4,260英尺。
' [/ }9 I3 m! ?, u1 T3 X. w281. 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 |: R( E( q- _8 Z/ F282. Two great towers support four huge cables.
        两座巨塔支撑着4根粗大的钢缆。
8 b7 l) G$ X5 _. |* w$ s8 B% o283. 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.
4 `1 t: S0 Z  D: d2 W/ T8 h' u9 g        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。
8 v2 D6 @' Q. l; {6 T( u8 x286. Above the surface of the water, the towers rise to a height of nearly 700 feet.
1 d( f' @. p9 \9 I7 W        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，
, B/ `' f4 x$ D0 n+ }288. Each of the four cables contains 26,108 lengths of wire.
- j7 K1 x, t8 x        4根钢缆中的每根由26，108股钢绳组成。
  r$ a" |1 m' z, w# Y! ]; k289. 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。
- b1 v! l8 L( x2 j2 G  p) m& Z290. However, size and strength are not the only important things about this bridge.
# x2 h+ g6 l  o- U: r        然而，这座桥重要特点不仅是它的规模与强度。
3 i$ E4 z! m) \1 |* \0 k291. 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'.
  {- D4 x& C. ~* h  \        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。