---
url: >-
  https://gaojian.site/new-concept/book-3/17-the-longest-suspension-bridge-in-the-world.md
description: 新概念英语第三册：The Longest Suspension Bridge in the World。精读、词块回忆、双向译练、句法、逻辑与FSRS复习。
---

# 17 · 世界上最长的吊桥

### 第1段

Verrazano, an Italian about whom little is known, sailed into New York Harbour in 1524 and named it Angouleme. He described it as "a very agreeable situation located within two small hills in the midst of which flowed a great river." Though Verrazano is by no means considered to be a great explorer, his name will probably remain immortal, for on November 21st, 1964, the longest suspension bridge in the world was named after him.
The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island. It has a span of 4,260 feet. The bridge is so long that the shape of the earth had to be taken into account by its designer. Two great towers support four huge cables. The towers are built on immense underwater platforms made of steel and concrete. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea. These alone took sixteen months to build. Above the surface of the water, the towers rise to a height of nearly 700 feet. They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended. Each of the four cables contains 26,108 lengths of wire. It has been estimated that if the bridge were packed with cars, it would still only be carrying a third of its total capacity. However, size and strength are not the only important things about this bridge. Despite its immensity, it is both simple and elegant, fulfilling its designer's dream to create "an enormous object drawn as faintly as possible".

中文理解：1524年，一位名叫韦拉扎诺的意大利人驶入纽约港，并将它命名为昂古莱姆。关于这个人，人们知之甚少。他形容这里是“一处十分宜人的地方，坐落在两座小山之间，一条大河从中流过”。虽然韦拉扎诺并不被认为是什么伟大的探险家，但他的名字很可能会长久流传，因为1964年11月21日，当时世界上最长的一座悬索桥以他的名字命名了。
韦拉扎诺大桥由奥特马尔·阿曼设计，连接布鲁克林和斯塔滕岛，跨度达4,260英尺。桥身如此之长，设计师连地球的曲率都必须考虑在内。两座巨塔支撑着四根巨大的缆索，塔身建在由钢材和混凝土构成的庞大水下平台上。平台深入海面以下一百多英尺，光建造它们就用了十六个月。塔身露出水面的部分高近七百英尺，托起悬吊桥身的缆索。四根缆索中的每一根，都由26,108根钢丝组成。据估计，即使桥面上挤满汽车，承受的重量也只达到设计载荷的三分之一。不过，这座桥的价值并不只在于规模和强度。尽管体量庞大，它却简洁优美，实现了设计师的梦想：让“一件庞然大物，呈现出尽可能轻盈的轮廓”。

* **is known**：为人所知；little is known about… 保留知之甚少，不等于一无所知。

* **in the midst of**：在……中间；正处于……之中；可说空间位置或事件过程，较 in the middle of 正式。

* **by no means**：绝不；一点也不；语气强于 not，放句首时可能引发倒装。

* **was named after**：以……命名；after 引出纪念或沿用的名字。

* **taken into account**：被考虑在内；记作整组，宾语通常在 take 和 into 之间。

* **made of**：由……材料制成；通常材料仍可辨认；制造地用made in。

* **to a depth of**：达到……深度；用于测量深度，与 to a height of 对照。

* **rise to a height of**：高达……；height 表高度，depth 表深度；数字前的 to 表达到。

* **a third of**：……的三分之一；注意百分比或分数所对应的整体是谁。

* **as faintly as possible**：尽可能轻盈淡雅地；as + 副词 + as possible；本课比喻桥的视觉轻盈，不是说结构不牢。

#### 原文注释 · Verrazano, an Italian about whom little is known, sailed into New York Harbour in 1524 and named it Angouleme.

注释：①agreeable situation = nice location。②located = situated。③in the midst = in the middle of, between which。④by no means = in no way/in no case/in no sense/in no circumstances。⑤considered = thought。⑥remain immortal = never die。

#### 原文注释 · The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn to Staten Island.

注释：①span = extent, arch。②taken into account = taken into consideration, considered。③support = hold。④It has been estimated that…重点句型，在表格之类的表述中应用。⑤派生词capability 内在的潜力，能力，容量，生产力，faculty 主观的能力。⑥elegant 优美别致、举止得体，而graceful 侧重体型优美。⑦fulfilling 分词作状语表结果。\[1]此处alone 为副词作程度状语，表示仅仅、单单，emphasizing the size of that part and the size of the total amount.

#### Summary 摘要

The Verrazano Bridge, which joins Brooklyn to Staten Island, has a span of 4,260 feet. Its two great towers support four huge cables. The towers are built on platforms made of steel and concrete, extending over 100 feet under the sea and rising nearly 700 feet above the surface of the water. The bridge is suspended from four huge cables, each of which contains 26,108 lengths of wire. It is not only very strong, but simple and elegant as well. (80 words)

#### Composition 作文

The bridge I know best is called the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It joins either side of Sydney Harbour. From far away it looks like a great arch, but when you get near, you can see a great deck under the arch. It is made of steel and supported by two towers. If you stand on the bridge early in the morning, you can see the Parramatta River to the west and the open sea to the east. At this time everything is quiet. During the day, however, the harbour becomes busy with small boats and large ships moving in all directions. I enjoy standing on the bridge at night when you see the magnificent(壮丽的) Opera House looking like a great sailing ship. In the darkness you can see the city lights. In the stillness(在万籁俱静之际) the traffic and the movement of the sea are the only sounds that can be heard. (150 words)

## 学完这一课

介绍一位了解不多的人，用 about whom… 补信息，再继续主句。

[Nce · 本册复习台](/new-concept/book-3/review) · [三册选择地图](/new-concept/)

*译文依据整理稿，由本站按中文表达重新校订；解析据吴应时、何景霖整理资料及首轮审校稿；词伙与练习提示为本站学习设计。原PDF第59—61页，2022年2月第3版。*