# 第三册 Lesson 17 The longest suspension bridge in the world 世界上最长的悬索桥

## 一、课文原文

Verrazano, an Italian about whom little is known, sailed into New York Harbour in 1524 and named it Angoulême. 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'.

## 二、重点词汇详解

| 单词 | 音标 | 词性 | 释义 | 用法说明 |
|------|------|------|------|----------|
| suspension | /səs'penʃən/ | n. | 悬，吊 | suspend v. 悬挂；suspension bridge悬索桥 |
| agreeable | /ə'gri:əbəl/ | adj. | 宜人的 | =pleasant；agree v. 同意 |
| situation | /'sitʃu'eiʃən/ | n. | 地点，地方 | 此处不指"形势"，而指"位置" |
| locate | /ləu'keit/ | v. | 位于 | be located in/at 位于 |
| immortal | /i'mɔ:tl/ | adj. | 永生的，流芳百世的 | mortal adj. 会死的 |
| span | /spæn/ | n. | 跨度 | 动词意为"横跨" |
| cable | /'keibəl/ | n. | 缆索 | cable car缆车；cable TV有线电视 |
| concrete | /'kɔŋkri:t/ | n. | 混凝土 | 区别：cement水泥 |
| suspend | /səs'pend/ | v. | 悬挂 | suspend from从……悬挂 |
| length | /leŋθ/ | n. | 根，段 | 此处指"一股/根"钢绳 |
| estimate | /'estimeit/ | v. | 估计 | It is estimated that... 据估计 |
| capacity | /kə'pæsiti/ | n. | 承受量 | capacity for... ……的能力/容量 |
| immensity | /i'mensiti/ | n. | 巨大 | immense adj. 巨大的 |
| elegant | /'eligənt/ | adj. | 优美别致的 | elegance n. 优雅 |
| faintly | /'feintli/ | adv. | 微细地 | faint adj. 微弱的 |
| depth | /depθ/ | n. | 深度 | deep → depth |

## 三、语法知识点

### 1. 介词+关系代词引导的定语从句
- **about whom little is known**——鲜为人知
- **in the midst of which flowed a great river**——中间流过一条大河
- 结构：介词 + which/whom，which指物，whom指人
- 注意：从句中谓语动词可倒装（flowed a great river = a great river flowed）

### 2. describe...as...
- 作"把……描绘成……""认为……"讲
- 例：He described the city as beautiful.

### 3. by no means
- 意为"决不，无论如何都不"，强调否定
- =not at all / in no way
- 例：He is by no means a great explorer.

### 4. be named after sb.
- 意为"以某人的名字命名"
- 例：The bridge was named after him.

### 5. be taken into account
- 意为"被考虑到"
- =be taken into consideration
- 例：The shape of the earth had to be taken into account.

### 6. It has been estimated that...
- 意为"据估计……"
- 固定句型，it为形式主语，that从句为真正主语

### 7. 虚拟语气（与现在/将来事实相反的假设）
- **if the bridge were packed with cars, it would still only be carrying a third...**
- 从句：if + 过去式（were）
- 主句：would + 动词原形/进行式

### 8. so...that...结果状语从句
- **The bridge is so long that the shape of the earth had to be taken into account**
- 如此……以至于……

## 四、重点句型分析

### 1. a very agreeable situation located within two small hills
- located为过去分词短语作后置定语，修饰situation
- 意为"位于两座小山之间的宜人之地"

### 2. in the midst of which flowed a great river
- "介词+which"引导定语从句
- which指代two small hills
- 从句倒装：flowed a great river = a great river flowed

### 3. fulfilling its designer's dream to create 'an enormous object drawn as faintly as possible'
- 现在分词fulfilling作伴随状语
- drawn为过去分词作object的后置定语
- as faintly as possible 尽可能微细地

### 4. 尽管结构对比

| 表达 | 含义 |
|------|------|
| Despite its immensity | 尽管它巨大 |
| In spite of its immensity | 尽管它巨大 |
| Although it is immense | 尽管它巨大 |

## 五、课文翻译

1524年，一位鲜为人知的意大利人维拉萨诺驾船驶进纽约港，并将该港命名为安古拉姆。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"。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，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的。

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，桥长4,260英尺。由于桥身太长，设计者不得不考虑了地表的形状。两座巨塔支撑着4根粗大的钢缆。塔身建在巨大的水下钢筋混凝土平台上。平台深入海底100英尺。仅这两座塔就花了16个月才建成。塔身高出水面将近700英尺。高塔支撑着钢缆，而钢缆又悬吊着大桥。4根钢缆中的每根由26,108股钢绳组成。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。然而，这座桥的重要特点不仅是它的规模与强度。尽管此桥很大，但它的结构简单，造型优美，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。

## 六、语言点精讲

### 写作手法
- **由人及桥**：先介绍Verrazano其人，再介绍以他命名的桥，形成过渡
- **数据支撑**：大量精确数据（4,260英尺、26,108股、100英尺深度）增强说服力
- **对比手法**：immensity与elegant形成鲜明对比——巨大却优美
- **引用名言**：末句引用设计师的话"an enormous object drawn as faintly as possible"升华主题

### 文化背景
- **维拉萨诺大桥（Verrazano-Narrows Bridge）**：连接纽约布鲁克林区和斯塔滕岛，1964年建成
- **Verrazano**：意大利探险家，1524年首次进入纽约港的欧洲人
- **Othmar Ammann**：瑞士裔美国桥梁工程师，设计了多座纽约著名桥梁

## 七、课后练习要点

1. 词汇：掌握suspension, span, capacity, immensity, elegant等重点词
2. 语法：介词+关系代词引导定语从句；by no means；虚拟语气
3. 句型：be named after; be taken into account; It is estimated that...
4. 理解：桥的两个重要特点是什么？——规模与强度 + 简单与优雅

## 八、本课小结

- 核心词汇：suspension, agreeable, immortal, span, capacity, immensity, elegant
- 核心语法：介词+关系代词定语从句、虚拟语气、so...that结果状语从句
- 核心句型：be named after, be taken into account, It is estimated that, describe...as
- 写作特色：由人及桥的过渡、数据论证、对比手法、引用名言