The Longest Suspension Bridge in the World 世界上最長的吊橋

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 make 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 paced 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".

13. Each of the four cables contains 26,108 lengths of wire.

4根鋼纜中的每根由26，108股鋼繩組成。

語言點:contain指的是可見實物的“包括，包含”，在本句中指的是“包含”鋼繩。

14. It has been estimated that if the bridge were paced with cars, it would still only be carrying a third of its total capacity.

據估計，若橋上擺滿了汽車，也只不過是橋的總承載力的1/3。

語言點:句子結構分析:句中含有一個主語從句，it為形式主語，that引導的從句是真正的主語。在主語從句中，又有一個由if引導的條件狀語從句，表示“即使…也…”。

15. However, size and strength are not the only important things about this bridge.

然而，這座橋重要特點不僅是它的規模與強度。

語言點:句子結構分析:however在句中表示轉折。

16. Despite its immensity, it is both simple and elegant, fulfilling its designer's dream to create "an enormous object drawn as faintly as possible".
盡管此橋很大，但它的結構簡單，造型優美，實現了設計者企圖創造一個“盡量用細線條勾畫出一個龐然大物”的夢想。

語言點:句子結構分析；despite its immensity是讓步狀語，交代一個條件后再說橋很漂亮，使讀者對這座橋充滿無限遐想。Fulfilling it's designer's…是現在分詞短語，作整個句子的狀語。