The Longest Suspension Bridge in the World 世界上最长的吊桥

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".

9. The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.

平台深入海底100英尺。

语言点:句子结构分析:of over 100 feet under the sea是depth的后置定语。

10. These alone took sixteen months to build.

仅这两座塔就花了16个月才建成。

语言点1:alone在此处是副词，意为“仅，单单”
语言点2:take some time to do sth.的意思是“花费多少时间做某事”。

11. Above the surface of the water, the towers rise to a height of nearly 700 feet.

塔身高出水面将近700英尺。

语言点:句子结构分析:above the surface of the water放在句首，充当地点状语。

12. 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。

语言点:句子结构分析:which引导定语从句，修饰cables。From与从句中的has been suspended形成固定搭配，即suspend from，意思是“从…悬吊下来”。