论文部分内容阅读
I never imagined that I would voluntarily 2)sign up for a tour of a building site—or that I would end up enjoying it. But recently I found myself on board a bus being guided through one of London’s more unlikely new attractions: the vast area in the east of the city that next summer will stage the Olympic Games.
“Welcome to the park of dreams,” said Sean, our guide as we completed 3)formalities at “check-in” for the tour. “You are about to see a bit of history in the making.”
With construction work very much under way, access to the 500-acre site is restricted and you share the road linking the main venues with a 4)fleet of lorries, diggers and delivery vans.
It’s noisy, dusty and 5)frenetic: not overly promising. But it is strangely exciting, giving a great sense of just how far the Olympic project has advanced—and of the attractiveness of some of the architecture.
“At the peak period of construction we had lorries turning up here at a rate of one every 12 seconds,” said Sean, a fund of facts, figures and enthusiasm for a project which, much to the surprise of 6)sceptics, is due to come in on time—and budget (£9.3 billion).
“Ninety percent of the materials used have been recycled; almost 20,000 people have been employed; thousands of 7)shopping trolleys, car tyres and unexploded bombs from the Second World War have been cleared from the 8)River Lea. This part of London, bordering Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest and Newham, was a long-forgotten part of the city. This has transformed it.”
Even though there is more than a year to go before the opening of the Games, many of the main venues are already in place.
And some are striking. As we passed the 9)stingray-shaped roof of the 10)Aquatics Centre, venue for the swimming events, Sean declared: “This fantastic building is where you will be able to watch the greatest11)diver in the world. And I am talking about 12)Tom Daley—not any of those 13)dodgy footballers.”
Another building seen from various angles is the 14)Velodrome (called the15)Pringle thanks to the 16)resemblance of its curvy shape to the crisp), the venue for the cycling events and another place in which British hopes will be focused after the spectacular triumphs of 17)Chris Hoy and team in Beijing in 2008.
With so much construction still under way—work is still proceeding on the Olympic Village for the athletes, a major shopping centre and a new international train station at 18)Stratford—there are no stops or opportunities to get out during the one-hour drive around the site. But the bus travels very slowly, affording good views and photo-opportunities along the way.
Other sights that excited fellow passengers—a mixture of families, couples and groups of friends—included the 80,000-seater main stadium itself, destined after it has been 19)graced by the 20)likes of 21)Usain Bolt next year to become home to 22)West Ham United. As we drove past we were told that this month the track is being laid.
What promises to be the real star of the show is the Orbit, a 23)spiralling tower in red incorporating the five Olympic rings, designed by the sculptor Anish Kapoor. At present all you can see is the tower’s base, but in the weeks and months ahead more and more will be revealed.
“London will be the only city in the world to have hosted the games three times,” said Sean. “But this time we have had much more time to prepare for it. And in addition to providing great venues for the sporting action, the aim is to leave a lasting legacy for this part of London.” Time will tell. But for those wanting to get what Sean termed a view of “history in the making”, a visit to East London now is definitely worthwhile.
Certainly we judged our little team outing to have been a success. The bus tours—which are free of charge—afford the only opportunity of getting inside the site and seeing the venues up close. But there are other ways of getting a sense of what is going on, including walking tours around the outside of the Olympic site or simply taking a stroll (or cycle ride) along the six-mile long 24)Greenway path that in part runs alongside.
A popular 25)vantage point is the View Tube, a building just outside the Olympic park providing 26)panoramic views, detailed information and great coffee and breakfasts. When it opened it was expected to receive 1,000 visitors a month; at the moment it attracts more than 10,000, a figure likely to rise as more and more becomes visible—and the weather improves.
In brilliant afternoon sunshine earlier this week, I joined curious visitors at the View Tube watching the action and having their photographs taken against the backdrop of the 27)gleaming new stadium and the base of Kapoor’s steel tower.
I am a Londoner myself—but it’s always nice to get a fresh take on the city.
我从来没想过自己会主动地参加一个城市工地参观团，也没想到游历一番之后我居然会流连忘返。但最近，我就真的坐上大巴，被领着一览不大可能成为伦敦新景点的地方——位于城东，也是明年夏季奥运会用于竞赛的辽阔场地。
“欢迎来到梦想乐园，”这是我们的导游肖恩在我们办理登记手续的时候说的一番话。“你们将会在工地现场经历一段缔造历史的过程。”
因为大多数建筑工事正紧张进行，那500英亩的场地区一般是禁止游人入内的，况且你还要和成队的卡车，挖土机以及搬运车共用连接各主要场馆的车道。
那里沸天震地，尘土飞扬，一片混乱：前途并非一片光明。但却让人出奇地兴奋，给人奥运工程进展神速的感觉，也为眼前一些极具特色的建筑让人惊喜不已。
“在工程高峰期，每隔12秒就有一辆卡车到这里，”肖恩如是道。这个工程所投入的人力、物力、心力大大出乎怀疑论者的意料，工程将如期竣工，支出也在预算之内（93亿英镑）。
“90%的建筑材料是可循环再用的，近2万人受雇参与工程；成千上万辆购物车、汽车轮胎以及二战时期遗留下来的地雷都被从利河里清除出来。伦敦这一区域——哈克尼区、陶尔哈姆莱茨区、沃尔瑟姆福雷斯特区以及纽汉姆区已久被世人遗忘。奥运工程使之改头换面。”
尽管距离奥运会开幕还有一年多的时间，然而很多主要场馆已经就绪。
其中一些场馆引人注目。当我们经过顶篷酷似魔鬼鱼的游泳中心（用于游泳赛事）时，肖恩说道：“你将会在这个奇幻的场馆见识到最出色的跳水选手。我在说的是汤姆·戴利，可不是指任何一个名不副实的足球运动员。”
另一座从不同角度都可看到的场馆是室内赛车场（因其“流线”外形与薯片有几分相似而被称为“品客”），为举办自行车赛事而设，自英国车手克里斯·霍伊以及他的团队在08年北京奥运会上取得引人注目的胜利以后，这个场地自然将成为英国人又一关注焦点。
还有很多工程仍在紧锣密鼓地进行当中，运动员居住的奥运村，斯特拉特福的一个商场和一个新的国际火车站都尚未竣工，在这一小时的游览里，我们可没有机会停下来一览景点。但是大巴行驶得非常缓慢，我们可以沿途观览和拍照。
另一个适合“合家欢”的景点——包括全家老小，情侣或是一帮朋友——是可容纳8万观众的主场馆，明年这里将会见证乌塞恩·博尔特这类大人物的辉煌时刻，之后它就会成为西汉姆足球俱乐部的主场。当我们的车经过时，导游说这个月跑道就会被铺上去。
另一座肯定能“星光熠熠”的建筑是“轨迹”，一座由雕塑家安妮希·卡普尔设计的红色螺旋高塔，它把奥运的五环连接在一起。现在你能看到的仅是高塔的基底，但是接下来其面纱将会被逐渐揭开。
“伦敦将会是唯一一个主办过三届奥运会的城市，”肖恩说，“但这次我们会有更充足的时间来做准备。除了为赛事提供一流的场馆之外，（我们的）目的还在于要为伦敦的这一带留下永久的遗产。”大浪淘沙，时间会说明一切。但对于那些想体验肖恩所说的“缔造历史的过程”的人来说，现在来伦敦东区一游绝对值得。
当然，我们这次的小组外出旅游很成功。这些免费的大巴观光之旅是我们进入建筑工地近距离观看场馆建设的唯一机会。不过，想一窥工事的进程还有其他办法，例如在奥运场馆建筑工地的外围步行参观或是沿着长六英里、部分路段经过奥运场馆的绿道散步（或骑车）。
其中一个热门的风景最佳观赏点是“观景塔”，一栋位于奥林匹克公园外面的建筑，从那里可以看到公园的全貌，详细的赛事信息以及享受到美味的咖啡和早餐。开放之初，它曾被预计每月可接待1000名游客，而此刻它却吸引了一万多名游客。随着各个场馆相继竣工，天气状况逐渐改善，这里将可能迎来更多游客。
在这个星期前几个阳光灿烂的午后，我与一众多好奇的观光客，在“观景塔”观看施工进程，还帮别人拍下他们以熠熠生辉的新运动场和卡普尔铁塔基座为背景的照片。
我是地道的伦敦人，但是看看这座城市的新变化总不失为一件乐事。
“Welcome to the park of dreams,” said Sean, our guide as we completed 3)formalities at “check-in” for the tour. “You are about to see a bit of history in the making.”
With construction work very much under way, access to the 500-acre site is restricted and you share the road linking the main venues with a 4)fleet of lorries, diggers and delivery vans.
It’s noisy, dusty and 5)frenetic: not overly promising. But it is strangely exciting, giving a great sense of just how far the Olympic project has advanced—and of the attractiveness of some of the architecture.
“At the peak period of construction we had lorries turning up here at a rate of one every 12 seconds,” said Sean, a fund of facts, figures and enthusiasm for a project which, much to the surprise of 6)sceptics, is due to come in on time—and budget (£9.3 billion).
“Ninety percent of the materials used have been recycled; almost 20,000 people have been employed; thousands of 7)shopping trolleys, car tyres and unexploded bombs from the Second World War have been cleared from the 8)River Lea. This part of London, bordering Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest and Newham, was a long-forgotten part of the city. This has transformed it.”
Even though there is more than a year to go before the opening of the Games, many of the main venues are already in place.
And some are striking. As we passed the 9)stingray-shaped roof of the 10)Aquatics Centre, venue for the swimming events, Sean declared: “This fantastic building is where you will be able to watch the greatest11)diver in the world. And I am talking about 12)Tom Daley—not any of those 13)dodgy footballers.”
Another building seen from various angles is the 14)Velodrome (called the15)Pringle thanks to the 16)resemblance of its curvy shape to the crisp), the venue for the cycling events and another place in which British hopes will be focused after the spectacular triumphs of 17)Chris Hoy and team in Beijing in 2008.
With so much construction still under way—work is still proceeding on the Olympic Village for the athletes, a major shopping centre and a new international train station at 18)Stratford—there are no stops or opportunities to get out during the one-hour drive around the site. But the bus travels very slowly, affording good views and photo-opportunities along the way.
Other sights that excited fellow passengers—a mixture of families, couples and groups of friends—included the 80,000-seater main stadium itself, destined after it has been 19)graced by the 20)likes of 21)Usain Bolt next year to become home to 22)West Ham United. As we drove past we were told that this month the track is being laid.
What promises to be the real star of the show is the Orbit, a 23)spiralling tower in red incorporating the five Olympic rings, designed by the sculptor Anish Kapoor. At present all you can see is the tower’s base, but in the weeks and months ahead more and more will be revealed.
“London will be the only city in the world to have hosted the games three times,” said Sean. “But this time we have had much more time to prepare for it. And in addition to providing great venues for the sporting action, the aim is to leave a lasting legacy for this part of London.” Time will tell. But for those wanting to get what Sean termed a view of “history in the making”, a visit to East London now is definitely worthwhile.
Certainly we judged our little team outing to have been a success. The bus tours—which are free of charge—afford the only opportunity of getting inside the site and seeing the venues up close. But there are other ways of getting a sense of what is going on, including walking tours around the outside of the Olympic site or simply taking a stroll (or cycle ride) along the six-mile long 24)Greenway path that in part runs alongside.
A popular 25)vantage point is the View Tube, a building just outside the Olympic park providing 26)panoramic views, detailed information and great coffee and breakfasts. When it opened it was expected to receive 1,000 visitors a month; at the moment it attracts more than 10,000, a figure likely to rise as more and more becomes visible—and the weather improves.
In brilliant afternoon sunshine earlier this week, I joined curious visitors at the View Tube watching the action and having their photographs taken against the backdrop of the 27)gleaming new stadium and the base of Kapoor’s steel tower.
I am a Londoner myself—but it’s always nice to get a fresh take on the city.
我从来没想过自己会主动地参加一个城市工地参观团，也没想到游历一番之后我居然会流连忘返。但最近，我就真的坐上大巴，被领着一览不大可能成为伦敦新景点的地方——位于城东，也是明年夏季奥运会用于竞赛的辽阔场地。
“欢迎来到梦想乐园，”这是我们的导游肖恩在我们办理登记手续的时候说的一番话。“你们将会在工地现场经历一段缔造历史的过程。”
因为大多数建筑工事正紧张进行，那500英亩的场地区一般是禁止游人入内的，况且你还要和成队的卡车，挖土机以及搬运车共用连接各主要场馆的车道。
那里沸天震地，尘土飞扬，一片混乱：前途并非一片光明。但却让人出奇地兴奋，给人奥运工程进展神速的感觉，也为眼前一些极具特色的建筑让人惊喜不已。
“在工程高峰期，每隔12秒就有一辆卡车到这里，”肖恩如是道。这个工程所投入的人力、物力、心力大大出乎怀疑论者的意料，工程将如期竣工，支出也在预算之内（93亿英镑）。
“90%的建筑材料是可循环再用的，近2万人受雇参与工程；成千上万辆购物车、汽车轮胎以及二战时期遗留下来的地雷都被从利河里清除出来。伦敦这一区域——哈克尼区、陶尔哈姆莱茨区、沃尔瑟姆福雷斯特区以及纽汉姆区已久被世人遗忘。奥运工程使之改头换面。”
尽管距离奥运会开幕还有一年多的时间，然而很多主要场馆已经就绪。
其中一些场馆引人注目。当我们经过顶篷酷似魔鬼鱼的游泳中心（用于游泳赛事）时，肖恩说道：“你将会在这个奇幻的场馆见识到最出色的跳水选手。我在说的是汤姆·戴利，可不是指任何一个名不副实的足球运动员。”
另一座从不同角度都可看到的场馆是室内赛车场（因其“流线”外形与薯片有几分相似而被称为“品客”），为举办自行车赛事而设，自英国车手克里斯·霍伊以及他的团队在08年北京奥运会上取得引人注目的胜利以后，这个场地自然将成为英国人又一关注焦点。
还有很多工程仍在紧锣密鼓地进行当中，运动员居住的奥运村，斯特拉特福的一个商场和一个新的国际火车站都尚未竣工，在这一小时的游览里，我们可没有机会停下来一览景点。但是大巴行驶得非常缓慢，我们可以沿途观览和拍照。
另一个适合“合家欢”的景点——包括全家老小，情侣或是一帮朋友——是可容纳8万观众的主场馆，明年这里将会见证乌塞恩·博尔特这类大人物的辉煌时刻，之后它就会成为西汉姆足球俱乐部的主场。当我们的车经过时，导游说这个月跑道就会被铺上去。
另一座肯定能“星光熠熠”的建筑是“轨迹”，一座由雕塑家安妮希·卡普尔设计的红色螺旋高塔，它把奥运的五环连接在一起。现在你能看到的仅是高塔的基底，但是接下来其面纱将会被逐渐揭开。
“伦敦将会是唯一一个主办过三届奥运会的城市，”肖恩说，“但这次我们会有更充足的时间来做准备。除了为赛事提供一流的场馆之外，（我们的）目的还在于要为伦敦的这一带留下永久的遗产。”大浪淘沙，时间会说明一切。但对于那些想体验肖恩所说的“缔造历史的过程”的人来说，现在来伦敦东区一游绝对值得。
当然，我们这次的小组外出旅游很成功。这些免费的大巴观光之旅是我们进入建筑工地近距离观看场馆建设的唯一机会。不过，想一窥工事的进程还有其他办法，例如在奥运场馆建筑工地的外围步行参观或是沿着长六英里、部分路段经过奥运场馆的绿道散步（或骑车）。
其中一个热门的风景最佳观赏点是“观景塔”，一栋位于奥林匹克公园外面的建筑，从那里可以看到公园的全貌，详细的赛事信息以及享受到美味的咖啡和早餐。开放之初，它曾被预计每月可接待1000名游客，而此刻它却吸引了一万多名游客。随着各个场馆相继竣工，天气状况逐渐改善，这里将可能迎来更多游客。
在这个星期前几个阳光灿烂的午后，我与一众多好奇的观光客，在“观景塔”观看施工进程，还帮别人拍下他们以熠熠生辉的新运动场和卡普尔铁塔基座为背景的照片。
我是地道的伦敦人，但是看看这座城市的新变化总不失为一件乐事。