評論
打印
Modern cities heading back to nature
“綠色脊柱”將撐起墨市天空
When we think of how cities will look in the future, we probably picture tall gray buildings and skies filled with flying cars.
當我們想象未來城市的模樣時，浮現在腦海中的或許會是高聳入云的灰色大樓以及滿是飛行汽車的天空。
One city in Australia, however, is trying to change that image.
而澳大利亞的一座城市正試圖改變這樣的景象。
Earlier in last September , it was reported that the city of Melbourne plans to build a pair of tall towers, which look more like massive tree houses than skyscrapers.
據報道，去年九月初，墨爾本市計劃建起兩座高塔，它們看起來更像是巨大的書屋，而非摩天大樓。
The project, known as the Green Spine, will turn Melbourne's skyline from gray to green once the two towers are completed, with one of the buildings becoming the tallest in the Southern Hemisphere, at 356.2 meters tall.
該項目被稱為“綠色脊柱”，兩座高塔建成后將會為灰色的墨爾本天際線增添一抹綠色。而其中的一座高塔將成為南半球的最高建筑，高356.2米。
Both towers will have balconies running down one side, filled with plants and trees.
兩座高塔的一側都有露臺貫穿全樓，種滿植物與樹木。
Meanwhile, on the top of each tower, a botanical garden will offer a relaxing space where visitors can enjoy nature, away from the noise of the city.
與此同時，每座高塔的頂層都有一個植物館，為游客提供一個放松的環境，讓他們能夠享受自然，遠離城市的喧囂。
"Our green spaces are our city's lungs, its shade from the sun," building architect Phil Rowe said in a news release.
“我們的綠色空間是城市之肺，也是遮陽之處，”建筑師菲爾·羅維在一篇新聞稿中如此表示。
In spite of their proposed size, these buildings are just a small part of a wider trend for greener and more eco-friendly structures.
盡管這兩座建筑規劃的規模不小，但在追求更為環保的建筑大潮流中，它們不過是很小的一環而已。
Plans are already underway in several cities around the world to build entire skyscrapers from wood, with an 18-story building made from pine already existing in Minneapolis, US.
世界各地的多個城市都已經提出了用木頭來建造整棟摩天大樓的計劃，其中，美國的明尼阿波利斯市已經用松木建起了一座18層高的大樓。
Indeed, in this modern age of technology and tall buildings, it seems that people just want a touch of nature in their lives.
在這個科技與摩天大樓的時代，人們似乎的確想在自己的生活中加入點自然的元素。
"The 20th century was the concrete age; it was all about the dominion of man over nature," British architect Anthony Thistleton told the BBC.
“20世紀是混凝土時代，體現了人類對自然的征服，”英國建筑師安東尼·西斯爾頓在接受BBC采訪時表示。
"Now, we're transitioning toward a different attitude, a more nurturing one."
“如今，我們的態度正變得截然不同，提倡反哺自然。”
The move toward making cities greener places isn't a new concept.
令城市變得更環保的舉措并不是一個新概念。
One just needs to look at places such as New York's Central Park to see that natural spaces and sprawling cities have been partners for hundreds of years.
看看紐約的中央公園等地是如何令自然環境與擴張的城市和諧共處數百年就明白了。
And, of course, wooden buildings themselves have been around far longer than concrete and steel ones.
當然，木質建筑出現的時間也比混凝土與鋼筋建筑要早得多。
In fact, China's wooden Fogong Temple Pagoda, located in Shanxi province, is still standing almost 1,000 years after it was built.
事實上，近千年前建成的中國山西省的佛宮塔如今仍然屹立不倒。
So, like many other trends from fashion to technology, it seems that humankind is taking a step backwards to a simpler time.
所以，就像從時尚到科技等其他領域的諸多趨勢一樣，人類似乎正在回到一個更簡單的時代。
Our future may not be as we pictured it, but it'll certainly be a lot greener.
我們的未來或許與我們所暢想的并不一樣，但一定會變得更加環保。
