Old and new, East and West meet in Shanghai 上海：新旧融合，东西方交会的所在。
by Lisa Holl Chang
Shanghai dazzles visitors with its variety of places new and old, East and West. New Shanghai begins at the airport with a step onto the Maglev, Shanghai’s high-speed train. Reaching 431 km/h, it whisks travelers the 32 kilometers from the airport to Pudong in eight minutes. Visitors disembark from the Maglev at Pudong, where Shanghai’s modern side awaits right outside the station.
New, modern Pudong
Twenty years of intense development has given Pudong-and Shanghai-a new skyline. People usually first notice the Oriental Pearl Tower, which has come to symbolize Shanghai. Besides serving as a TV and radio tower, the Oriental Pearl houses museums and a rotating restaurant. South of it stands the 421-m-tall Jin Mao Tower, which has hosted BASE-jumping events from just above its 88th floor. The Shanghai World Financial Center, the city's tallest building, towers above both structures at 492 m. The 100th-floor observatory has glass floors, giving visitors a bird's eye view of the city. The best view of Pudong's skyline, however, is from across the Huangpu RIver on a walk along the Bund.
The historic Bund
The West's influence on Shanghai is very apparent on the Bund. European countries and America' established concessions here between the early 1840s and 1943. Visiting the Bund takes one back to that era. Fifty-two buildings, all built in fashionable European styles, line this famous section of East Zhongshan First Road.
The HSBC building, which now houses the Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, dominates the Bund. Inside, visitors' gazes are drawn to colorful mosaics on the dome ceiling. Another remarkable building, the Customs House, stand next door. The clock on top, nicknamed "Big Ch'ing" and similar in design to London's Big Ben arrived from England in 1843.
The old Chinese city
Just south of the Bund, the traditional buildings and tiny lanes of the old Chinese city take visitors back in time here, the Yuyuan Gardens are the main attraction. Built in 1577 by a government official for his parents, the Yuyuan Gardens occupy an area of two hectares. The carefully designed gardens, calm ponds and exquisite, buildings provide a respite for visitors. Nearby, Shanghai's Old Street is a great place to bargain for souvenirs.
Exciting Nanjing Road
While the Bund and old Chinese city interest history buffs, Nanjing Road excites shoppers. Shanghai's premier shopping destination. Nanjing Road boasts 5.5 km of shops, malls, restaurants and excitement. Colorful neon signs light up the street at night when thousands of people flood the area.
The People's Square, which divides Nanjing East and West Roads, offers great cultural experiences, including the Shanghai Museum. The museum displays 120,000 pieces of ancient Chinese art including impressive collections of bronzes, ceramics and paintings.
Trendy Xintiandi
Shanghai's past and present meet in Xintiandi, one of Shanghai's hottest nightlife destinations. Just nine years ago, Xintiandi was a crowded, old community of shabby. shikumen-style houses (Shikumen means "stone gate" )
Today, restored shikumen exteriors open into restaurants, shops and art galleries. Photographer Guo Changyao comments, "In the 21st century, if you don't go to xintiandi, then you haven't seen Shanghai."
To truly experience Shanghai one must explore all its sides. The beauty of the city lies in its old and new, West and East.
Grammar
People usually first notice the Oriental Pearl Tower, which has come to symbolize Shanghai.
Warren has come to say good-bye.
has come to
People usually first notice the Oriental Peal Tower, which has now become the symbol of Shanghai.
symbolize
represent: Although blue jeans were originally designed to be work pants they have come to represent a fashion style.
mean: For some people, wearing fur has come to mean animal cruelty.
Vocabulary
Dazzle (v)-Daisy dazzled her friends when she showed them her diamond ring.眼花缭乱,使目眩.
*The fireworks dazzled the entire audience.
*She was dazzled by her sudden fame.
*The stars are dazzling in the night sky.
whisk (v)-The elevator whisked us up to the top floor of the building.快速的走开(带开)
*He was whisked away to the emergency room when he had a heart attack.
*Elaine's husband whisked her away to New York for the weekend on her birthday.
financial (adj)-My financial planning consists of a savings account and some stock investments.
observatory (n)-The observatory at the top of the mountain provides a grand view of the whole city. rotate-The interns will rotate from department to department.
rotate-slowly turning.轮流,旋转交替,轮流去.
* Rotate the handle gently when you open the gate.轻轻旋转手把.
era (n)-We are living in an era of rapid communication and technological advances.年代。时期
*the era of Great Depression.
*The invention of TVs opened a new era of entertainment.
*The movie tried to recreate the elegant life style of the bygone era.
intense-something a lot of concentration and hard work.
apparent-noticeable
gaze-see
hectares-公顷
Bund-the area you can walk on.
dominate (v)-Google dominates web searches. Most people use that site to find things online.
attraction (n)-吸引力，吸引人的地点或游乐节目，最主要的景点
The Eiffel Tower is the most famous tourist attraction in Paris.
*The roller-coaster is the most popular attraction in this amusement park.
*Taipei 101 is the main attraction for tourists.
bargain (v)-1.you bargain for a bargain.2.talk back and forth to get a bargain. 讨价还价。
Gina doesn't like to bargain, She prefers to buy at stores with fixed prices.
concessions-租借的，让步，迁就，
You can still find some European buildings in the old British concessions in Hong Kong.
Both companies made mutual concessions so the deal can go on.
boast (v)-This restaurant boasts the best beef noodles in town.以拥有某东西而自豪，自居，自夸炫耀
*Rome boasts historic sites and ancient culture.
*Hawaii boasts beautiful beaches mild weather and friendly locals.
*Eve always boasts about her wealth.
bronze (n)-At the museum, I learned how people used bronzes thousands of years ago.
shabby (adj)-The house is a little shabby. It's old and some things need to be fixed.垃圾场旁的小破屋
*The shabby jacket the child wore didn't keep him warm in the winter.破旧的，简陋的
restore (v)-The restored castle now has a museum and restaurant inside.重新恢复,重建整修.恢复.
*The architects spent a great amount of time trying to restore the ancient palace.
*After a month of rest, he was fully restored to health.
buffs- follow, admire and interested in certain subject.
flood to the area-a lot of people come in at the period of time like water flood in.
Chat Room
bird's eye view- view you will see like a bird fly in the sky. see from above 鸟瞰,如鸟般的从高空往下看
figuratively meaning:如鸟般俯瞰大地的视觉,感受.
snake eyes-蛇眼,玩游戏,二个dice 掷出出现各一点.
fish eyes-fish-eye lens摄影镜头,极端的广角镜头,鱼眼镜头.
a deer in headlights- shacked with eyes wild open-在深夜,乡间开车,遇到过马路的鹿,他们的第一个反应不会逃而是不知所措,睁眼停在原处,盯着车头灯看.指对事情,豪无反应,不知所措,一片茫然.
He looks like a deer in headlights.他的样子,看起来,被恐慌凝结,毫无反应的鹿.
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government official (n),高层主管,部长,首长,署长,处长.. office (policeman, military authority position person)军官,警官. official and office are 政府官员
high rank of government official.高层主管.高级政府官员.
official (adj)-official visit, Prime Minister's official residence.公家的,出自于官方的.
an official statement or document.正式官方公文.
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shanghai (v)-"s"小写,被骗,绑架,或是被强迫工作,简易说是被伤害.
kowtow-to kowtow to someone磕头(v), to kowtow to someone.卑躬屈膝,奉承谄媚
gung ho-delicate & extremely hard work people工和.二次世界大战期间,有一个中国工业合作社里面的人都工作认真.,简称工和,因此,美国人称那些勤奋上进,,努力工作者为工和. gong ho-乐心起劲
You gung ho about learning English.
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