What is red but green, open but closed and old but new? Answer: London's stunning new double-decker buses. * `5 ], C8 r) K( V( W+ }& }
% D9 u' v/ D# k v+ A, ]The traditional red double-deckers are a symbol of London. Their iconic status was sealed in 2008 when one bus made the longer-than-usual trip to Beijing to collect a very special passenger: the Olympic Flame. 3 P$ b: G0 r3 m' s
8 X9 S0 v( e8 ?: r$ z( [Now a new bus design has been unveiled and it has been wowing Londoners.
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The new bus uses more efficient green technology and has two staircases and an open platform, enabling people to hop on and hop off. It also has a unique asymmetric design for the front end, which gives it a futuristic look. ( _0 M# o2 e- |5 h
. w) X0 p- ]9 Z! i0 y7 v5 JDespite its innovations the design is not all new. Its exterior is very reminiscent of London's faithful old double-decker, the Routemaster.
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8 ], M" \; }/ m/ `The new bus has a "swooshing" exterior.
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In December 2005 the original Routemaster was withdrawn from general service for accessibility and environmental reasons, but it can still be seen on two heritage routes in London. - M" Y; p! Z y1 Z
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In July 2008 a competition was launched by the London Mayor, Boris Johnson, to design a new Routemaster bus for the capital. There were over 700 entries, with several designers jointly winning the £25,000 (244,000 Yuan) prize. ; R" V- T, n! @# R _
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The new double-deckers, which have three doors to speed up boarding, are expected to be in service in 2012. % \. D* `! @9 Y! K" f+ |
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Mr Johnson said: "This iconic new part of our transport system is not only beautiful, but also has a green heart beating beneath its stylish, swooshing exterior". & j- F* b6 U5 m6 ?+ M4 k7 \
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He expects cities around the globe to be "beside themselves with envy" for what he described as a "stunning red emblem" of 21st-century London. e. s/ q$ e `* v
/ J- \ @6 n* M1 K9 S0 Y7 _However, Mr Johnson has not yet persuaded everyone to climb on board. The mayor has been criticised by some for the high cost of the new buses. A normal double-decker bus costs around £190,000 (around 1,900,000 Yuan) but it has cost £7.8m (76,000,000 Yuan) to design and build five new ones. # d$ e" ^, Y: Y
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来自：http://www.bbc.co.uk/ukchina/sim ... w_buses_story.shtml |
发表于 2010-5-21 14:41
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