VOA标准英语2012--New Tower in Tokyo Outstrips Older Rival

New Tower in Tokyo Outstrips¹ Older Rival

For decades, visitors to Tokyo have admired this Far East tribute to the Eiffel Tower, 13 meters taller than its Parisian predecessor². But the Tokyo Tower is about to be upstaged by a downtown riverside rival, built at a cost of $800 million. 

Skycraper, twice as tall as Tokyo Tower

The Sky Tree, which will open to the public in about three months, soars to 634 meters above the ground, nearly twice as high as Tokyo Tower.

In this digital era, the older structure is just not high enough to host television stations' antennae³ - to effectively reach the millions of households in this sprawling⁴ urban area. 

Leasing, primary revenue source

Leasing its steel perches⁵ to broadcasters will be the Sky Tree's primary revenue source. As is the case with Tokyo Tower, it also plans to collect admission fees from two million to three million visitors a year. 

The price of a ride up the Sky Tree will take the breath away from some potential visitors - about $40. In exchange, they will see Tokyo from the upper observation deck at a height of 450 meters. 

Public relations chief Saeko Masuda tells pre-opening visitors to a temporary souvenir shop that on a clear day they will be able to see as far as 75 kilometers. “So you can see, of course, Mt. Fuji and very big scenery from the Kanto area. Kanto means surrounding Tokyo. And you can see the Tokyo Bay and Pacific Ocean and many mountains around Kanto. Very beautiful. Please come,” she stated. 

As the most prominent addition to the Tokyo skyline in decades, the tower has been attracting a lot of attention. Authorities say, perhaps, a bit too much attention, blaming motorists gazing at the new landmark⁶ for an increase in the number of traffic accidents.

Some may prefer to keep their distance for other reasons - concerned about such a prominent structure in one of the world's most seismically⁷ active areas. 

Massive structure, earthquake proofed

Work on the tower was nearing completion when last year's massive earthquake hit northeastern Japan. The structure did shake but was not damaged. 

Tokyo Tower, however, saw its antenna-laden pinnacle⁸ bent⁹ by the quake's vibrations¹¹. 

The new tower has combined an anti-seismic technique used in traditional multi-story pagodas¹², with state-of-the-art technology. The Sky Tree's central concrete cylindrical¹³ shell is isolated¹⁴ from the peripheral¹⁵ steel framing to reduce vibration¹⁰. 

“Steel and the concrete shake differently, a different pattern. So when the earthquake happens these two separated objects cancel the shaking,” Masuda said. 

The Sky Tree's builders also say traditional Japanese architecture factors in the aesthetic¹⁶ design. It combines concave and convex curves that rise cylindrically¹⁷, giving the tower a silhouette¹⁸ that will vary depending on the location and angle from which it is viewed. 

1 outstrips   

v.做得比…更好，（在赛跑等中）超过( outstrip的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Technology daily outstrips the ability of our institutions to cope with its fruits. 技术发展的速度超过了我们的制度所能应付其成果的程度。 来自辞典例句
• The significance of the foreign exchange market outstrips its impressive size. 外汇市场的意义超出了它给人的印象尺度。 来自互联网

2 predecessor   

n.前辈，前任

参考例句：

• It will share the fate of its predecessor.它将遭受与前者同样的命运。
• The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor.新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。

3 antennae   

n.天线；触角

参考例句：

• Sometimes a creature uses a pair of antennae to swim.有时某些动物使用其一对触须来游泳。
• Cuba's government said that Cubans found watching American television on clandestine antennae would face three years in jail.古巴政府说那些用秘密天线收看美国电视的古巴人将面临三年监禁。

4 sprawling   

adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着）

参考例句：

• He was sprawling in an armchair in front of the TV. 他伸开手脚坐在电视机前的一张扶手椅上。
• a modern sprawling town 一座杂乱无序拓展的现代城镇

5 perches   

栖息处( perch的名词复数 )； 栖枝； 高处； 鲈鱼

参考例句：

• Other protection can be obtained by providing wooden perches througout the orchards. 其它保护措施是可在种子园中到处设置木制的栖木。
• The birds were hopping about on their perches and twittering. 鸟儿在栖木上跳来跳去，吱吱地叫着。

6 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

7 seismically   

地震

参考例句：

• The crust and mantle are separated by a seismically determined boundary known as the Moho-discontinuity. 改译为：地壳与地幔的交接处系根据地波走失而确定的一个界面，通称为莫霍界面。 来自互联网
• China's code is now on par with similar codes in seismically active areas of the world. 中国现在施行的标准与世界其他地震活跃地区施行的标准基本一致。 来自互联网

8 pinnacle   

n.尖塔，尖顶，山峰；(喻)顶峰

参考例句：

• Now he is at the very pinnacle of his career.现在他正值事业中的顶峰时期。
• It represents the pinnacle of intellectual capability.它代表了智能的顶峰。

9 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

10 vibration   

n.颤动，振动；摆动

参考例句：

• There is so much vibration on a ship that one cannot write.船上的震动大得使人无法书写。
• The vibration of the window woke me up.窗子的震动把我惊醒了。

11 vibrations   

n.摆动( vibration的名词复数 )；震动；感受；（偏离平衡位置的）一次性往复振动

参考例句：

• We could feel the vibrations from the trucks passing outside. 我们可以感到外面卡车经过时的颤动。
• I am drawn to that girl; I get good vibrations from her. 我被那女孩吸引住了，她使我产生良好的感觉。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 pagodas   

塔，宝塔( pagoda的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A dream is more romantic than scarlet pagodas by a silver sea. 梦中的风光比银白海洋旁边绯红的宝塔更加旖旎艳丽。
• Tabinshwehti placed new spires on the chief Mon pagodas. 莽瑞体在孟人的主要佛塔上加建了新的塔顶。

13 cylindrical   

adj.圆筒形的

参考例句：

• huge cylindrical gas tanks 巨大的圆柱形贮气罐
• Beer cans are cylindrical. 啤酒罐子是圆筒形的。

14 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

15 peripheral   

adj.周边的，外围的

参考例句：

• We dealt with the peripheral aspects of a cost reduction program.我们谈到了降低成本计划的一些外围问题。
• The hotel provides the clerk the service and the peripheral traveling consultation.旅舍提供票务服务和周边旅游咨询。

16 aesthetic   

adj.美学的，审美的，有美感

参考例句：

• My aesthetic standards are quite different from his.我的审美标准与他的大不相同。
• The professor advanced a new aesthetic theory.那位教授提出了新的美学理论。

17 cylindrically   

adv.圆柱地

参考例句：

• A novel broadband cylindrically conformal microstrip antenna with a single substrate is presented. 提出一种新型的单层介质宽频带圆柱共形微带天线。 来自互联网

18 silhouette   

n.黑色半身侧面影，影子，轮廓；v.描绘成侧面影，照出影子来，仅仅显出轮廓

参考例句：

• I could see its black silhouette against the evening sky.我能看到夜幕下它黑色的轮廓。
• I could see the silhouette of the woman in the pickup.我可以见到小卡车的女人黑色半身侧面影。