去年年底，北京最高的摩天大楼中信大厦竣工了。这座大楼的外形就像我国古代的酒器“樽”，颇具文化底蕴。它的出现彻底改变了北京的天际线。
The skyscraper that transforms the skyline
by Oscar Holland
Designed to resemble a ceremonial wine vessel and soaring hundreds of meters above its neighbors, Citic Tower is impossible to miss from downtown Beijing.
resemble /rɪˈzemb(ə)l/ v. 跟…很像
ceremonial /ˌserɪˈməʊniəl/ adj. 用于礼仪的（由ceremony加后缀-al变成形容词）
vessel /ˈves(ə)l/ n. （装液体的）容器、器皿
soar /sɔː(r)/ v. 高耸
Citic Tower 中信大厦
downtown /ˌdaʊnˈtaʊn/ adj. 市中心的
The 528-meter skyscraper – now the city's tallest, and the world's eighth tallest – was completed at the end of last year. And this winter, the state-owned conglomerate（综合企业） behind the project, Citic Group, plans to move into its new headquarters more than eight years after construction began.
skyscraper /ˈskaɪˌskreɪpə(r)/ n. 摩天大楼
state /steɪt/ n. 国家、政府
project /ˈprɒdʒekt/ n. 项目
headquarters /ˌhedˈkwɔːtəz/ n. 总部
construction /kənˈstrʌkʃ(ə)n/ n. 建造、施工（由construct加后缀-ion变成名词）
In an era of resurgent（复兴的） national confidence in China, it's of little surprise that the capital's showpiece（展示品） skyscraper takes its design cues from the country's past. The shape is based on a "zun" – a type of wine vessel, rich in symbolic and ritual significance, that dates back to the bronze age (in fact, the building is known locally as "China Zun").
era /ˈɪərə/ n. 时代
confidence /ˈkɒnfɪd(ə)ns/ n. 自信心
of little surprise 几乎不让人惊讶的
cue /kjuː/ n. 提示、暗示
base /beɪs/ v. 基于、以…为基础
zun 樽（汉语拼音）
rich /rɪtʃ/ adj. 丰富的
symbolic /sɪmˈbɒlɪk/ adj. 做为象征的、象征性的（由symbol加后缀-ic变成形容词）
ritual /ˈrɪtʃuəl/ adj. 礼仪的、仪式的
significance /sɪɡˈnɪfɪk(ə)ns/ n. 重要性
date back 追溯到
bronze /brɒnz/ n. 青铜
locally /ˈləʊk(ə)li/ adv. 在当地（由local加后缀-ly变成副词）
Traditional zun vessels come in many forms, but they typically have a broad base that tapers in before widening again at the rim. Citic Tower seeks to mimic（模仿） that shape, an unusual choice of design for a skyscraper, given that most narrow at the top to achieve additional height.
form /fɔːm/ n. 形式
typically /ˈtɪpɪk(ə)li/ adv. 往往
base /beɪs/ n. 底部、底座
taper /ˈteɪpə(r)/ v. 逐渐变细
widen /ˈwaɪd(ə)n/ v. 变宽（由wide加后缀-en变成动词）
rim /rɪm/ n. 边缘（这里指樽口）
seek /siːk/ v. 寻求
given /ˈɡɪv(ə)n/ prep. 考虑到
narrow /ˈnærəʊ/ v. 变窄
additional /əˈdɪʃ(ə)n(ə)l/ adj. 额外的
The structure's basic shape was conceived by the Beijing Institute of Architectural Design and the British architecture practice TFP Farrells. But the building design was completed by Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), the firm behind many of the world's most ambitious skyscrapers, including the 600-meter Ping An Finance Center in Shenzhen and the bottle opener-shaped Shanghai World Financial Center.
structure /ˈstrʌktʃə(r)/ n. 结构体、建筑物
conceive /kənˈsiːv/ v. 构思、设想
institute /ˈɪnstɪtjuːt/ n. 研究院
architectural /ˌɑːkɪˈtektʃ(ə)r(ə)l/ adj. 建筑的（由architecture加后缀-al变成形容词）
architecture /ˈɑːkɪtektʃə(r)/ n. 建筑学、建筑设计
practice /ˈpræktɪs/ n. 事务所
ambitious /æmˈbɪʃəs/ adj. 雄心勃勃的、耗时费力的
finance /ˈfaɪnæns/ n. 金融
bottle opener 开瓶器
-shaped 后缀，意思是“具有…的形状”
financial /faɪˈnænʃ(ə)l/ adj. 金融的（由finance加后缀-ial变成形容词）
The design may have implications for architecture across China, according to KPF's design principal Robert Whitlock, who said developments in the capital "set precedence（优先权）" for the rest of the country.
implication /ˌɪmplɪˈkeɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 对将来的影响
principal /ˈprɪnsəp(ə)l/ n. 负责人
set /set/ v. 设置
The tower is located in Beijing's Central Business District (CBD), a neighborhood purpose-built to accommodate the city's commercial, financial and media institutions. It's a congested（拥挤不堪的） commercial zone, home to some of China's best-known buildings, including the iconic（标志性的） China Media Group Headquarters (previously known as CCTV Headquarters).
neighborhood /ˈneɪbəhʊd/ n. 地区、区域
purpose-built 为特定目的建造的
accommodate /əˈkɒmədeɪt/ v. 为…提供地方、容纳
commercial /kəˈmɜːʃ(ə)l/ adj. 商业的
media /ˈmiːdiə/ n. 新闻媒体
institution /ˌɪnstɪˈtjuːʃ(ə)n/ n. 大型机构
The building's designers believe that its gentle curves and rounded corners make it a complementary（互补的） addition to the skyline. While the CBD's other structures are boxy and rectilinear（直线的） – or appear to bulge（鼓起） out at their mid-points – the Citic Tower tapers at its "waist," as Whitlock describes it, helping it to integrate with its surroundings. From a 78-meter-wide base, the skyscraper narrows to just 54 meters across, before widening again to 69 meters.
curve /kɜːv/ n. 曲线
rounded /ˈraʊndɪd/ adj. 圆形的、曲线形的
addition /əˈdɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 增加物、添加物
skyline /ˈskaɪlaɪn/ n. 天际线
boxy /ˈbɒksi/ adj. 盒状的、箱形的（由box加后缀-y变成形容词）
mid- 前缀，意思是“在…中间”（mid-point就是中点）
waist /weɪst/ n. 腰
integrate /ˈɪntɪɡreɪt/ v. 整合、成为一体
surroundings /səˈraʊndɪŋz/ n. 周边环境
"It was very important to the city planners that the waist of the building was visibly above the 300-meter height of the surrounding buildings," Whitlock added. "They wanted to make sure that the tapering – the receding（变小） and then expanding again – was visible from almost any vantage point."
planner /ˈplænə(r)/ n. 规划者（由plan加上表示人的后缀-er）
visibly /ˈvɪzəbli/ adv. 可见地
surrounding /səˈraʊndɪŋ/ adj. 周围的
make sure 确保
expand /ɪkˈspænd/ v. 扩大
visible /ˈvɪzəb(ə)l/ adj. 可见的
vantage /ˈvɑːntɪdʒ/ point （观察事物）的有利位置
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