20090918 -- Sides of Shanghai (2)

Sides of Shanghai

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, stands 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 takes 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.


era n. 時期/年代
=> a long period of time
eg: We are living in an era of rapid communication and technological advances.
eg: the era of Great Depression 經濟大蕭條的年代
eg: The invention of TVs opened a new era of entertainment.
eg: The movie tried to recreate the elegant life style of the bygone era.

dominate v. 支配/統治/控制
eg: Google dominates web searches. Most people use that site to find things online.

attraction n. 吸引人的事物/地點
eg: The Eiffel Tower is the most famous tourist attraction in Paris.
eg: The roller-coaster is the most popular attraction in this amusement park.
eg: Taipei 101 is the main attraction for tourists.

bargain n. 討價還價
bargain v. 討價還價
eg: Gina doesn't like to bargain. She prefers to buy at stores with fixed prices.
eg: bargain a bargain

concession n. 租界地
eg: You can still find some European buildings in the old British concessions in Hong Kong.

concession n. 讓步/遷就
eg: Both companies made mutual concessions so the deal can go on.

bund n. 堤岸/港邊或江邊道路
mosaic n. 馬賽克式的東西
exquisite adj. 精美的/精緻的
respite n. 暫時的休息

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governmet official 政府官員
high-ranking official 高職官員

officer 軍官/警官

official adj. 公家的/出自於官方的
an official statement 一份正式聲明
Prime Minister's official residence 總理的官邸
official visit 正式訪問