譯/陳韋廷
A glass tulip perched a thousand feet above London may be the next striking addition to the British capital's ever-changing skyline, according to plans announced by architect Norman Foster's studio.
根據建築師諾曼．福斯特工作室宣布的計畫，位於倫敦上空1000英呎處的一朵玻璃鬱金香，可能是英國首都不斷變化的天際線下一個令人矚目的新景象。
When a bullet-shaped skyscraper, a creation of the Foster studio that quickly became known as the Gherkin, opened in 2004, its curved lines made it a curiosity in the city's skyline. The building, officially 30 St Mary Axe, was a bold addition to London's historic financial center, known as the City.
當福斯特工作室的創作之一、很快就被稱為「小黃瓜」的子彈形摩天大樓在2004年啟用時，它的曲線使它成為城市天際線的一朵奇葩，這座大樓正式名稱為「聖瑪莉艾克斯30號」，對於歷史悠久、被稱為金融城的倫敦金融中心而言，是個突出醒目的新增事物。
Since then, the race to stand out on the London horizon has sped up, with unusually shaped towers known — officially or not — as the Shard, the Cheese Grater and the Walkie Talkie. At the same time, the Gherkin became less visible, almost enclosed in a thicket of other skyscrapers that is only going to grow in coming years.
從那時起，從倫敦地平線脫穎而出的競爭加速了，出現了被稱作「碎片」、「起司刨絲器」與「對講機」的奇特形狀高樓，不論這些是否為正式名稱。與此同時，小黃瓜就變得不那麼顯眼了，幾乎被一堆未來幾年只會越來越多的其他摩天大樓給包圍了。
The proposed new tower, the Tulip, would raise the aesthetic stakes, with a glass structure like a closed tulip blossom, echoing the shape of the Gherkin, on an elongated concrete stem, high above its neighbors.
擬建的這座新高樓鬱金香將會提升美學風格，它的玻璃結構就像一朵待放的鬱金香，形狀則類似小黃瓜，並高踞於一根遠高過鄰近建築的細長水泥花梗之上。
With Brexit sowing fears about where the City, and Britain as a whole, are headed, the plan to build the Tulip by 2025, comes as an optimistic statement about London's future.
由於英國脫歐令人對金融城乃至整個英國發展方向感到擔憂，計畫在2025年前建成鬱金香則是對倫敦前途感到樂觀的一種宣示。
"Continuing the pioneering design of 30 St Mary Axe, the Tulip is in the spirit of London as a progressive, forward-thinking city," Foster said in a statement.
福斯特在一份聲明中說道：「鬱金香持續著聖瑪莉艾克斯30號的開創性設計，秉承著倫敦作為一個進步、前瞻城市的精神。」
The project is a partnership between the J. Safra Group, the owner of the Gherkin, and Foster and Partners. A formal planning application was submitted to the City authorities last month, and construction could begin in 2020 if permission is granted, though a spokeswoman for the project declined to discuss how it might be financed.
這項計畫是小黃瓜業主瑞士嘉盛集團與福斯特建築事務所的合夥事業。正式計畫申請已於上月提交金融城當局，若獲批准可能在2020年開始興建，不過計畫發言人拒絕討論資金如何籌措。
Visitors would be able to ride in glass "gondola pods" revolving around the outside of the summit. Inside would be viewing platforms, restaurants and a bar, and a glass chute for people to slide from one level to another.
訪客將能搭乘圍繞著頂點外部旋轉玻璃「吊艙」，內部則有一些觀景台、餐廳與一家酒吧，還有一個供人們從一個樓層滑至另個樓層的玻璃滑道。
There would be an interactive exhibition on the history of London, in keeping with the local authorities' drive to infuse cultural experiences into the financial district.
為配合地方當局向金融區注入文化經驗的行動，還會有一項有關倫敦歷史的互動展覽。
At just over 305 meters tall (around 1,000 feet) the Tulip would not quite match London's tallest structure, the Shard, designed by Renzo Piano, which is almost 310 meters.
鬱金香的高度略高於305公尺（約1000英呎），比倫佐．皮亞諾所設計、近310公尺高的倫敦最高建築「碎片」略遜一籌。
For centuries, St. Paul's, the domed 17th-century cathedral, was the tallest structure in London and the highest vantage point for viewing a low-rise city. At about 365 feet tall, it was not surpassed until the 1960s.
曾經有數世紀之久，建於17世紀的聖保羅圓頂大教堂一直是倫敦的最高建築，也是俯瞰這座低矮城市的最高位置，而它約365英呎的高度直到1960年代才被超越。
