Thursday, May 14, 2020

Vessel (2)

Vessel comprises 80 landings connected by 154 flights of stairs. But for those who don't want to climb, there is an elevator that goes straight to the top. Its framework is made of painted steel with shiny copper undersides that reflect the surrounding city. Wood says, "It feels like pieces of pavement lifted into the air."

The designers were inspired by India's ancient stepwells - wells that are reached by a series of descending steps and platforms. Other monuments, such as the Spanish Steps in Rome, were also used for reference.

Vessel opened to the public on March 15, 2019. Those interested in exploration of the structure can book free tickets to enter at a set time. Or you can purchase more flexible passes that let you enter any time on a set day. Now that Vessel is open, there will be a competition to choose its permanent name.

Many questions remain about the future of Vessel. What will people use it for? Will it meet the designers' aspirations and become a major landmark and attraction? Will it succeed in bringing people together? Whatever Vessel's future, its designers have created a unique and attractive structure for people to enjoy now.


Info Cloud
We are all in the same boat.

Welcome to Info Cloud, friends. You know, recently, I've been thinking about the time I spent in language school. When studying a new language, it's easy to get discouraged. Learning Chinese is really overwhelming.

But, Anne Marie, all of our students here know what that feels like. They're learning English as their foreign language. And I studied Japanese as a foreign language as well. See? We're all in the same boat.

That's so encouraging, Rex. Students, when someone uses the phrase "We're all in the same boat," they are saying it to encourage you not to feel alone. They know what it's like, too.

Just like people in a boat are all traveling in the same direction, the phrase "we're all in the same boat" gives the idea that we are in this together.

Saying "we're all in the same boat" lets someone know that you are on their side, experiencing the same thing or understand how they feel. I've been there, too, and want to help you through it.

I think the scariest part of learning a new language is speaking out loud and be willing to make mistakes.

But, remember, don't be afraid to try because we are all in the same boat.

當你想要跟一個朋友表達同理心,告訴他們你經歷過相同的困難,你可以說: We are all in the same boat. 我們都在同一艘船上。這句話是用來安慰一些朋友,跟他們說你不是孤單一個人,我們經歷過或是正在經歷相同的挑戰。你是不是在學英文的路上感到有點挫折? We are all in the same boat. 你是不是在工作上感到有很多壓力? We are all in the same boat. 這句話除了安慰,也是一種鼓勵。


Language Lab
pavement n. 走道、人行道 
a usually concrete path along the side of a street for people to walk on
- Rodney got a ticket for parking his car on the pavement.
Rodney 車子停在人行道而被開罰單。
- A lot of people like to go running on the pavement in this neighborhood.
這個社區有很多人喜歡在人行道上慢跑。
pavement n. 鋪過的路面
the hard surface of a road, driveway, etc.
- Ann fell off her bike and almost hit her head on the pavement.
Ann 從腳踏車上摔下來,頭有差一點碰到路面。
pave v. 鋪築
to cover (something) with a material (such as stone, tar, or concrete) that forms a hard, level surface for walking, driving, etc.
- The old town is full of charm, and its streets are paved with cobblestones. 這座古鎮很有魅力,它的街道都是用鵝卵石鋪築的。

descend v. 下降, 走下
to go down : to go or move from a higher to a lower place or level
- The airplane is getting ready to descend.
飛機要準備下降。
- Descending the mountain was harder than I thought.
走下山比我想像地還要難。
descend v. 面或不好的感覺的蔓延或擴展
to go or change to a worse state or condition — + into
- Fear began to descend on the hikers as they waited for someone to come and help them.
當登山客們在等待救援時,恐懼開始瀰漫在他們當中。
descend v. 天黑了
to appear or happen like something that comes down from the sky
- As night descends, the tiger slowly comes out of its cave.
隨著天色變黑,老虎慢慢從洞穴裡出來。

exploration n. 探索、探測的活動 
the act of exploring something
explore v. 探索、探險
to look at (something) in a careful way to learn more about it : to study or analyze (something)
- After Cynthia put her stuff in her hotel room, she went to explore the area around the hotel building.
Cynthia 在把她的東西放在飯店房間後,她就去探索飯店附近的區域。
- Wayne loves the ocean and hopes to do some undersea exploration someday.
Wayne 熱愛海洋,希望有機會能做海底探索。
- The professor thinks the money spent on space exploration could have been used to fix some of the problems here on earth.
教授認為花在太空探索的錢,應該拿來解決地球上的一些問題。

aspiration n. 志向、目標
/ˌæspəˈreɪʃən/
something that a person wants very much to achieve
- Unlike his brothers who all became successful in their jobs, Trent never had any aspirations.
Trent 沒有志向,不像他們的兄長們那樣在事業方面都很成功。
- Sasha likes to talk about her aspirations, but she has never done anything to accomplish her dreams.
Sasha 老是講她有志向,卻從來沒有任何實際的行動。
aspire v. 立志要做到、完成某一件事 
to want to have or achieve something (such as a particular career or level of success) — often + to
- Gwendolyn aspires to become a doctor.
Gwendolyn 立志要成為一位醫生。