Text A Shanghai
导 读
上海，中国第一大城市，中华人民共和国直辖市，中国国家中心城市，中国经济、金融、贸易、会展和航运中心。上海创造和打破了中国世界纪录协会多项世界之最、中国之最。上海位于中国大陆海岸线中部的长江口，并隔海与日本九州岛相望，南濒杭州湾，西部与江苏、浙江两省相接。上海拥有中国最大的外贸港口、最大的工业基地。上海又是一座新兴的旅游目的地，并有着深厚的近代城市文化底蕴和众多的历史古迹。如今上海已经发展成为一个闪耀全球的国际化大都市，并致力于在2020年建设成国际金融中心和航运中心。上海是2010年世界博览会举办城市。
Shanghai is the largest city in China,and one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world,with over 24.23 million people in 2018.Located on China’s central eastern coast at the mouth of the Yangtze River,the city is administered as a municipality of the People’s Republic of China with province-level status.
Originally a fishing and textiles town,Shanghai grew in importance in the 19th century due to its favorable location as a port and as one of the cities opened to foreign trade by 1842 Treaty of Nanking.The city flourished as a center of commerce between the east and the west,and became a multinational hub of finance and business by the 1930s.Economic reforms in 1990s resulted in intense development in Shanghai,and in 2005 Shanghai became the world’s largest cargo port.
The city is a tourist destination renowned for its historical landmarks such as the Bund and City God Temple,its modern and ever-expanding Pudong skyline including the Oriental Pearl Tower,and its new reputation as a cosmopolitan center of culture and design.Today,Shanghai is one of the largest centers of commerce and finance in China,and has been described as the “showpiece” of the world’s fastest-growing major economy.
Shanghai is often regarded as the center of finance and trade in China.Modern development began with the economic reforms in 1992,a decade later than many of the Southern Chinese provinces,but since then Shanghai quickly overtook those provinces and maintained its role as the business center.
Shanghai has one of the world’s busiest ports.The non-state sector has grown to generate 42％ of Shanghai’s GDP,while the reformed state-sector generates 57.5％ of its GDP.Since 2005,Shanghai has ranked first of the world’s busiest cargo ports,handling a total of 560 million tons of cargo in 2007.Shanghai container traffic has surpassed Hong Kong to become the second busiest port in the world,behind Singapore.Hong Kong has the advantage of international market integration,greater banking and service expertise,lower taxes,and a fully-convertible currency.Shanghai has stronger links to the central government,and a stronger base in manufacturing and technology.
Shanghai has increased its role in finance,banking,and as a major destination for corporate headquarters,fueling demand for a highly educated and modernized workforce.Shanghai has recorded a double-digit growth for 15 consecutive years since 1992.In 2019,Shanghai’s GDP posted a 6.6％ growth to 3.27 trillion yuan.The Shanghai Stock Exchange is the world’s fastest growing stock exchange,with the Shanghai Composite Index growing 130％ in 2006.
As in many other areas in China,Shanghai is undergoing a building boom.In Shanghai the modern architecture is notable for its unique style,especially some skycrapers,with several top-floor restaurants which resemble flying saucers.
The bulk of Shanghai buildings being constructed today are high-rise apartments of various heights,colors and designs.There is now a strong focus by city planners to develop more “green areas” (public parks) in the apartment complexes in order to improve the quality of life for Shanghai’s residents,quite in accordance to the “Better City,Better Life” theme of Shanghai’s Expo 2010.
Words & Expressions
1.metropolitan[，metrə'pɔlitən] adj.大都市的
2.coast[kəust] n.海岸；滑坡
3.municipality[mjuː，nisi'pæləti] n.市民；市政当局
4.textile['tekstail，-til] n.纺织品；织物
5.commerce['kɔməːs] n.贸易；商业
6.hub[hʌb] n.中心
7.logo['lɔɡəu，'ləuɡ-] n.商标；徽标；标识语
8.destination[，desti'neiʃən] n.目的地；终点
9.renown[ri'naun] n.声誉；名望
10.landmark['lændmɑːk] n.陆标；地标；里程碑
11.skyline['skailain] n.地平线；空中轮廓线
12.oriental[，ɔːri'entəl，，əu-] adj.东方的；东方人的
n.东方人
13.pearl[pəːl] n.珍珠；珍珠色
14.cosmopolitan[，kɔzmə'pɔlitən] adj.世界性的；世界主义的；四海一家的
n.四海为家者；世界主义者；世界各地的都有的东西
15.upgrade['ʌpɡreid，ʌp'ɡreid] vt.使升级；提升；改良品种
n.升级；上升；上坡
16.radically['rædikəli] adv.根本上；彻底地；以激进方式
17.treaty['triːti] n.条约；协约；谈判
18.council['kaunsəl] n.委员会；会议；理事会
19.settlement['setlmənt] n.解决；处理
20.creek[kriːk] n.小溪；小湾
21.concession[kən'seʃən] n.让步；特许（权）；承让；退位
22.stadium['steidiəm] n.体育场；露天大型运动场
23.imperial[im'piəriəl] adj.帝国的；皇帝的；至高无上的；威严的
Notes
1.Municipality（直辖市）：A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government.It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality.A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision，as opposed to a special-purpose district.The term is derived from French “municipalité” and Latin “municipalis”.
2.Treaty of Nanking（南京条约）：The Treaty of Nanking （or Nanjing） was signed on 29 August 1842 to mark the end of the First Opium War （1840—1842） between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Qing Dynasty of China.
Exercises
I.Translate the following phrases into Chinese.
1.economic reform
2.the Bund
3.City God Temple
4.the Oriental Pearl Tower
5.Yangtze Delta region
II.Translate the following sentences into Chinese.
1.Shanghai is the largest city in China,and one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world,with over 20 million people.
2.Economic reforms in 1990 resulted in rapid development in Shanghai,and in 2005 Shanghai became the world’s largest cargo port.
3.During the Qing Dynasty,Shanghai became the most important sea port in the whole Yangtze Delta region.
4.The Shanghai World Expo,which has attracted feverish attention from around the world,came to a close on Sunday after receiving a record 73 million visitors.
5.The Expo will be remembered for its splendidness and gloriousness.
III.Decide whether each of the following statements is true (T) or false (F) according to the passage.
1.Shanghai is the largest city in the world.( )
2.Shanghai grew in importance in the 19th century due to its favorable location as a port and as one of the cities opened to foreign trade by the 1842 Treaty of Nanking.( )
3.Today,Shanghai is one of the largest centers of commerce and finance in China,and has been described as the “showpiece” of the world’s fastest-growing major economy.( )
4.During the 1960s and 1970s,Shanghai became an industrial center.( )
5.Under the influence of western architectural styles,later-stage shikumen gates are only decorated with triangular.( )