VOA慢速英语--苹果公司新的太空飞船总部将近完工

Apple’s New ‘Spaceship’ Headquarters Almost Complete 苹果公司新的太空飞船总部将近完工

Apple is nearing completion of its new “spaceship” headquarters in northern California.

The company has been secretive about the project, just as it is about its new product development. But Apple officials have said they plan to move into the new headquarters in 2017.

Reuters news agency quotes people involved with the project as saying the move could happen as early as this spring.

Construction began in late 2013 and the cost of the project is estimated to be at least $5 billion. The building is located in Cupertino, California, near Apple’s current headquarters.

Many people have compared the design and construction to the way Apple has developed its most successful products. These methods include extreme attention to detail and creating visually pleasing features.

World’s largest piece of curved glass

Apple employees and people involved in the construction have not said much publicly about the project.

However, some employees did tell Reuters that one iPhone design theme found throughout the building is rounded edges and corners. Some also said the elevator buttons reminded them of the iPhone’s home button. Even the toilets seemed similar to the iPhone’s square shape with rounded corners, they added.

The main structure of Apple’s new headquarters was built as a complete circle with glass walls on all sides. It rises up four levels from the ground. Apple’s late chief Steve Jobs once described the future building as looking “like a spaceship landed.”

Jobs presented his plans for the project to local officials in June 2011, just months before his death. In the presentation, he outlined his plans to make a beautiful building inside and out.

He noted¹ that using curved glass all the way along the building would be expensive and complex, but well worth the effort. “There’s not a straight piece of glass in the building,” he said.

The main building actually houses the world’s largest piece of curved glass. Thousands of smaller pieces were used to make a continuous glass wall that will stretch more than six kilometers.

The property includes a 1,000-seat auditorium² for meetings and product launches. Employees also get access to a large fitness³ center, as well as sitting areas and cafes to buy food.

New home for over 14,000 employees

The entire property – also known as Apple Campus 2 – was built to hold all the company’s employees in the area – up to 14,000. The campus includes research and testing buildings. It also has an “Energy Center” to store the power Apple generates⁴ itself.

The company says the property will be powered by 100 percent renewable energy. Architecture company Foster⁵ + Partners has overseen⁶ the project. It called the building “one of the most environmentally sustainable projects” in the world.

The area inside and all around the building will be landscaped like a park, with more than 8,000 trees and plants. Steve Jobs said it was his goal to make 80 percent of the property green space. Much of the parking is hidden underground.

There will also be running and biking paths and hundreds of bikes available for employee use.

Apple’s goal of engineering and design perfection⁷ seemed to be very much alive throughout construction. One union official said every detail – no matter how small – always required approvals from Apple managers.

The official told Reuters that all materials and operations were checked and rechecked by Apple’s in-house team and construction contractors⁸. Workers often wore gloves to protect the more delicate parts of Apple’s new spaceship.

“It's like a painting that you don't want to touch," the official said. "It's definitely going to be something to see, if they let you in."

Words in This Story

corner – n. the point where two edges meet

elevator – n. machine that carries people up and down in buildings

curved – adj. having a rounded shape

landscaped – adj. adding plants, trees or grass to improve the appearance of land

gloves – n. pieces of clothing worn to protect the hands

delicate – adj. easily damaged or broken

1 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

2 auditorium   

n.观众席，听众席；会堂，礼堂

参考例句：

• The teacher gathered all the pupils in the auditorium.老师把全体同学集合在礼堂内。
• The stage is thrust forward into the auditorium.舞台向前突出，伸入观众席。

3 fitness   

n.适合，适当，健康，健身

参考例句：

• They're doing exercises to improve their fitness.他们为增强体质而做体操。
• No one questions her fitness for the job.没人怀疑她能胜任这项工作。

4 generates   

v.生（儿、女）( generate的第三人称单数 )；（通过物理或化学过程）发生；生成；引起

参考例句：

• This new boiler generates more heat than the old one. 这个新锅炉产生的热量比旧锅炉多。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The atomic reactor generates enormous amounts of thermal energy. 原子反应堆发出大量的热能。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 foster   

vt.收养，培养，促进；adj.收养的，收养孩子的

参考例句：

• Nowadays young couple sometimes foster.现今年轻夫妇有时领养别人的孩子。
• The captain did his best to foster a sense of unity among the new recruits.队长尽力培养新成员之间的团结精神。

6 overseen   

v.监督，监视( oversee的过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was overseen stealing the letters. 他被人撞见在偷信件。 来自辞典例句
• It will be overseen by ThomasLi, director of IBM China Research Laboratory. 该实验室由IBM中国研究院院长李实恭(ThomasLi)引导。 来自互联网

7 perfection   

n.尽善尽美，无比精确

参考例句：

• Their works reach to a great height of perfection.他们的作品到了极完美的境地。
• The picture wants something of perfection.这幅画还有些不够完美。

8 contractors   

n.（建筑、监造中的）承包人( contractor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Contractors winning construction jobs had to kick back 2 per cent of the contract price to the mafia. 赢得建筑工作的承包商得抽出合同价格的百分之二的回扣给黑手党。 来自《简明英汉词典》