中融重建伦敦水晶宫计划胎死腹中
Plans by a Chinese developer to build a replica of the famous Crystal Palace structure in south east London are set to remain a dream, after the local council ran out of patience and withdrew from negotiations.
一家中国开发商在伦敦东南部重建著名的水晶宫(Crystal Palace)建筑的计划注定仍是一个梦，此前失去耐心的地方议会退出了谈判。
Zhongrong Group had proposed building a £500m “cultural destination” on the same scale and size as the original Victorian glass and iron structure that burnt down in 1936. But Bromley council said it had concluded “there was not a realistic prospect of reaching agreement” and it would be looking at other options.
中融集团(ZhongRong Group)曾提出斥资5亿英镑，打造一个与当初维多利亚时代风格的“玻璃加钢铁建筑”（1936年被焚毁）规模和大小相同的“文化胜地”。但布罗姆利区地方议会(Bromley Council)称其得出结论认为：“不存在达成协议的现实前景”，将研究其他选择。Barring an unforeseen breakthrough, the news marks the end of the grandiose proposal — launched with great fanfare by London major Boris Johnson a year and half ago — to rebuild the glass structure that hosted the Great Exhibition of 1851.
除非出现意想不到的突破，否则这一消息标志着重建这座曾举办1851年万国工业博览会(Great Exhibition)的玻璃建筑的宏伟计划画上句号。一年半以前，伦敦市长鲍里斯•约翰逊(Boris Johnson)大张旗鼓地宣布了这一计划。
While there was an initial flurry of activity and a group of famous British architects shortlisted to produce designs, activity on the project soon stalled with the developer and the council unable to agree about land ownership questions.
尽管各方起初展开了紧锣密鼓的活动，一群著名的英国建筑师被列入提供设计方案的入围名单，但该项目很快就陷入了停滞，原因是开发商与地方议会无法就土地所有权问题达成一致。The site is owned by Bromley council and designated as metropolitan open land, meaning there are restrictions on what can be developed.
水晶宫原址地块属于布罗姆利区地方议会所有，被指定为城市公共土地，这意味其开发要受到种种限制。With details about what would be included in the development remaining vague, local residents and politicians were concerned by reports the developer was seeking a 125-year lease on the site, arguing this would amount to a sale.
在项目开发细节一直不明确的情况下，当地居民及政界人士对于有关开发商寻求该地块125年租期的报道感到担忧，提出这将等同于出售该地块。After a 16-month exclusivity period ran out in February without visible signs of progress, the local council demanded that Zhongrong Group produce detailed proposals and pay a £5m deposit to extend the exclusivity agreement.
中融集团被授予的16个月排他期于2月份终止，而项目没有进展迹象。于是地方议会要求中融集团拿出详细方案，并支付500万英镑的保证金以延长排他期。With that deadline now past, Stephen Carr, leader of Bromley Council, said the council would be looking at other options.
随着最后期限已过，布罗姆利区地方议会领导人斯蒂芬•卡尔(Stephen Carr)表示，该议会将研究其它选择。“We were prepared to properly listen to what Zhongrong had to say but we were never going to simply say yes to absolutely anything as we need to get this right,” Mr Carr said.
“我们准备充分听取中融的解释，但我们永远不会对所有的事都简单地一口答应，因为我们需要正确把握这个项目，”卡尔说。Zhongrong Group said it was “obviously disappointed” that no agreement had been reached, adding that agreement around the size of the site and leasehold arrangements had been “critical” for the development.
中融集团称，对未达成协议“显然很失望”，并补充说，围绕地块大小和租期安排的协议对整个开发项目“至关重要”。
