伦敦新型双层巴士2012年将投入使用

What is red but green, open but closed and old but new? Answer: London's stunning¹ new double-decker buses.

什么东西既是红色的又是绿色的（环保）？既封闭又开放？既是传统的又是新的？这就是伦敦推出的极具看点的新型双层巴士。

hop² on and off." width="460" height="288" src="http://www.enread.com/upimg/100524/4_010035_1.jpg" />
The new buses, which will start running in London in 2012, will feature two doors as well as an open platform allowing passengers to hop on and off.

The traditional red double-deckers are a symbol of London. Their iconic status was sealed in 2008 when one bus made the longer-than-usual trip to Beijing to collect a very special passenger: the Olympic Flame.

Now a new bus design has been unveiled and it has been wowing Londoners.

The new bus uses more efficient green technology and has two staircases（楼梯） and an open platform, enabling people to hop on（跳上，责骂） and hop off（起飞，离开） . It also has a unique asymmetric³（不对称的） design for the front end, which gives it a futuristic（未来派的） look.

Despite its innovations the design is not all new. Its exterior⁴（外型） is very reminiscent of London's faithful old double-decker, the Routemaster.

In December 2005 the original Routemaster was withdrawn⁵ from general service for accessibility and environmental reasons, but it can still be seen on two heritage routes in London.

In July 2008 a competition was launched by the London Mayor, Boris Johnson, to design a new Routemaster bus for the capital. There were over 700 entries, with several designers jointly⁶ winning the £25,000 prize.

The new double-deckers, which have three doors to speed up boarding, are expected to be in service in 2012.

Mr Johnson said: "This iconic new part of our transport system is not only beautiful, but also has a green heart beating beneath its stylish⁷, swooshing（哗哗响，嗖嗖声） exterior".

He expects cities around the globe to be "beside themselves with envy" for what he described as a "stunning red emblem⁸（象征，符号） " of 21st-century London.