Dear Ms. Lai,
Thank you for meeting me on Tuesday. I have finished a second plan for your house. The main change is at the entrance: instead of a plain doorway, there is now a low brick arch leading into a bright hall.
The structure of the roof stays exactly the same, so the total cost will not rise. I have also moved the study to the north side, where the light is steady all day.
Builders can begin in April if the city office approves the drawings before the end of March. Please tell me by Friday which plan you prefer.
Best wishes,
Daniel Wu, architect
賴女士您好：
謝謝您週二撥空與我碰面。我已經完成您房子的第二版設計。最主要的改變在入口：原本平淡的門洞，改成一道低矮的磚砌拱門，通往明亮的門廳。
屋頂的結構完全維持原樣，因此總費用不會增加。我也把書房移到北側，那裡的光線一整天都很穩定。
只要市府在三月底前核准圖面，工班四月就能開工。請在週五之前告訴我您比較喜歡哪一個版本。
敬祝順心
建築師 吳丹尼
Riverside Court - Now Renting
Construction of Tower C will be finished in October, so apartments there open in November. Towers A and B are ready now. Pets under ten kilos are welcome. Book a tour online or call 02-2765-4321.
河畔苑 - 開始出租
C 棟的工程於十月完工，因此該棟住宅十一月才開放。A 棟與 B 棟現已完工。歡迎十公斤以下的寵物。請線上預約參觀或電洽 02-2765-4321。
The first skyscraper was built in Chicago in 1885. It had only ten floors, but two inventions made it possible: the safety elevator and a steel frame. Before that, thick stone walls carried the weight of a building, so tall towers were dark and heavy.
Steel changed architecture completely. Walls no longer held the building up; they simply kept the weather out, and windows could be as wide as the architect wished.
Today engineers worry less about height than about wind. In the tallest towers a heavy weight near the top swings slowly to keep the whole structure steady.
第一棟摩天大樓於一八八五年建於芝加哥。它只有十層樓，但兩項發明讓它成為可能：安全電梯與鋼骨結構。在那之前，厚重的石牆負責承載建築物的重量，因此高塔既昏暗又笨重。
鋼材徹底改變了建築設計。牆壁不再撐起建築物，而只是把風雨擋在外面，窗戶也可以照建築師的想法開得很大。
今天的工程師擔心的不是高度，而是風。在最高的大樓裡，靠近頂端的一個重錘會緩緩擺動，以維持整棟建築結構的穩定。
Notice to all residents of Green Arch Building. Please read the schedule below. Water will be turned off only on the date marked.
| Date | Work | Water off? |
|---|---|---|
| May 3 | Cleaning the roof drain | No |
| May 10 | Testing the fire hose on each floor | Yes, 9-11 a.m. |
| May 17 | Painting the elevator machine room | No |
| May 24 | Replacing the wall panel in the lobby | No |
If you have questions, please ask the guard at the front desk.
致綠拱大樓全體住戶。請詳閱以下工程時程。只有標示的那一天會停水。
| 日期 | 工程 | 是否停水？ |
|---|---|---|
| 5 月 3 日 | 清理屋頂排水管 | 否 |
| 5 月 10 日 | 測試各樓層消防水管 | 是，上午 9 至 11 點 |
| 5 月 17 日 | 粉刷電梯機房 | 否 |
| 5 月 24 日 | 更換大廳牆面鑲板 | 否 |
如有疑問，請詢問櫃檯的警衛。