一起聽英語 138 搬家大事記

搬家對任何一個人來說都是一件費心費力的事情....

Rob: Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English. I'm Rob and Rosie joins

me today. Hello Rosie!

Rosie: Hi Rob!

Rob: Today we're talking about what can be a very stressful moment

in our lives – moving house. Packing up even a small house or

flat can be quite stressful and time-consuming but imagine the

upheaval involved in moving a big company or organisation.

Rosie: Like the BBC World Service maybe?

Rob: Exactly like that. Because I am of course talking about our home,

Bush House in London. It's where we are speaking from now.

Rosie: But not for long because the World Service is preparing to leave

the building for new purpose-built facilities in another part of

London.

Rob: It's a sad time and time to reflect on what's taken place in this

famous London landmark. More on that in a moment but first it's

time to set you a question Rosie. So are you ready?

Rosie: I guess so.

Rob: OK. Do you know when the construction of the first part of Bush

House (we call it Centre Block) was completed?

a) 1913

b) 1923

c) 1933

Rosie: I'm going to say b) 1923.

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Rob: As usual we'll find out the answer at the end of the programme.

Now, as I mentioned we're saying farewell to Bush House this

year. The building has housed the BBC World Service since 1941

– so it's been our home for seventy years. I haven't been there

that long but I still have some fond memories of the place in my

relatively short time here.

Rosie: It certainly has a special place in the hearts of people who have

worked here – the staff. This could be because of the style of

the building with its wide marble staircases and Roman columns.

Rob: Yes, it doesn't look like a normal media centre but that's because

it wasn't designed to be one. Did you know that back in 1929 it

was declared – or reported – to be the most expensive building

in the world having cost around two million pounds to build!

Rosie: Well was all that money worth it? It probably was if we listen to

what some BBC staff have been saying. This producer thinks it's

a special place. Listen to his reasons…

BBC Producer

I don't know whether it's just the physical building, the bricks and mortar of

Bush House, or the fact that we have a sort of United Nations of

broadcasting here, but I think maybe it's a bit of both. It's not a bespoke

broadcasting centre and that's part of its charm. It's a rabbit warren of

corridors and crazy modifications and things and that's part of what makes it

special I think.

Rob: So there are two things that have made Bush House special. The

physical building – that means the bricks and mortar that it has

been built with. But he also suggests something else.

Rosie: He says it could be the United Nations of broadcasting. He

means it's a very multi-cultural place. There are people of all

different nationalities broadcasting to all different parts of the

World.

Rob: He also talked about the charm of the place. This is the

character, which he says is due to not being a bespoke

broadcasting centre. As we said, it wasn't originally built for

radio.

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Rosie: But since the BBC moved in, things have been changed and

added on – these are the crazy modifications he mentioned. To

modify something is to change something. And did you hear how

he described the corridors?

Rob: Yes, like rabbit warrens! Lots of long dingy passages where you

see producers running from office to studio.

Rosie: There's one thing about Bush House that another producer has

criticised – or made negative comments about. See if you can

work out what it is…

Producer BBC

I love this building, every bit of it. I loved it from the very first moment I

entered the building. The only thing I wasn't happy about were the carpets.

They were worn out, with lots of holes, very undignified. I thought my God!

Such a beautiful building, such a fantastic organisation, such awful carpets!

Rob: Ha! He wasn't happy about the carpets. He described them as

very worn out, lots of holes and very undignified so lacking in

dignity, not really representing the BBC.

Rosie: It's not what he was expecting as the building was beautiful and

it was such a fantastic organisation.

Rob: Well they do say 'first impressions count' and his first impression

of the BBC were the awful carpets! How about you Rosie? What

impression did you get when you first entered Bush House?

Rosie: Well I was in awe when I first entered Bush House because it's

just so huge and very beautiful.

Rob: Sadly we won't be walking into Bush House for much longer as

most of us are moving to a new state-of-the-art building

somewhere else in London.

Rosie: But I guess this building will remain the spiritual home of the

World Service. Rob, what will you remember about this place?

Rob: Well as you say, it's the quirkiness, all the corridors and hidden

little rooms. And also the old-fashioned studios that seem to

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have lots of wood in them, for some reason! So that's what I

remember but do you remember the question I set you today?

Rosie: Yes I do.

Rob: Good. Earlier I asked you if you knew when the construction of

the first part of Bush House (Centre Block) was completed?

Rosie: And I said b) 1923.

Rob: And you are right. Well done! The answer is indeed 1923. That's

when the main part of Bush House was completed. And did you

also know that Bush House was named after Irving T. Bush who

was one of the designers. It was originally built to be a world

trade centre.

Rosie: I didn't know that but that's quite incredible! I wonder what will

happen to it next?

Rob: I'm not really sure actually. OK Rosie, could you please remind

us of some of the vocabulary we have heard today?

Rosie:

upheaval

reflect

staff

declared

charm

bespoke

modification

criticised

undignified

state-of-the-art

Rob: Thanks Rosie. That's all for now, but do join us again soon for

more 6 Minute English! Bye for now!

Rosie: Bye bye!