It may sound odd but since the 1960s Singapore has been slowly remaking itself as a garden city. Tiny, dense, hyper-urban and constantly clawing back land from the sea to accommodate its booming centre, the city-state has nevertheless seen green tentacles creeping into every corner, every central reservation, every sliver of leftover sidewalk. Plants here thrive in the year-round tropical climate and grow in the most obscure places. The effect is impressive: a skyscraper city framed by palms and blooming bougainvilleas.
自60年代起,新加坡慢慢地将自身打造为一个花园城市——这种说法听起来或许有些怪异。在这个狭小、拥挤、高度城市化并且不断通过填海造田的城市国家,绿色的蔓藤爬满了每一个角落、中央绿化带乃至步行道的边边角角。得天独厚的热带雨林气候给绿色植物带来了勃勃生机,在人们最注意不到的地方也潜滋暗长。新加坡由此给人留下了这样的印象:棕榈树和花花草草环绕点缀下的一座摩天大厦林立的现代化都市。