The redesigned Freedom Tower at Ground Zero（1） in Lower Manhattan, planned to become America's tallest building, will be a monolithic（2） glass structure reflecting the sky and topped by a sculpted antenna, the architects said on Wednesday.
Symbolic of the Declaration of Independence, the reworked 1,776-foot （541-meter） centerpiece（3） of the World Trade Center site unveiled by architect David Childs will have a 186-foot tall （57 meter） base sheathed（4） with rolled（5）, heat-treated glass over concrete.
The tower is planned as a symbol of New York's revitalization（6） after the September 11 attacks in 2001, which claimed more than 2,700 lives at the World Trade Center.
Rebuilding has been dogged（7） by almost five years of acrimony（8） over designs, security, insurance and control of the 16-acre （6.5-hectare） site at Ground Zero.
Developer Larry Silverstein told reporters that if everything now goes according to plan, "By 2012 we should have a completely rebuilt World Trade Center more magnificent, more spectacular（9） than it ever was."
The new Freedom Tower design uses a high-tech laminated（10） safety glass, which if attacked by a truck bomb would shatter into falling pebbles（11）, not break into flying shards（12）.
Childs noted there had been fears that security concerns would result in a stone building "with very small windows." But he said the new glass base would create an entirely different feeling.
"You will see that light fracture, bounce back out at you, giving you a wonderful, light artistic space, giving you a warm, friendly space," he said.
A series of thigh-high rectangular（13） slabs（14） on the site's perimeter（15） —— resembling tombstones in an artist's rendering（16） —— will guard against truck bombs.
The antenna, to be used by radio and television broadcasters, has been given a more sculptural feel by Kenneth Snelson.
周三，建筑师们说为下曼哈顿世贸遗址重新设计的自由塔将成为美国最高的建筑。自由塔将身披能映出天空的玻璃外衣，头顶有如雕塑般的天线。
建筑师大卫·查尔德公开世贸遗址新中心建筑—象征自由宣言的自由塔。新设计的塔高为1776英尺（541米），下面的基座高186英尺（57米），水泥外围是被热压处理过的玻璃。
自由塔被看成是2001年9月11日世界贸易大厦被撞击后，纽约复兴的标志。911袭击夺走了世贸大楼中2700多个生命。
五年来，重建世贸遗址频频引来尖刻的讽刺，从设计、安全、保卫系统到对16英亩（6.5公顷）的遗址的监控。
开发商拉里·希尔夫斯汀对记者说，如果一切按计划进行，到2012年，我们就能让世贸中心变得前所未有的雄伟、壮观。
新自由塔设计采用了高科技的安全夹层玻璃，一旦受到汽车炸弹攻击，玻璃将碎成边缘平滑的碎片，而不是飞溅出尖尖的棱角。
查尔德说有人担心出于对安全的考虑会导致整个建筑成为有小窗户的大石堆。但是他说新的玻璃基座会让感觉完全不同。
他说：“你会看到光线折射在你的身上，整个空间很神奇、光影交错，让你觉得温暖、舒适。”
大厦外围有一系列大腿高的矩形石板，虽然是用来抵抗卡车炸弹的，却被艺术家装饰成纪念死难者的墓碑。
广播和电视公司需要使用的天线也被雕刻家肯尼思·斯内尔森雕琢地更像一座雕塑。
1. commute：每天往返上班，定期往返于两地间
2. immediate：直接的
3. ongoing：正在进行的
4. drop：下滑（名词）
5. spring from：起源于，出身于
6. civic：市民的
7. mirror：反映出
8. possession：财产
9. nostalgia：乡愁，思乡病
10. cuddly：令人想拥抱的