Gearing up for Milan

Gearing up for Milan

As the Expo 2010 Shanghai draws to(接近) a spectacular conclusion(落幕), the Italy Pavilion(馆) is getting ready to receive the World Exposition(世博会) baton [ˈbætn](接力棒)and embark [imˈbɑ:k](着手) on its journey towards Expo 2015 Milan based on the theme [θi:m](主题) of "Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life."(滋养地球，生命之源为主题)

"Expo 2010 Shanghai has been an extraordinary celebration(非比寻常的盛会) of global business and culture, and it has set the bar [bɑːr](旗帜) high for future World Expositions," said Roberto Formigoni, president of the Italian region of Lombardy, which has Milan as its capital. "It has also provided a fantastic model for Milan in terms of managing and organizing events of this scale [skeil](规模). We are excited for 2015, and we have high expectations(期望) for what it will achieve."

The Milan Expo will be located on a 1.7-million-square-meter site in the northwest of the city that includes parts of the municipal territories(行政区域) of Pero and Rho, according to Formigoni's master plan.

The next Expo Garden will come in the form of a large island surrounded by canals(沟渠), where pavilions will be divided into six main exhibition areas(六个主要的展览区域). There will also be an amphitheater [ˈæmfəˌθi:ətə](圆形剧场), 12 catering service areas and a botanical [bəˈtænikəl](植物) garden, featuring(象征) a greenhouse [ˈɡri:nhaus](温室)with plants from all of the participating countries(参展国).

"We're planning to create a model for a future urban city in the botanical garden and have plants growing there during the Expo period from all over the world," said Formigoni.

Expo 2015 Milan will offer a great communication [kəˌmju:niˈkeiʃən](沟通) and promotion platform [ˈplætfɔ:m](平台) for primary-producing communities, farmers, food firms, catering companies(饮食服务公司) and other companies seeking to make the most of innovative technologies(创新科技) in the food industry, he said.

"The process will be inspired(启发) by traditional Italian food. It will evoke [iˈvəuk](唤起) the flavors and colors of our land and our food, which is homely, genuine, but also rich and beautiful," said Formigoni.

In Lombardy's countryside, innovation and tradition merge [mə:dʒ](合并) through new practices in the farming industry. This has propelled(推动) the region to the forefront of agricultural production(农业产品的前线) in Europe.

Official statistics(官方数据) by Lombardy officials show that 60,000 farms in the region employ innovative technologies to cultivate [ˈkʌltiveit](培育) a variety of crops, while about 8,000 agro-food companies produce and export their products all over the world.

"We will examine tradition [trəˈdiʃən], creativity [ˌkri:eɪˈtɪvətɪ]and innovation [ˌɪnəuˈveiʃən]in the business of food in the same manner that the Expo 2010 Shanghai explored urban and city life," said Formigoni.

Each nation will have a distinct [disˈtiŋkt](独立的) space where they can show their agriculture, technology, food research, and areas of excellence in the food production chain(食物生产链), as well as paradigms(示例) and contradictions(矛盾) inherent [inˈhiərənt](固有的) to the sphere [sfiə](范围) of food.

Six months of concerts, exhibitions and cultural events will bring tourists closer to Milan and its landmarks(地标), such as La Scala Theater, La Triennale Museum and the canals of its Navigli district.