BBC随身英语:Designs for all time 永恒的设计

The museum approached some venerable British designers and architects to ask them which of their favourite symbols they would like to see placed in the capsule. The European flag was selected by artist Cecil Balmond, while Kenneth Grange offered a cylindrical coffee pot, designed by Arne Jacobsen.

As 2012 is London's Olympic year, an Olympic torch was chosen by the director of the museum. British fashion designer Paul Smith opted for a set of limited edition stamps and Thomas Heatherwick - designer of the Olympic cauldron - picked a standard light bulb.

When these souvenirs are rediscovered in a century's time, no one really knows if they will still be in use; whether they maintain their status as style icons, or if they will be dismissed as a passing fad.

Sir Terence Conran bucked the trend and decided to include a simple tin of anchovies. His idea for including the tinned fish was, he claimed, to demonstrate the ineffective use of expiry dates on tinned food. The container is likely to preserve the contents and it may even still be edible in 2112.

So what designs do you think deserve to be remembered in 100 years' time?

Quiz 测验 1. Where is a time capsule buried?

underground

2. What word is used to describe a container when it is tightly closed?

sealed

3. What word describes an object that is round or tube-shaped?

cylindrical

4. What noun is given to an object that is a reminder of the past?

souvenir

5. What idiom describes an action that is different from the way a situation develops in general?

buck the trend

Glossary 词汇表 stylish有风格的，时髦潇洒的 submitted递交 time capsule时间舱 sealed密封 venerable令人尊敬的 designers设计师 architects建筑设计师 cylindrical圆柱（筒）形的 limited edition限量版 souvenirs纪念品 icons标志 fad趋势，潮流 bucked the trend反潮流 expiry dates到期日 preserve保存 edible可食用的 remembered记住