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The Hong Kong government faces new challenges to plans to preserve one of the territory's few remaining historical sites. The challenges are part of a long dispute over the destruction of dozens of landmarks¹ in recent years.

香港政府面临保存其少数尚存历史遗迹的新挑战。近年来许多地标建筑被拆除引发不少争议。

It was just a few years after Britain took over Hong Kong in 1842 that the territory's first British police station was built. The station, and the adjacent prison and court building closed in 2004.

1842年英国占领香港的几年之后建了第一个警察局。该警局与相邻的监狱和法院大楼从2004年就对外关闭。

The 160-year-old complex fills about a city block in the center of a popular business and entertainment district. Nearby, residents frequent posh bars, art galleries and high-end restaurants.

在香港繁华的商业跟娱乐区的中心，这片有160年历史的建筑占了整整一条街区。附近有不少豪华的酒吧、画廊与高级餐厅。

John Batten is an art gallery owner who helped organize a group dedicated² to preserving Hong Kong's historical structures.

约翰.巴顿是一个画廊老板，他协助成立了一个保存香港历史建筑的组织。

"When you go to the prison and you walk around, you are struck by the absolute tranquility and beauty of the buildings, " Batten says. "And of course horrible things happened there. It was a working prison for 140 years, 150 years."

巴顿说：“当你走进那座监狱、环顾四周时，你将为这座建筑所具有的那种绝对的肃静与美感而打动。当然那里发生过很恐怖的事情。在长达一百四五十年的时间里，那都是个关犯人的地方。”

The structure is one of the last reminders³ of Hong Kong's colonial past in the heart of the city. But an ambitious plan to renovate⁴ the station has angered some residents, who say Hong Kong is changing too much of its history.

这片建筑是闹市区内最后几个令人联想起香港殖民地历史的地标。一项雄心勃勃的翻新计划已经引起一些居民的强烈反对，他们认为香港已经失去了太多的历史。

The $231 million plan will leave the outer walls of the complex, and put galleries, boutiques and restaurants within the shells of the old buildings. In addition, a 50-story glass tower will jut⁵ out from inside the complex, with a distinctive⁶ set of giant spikes⁷ that opponents say will hide views of the territory's mountains and detract from the old buildings beauty.

这项2亿3千100万美元的计划，将保留那里建筑外墙，但在里面将新建画廊、古董店与餐厅。此外，一个50层楼高的玻璃塔楼将在里面拔地而起。楼顶建有一组巨形尖顶。反对者说，那将挡住香港美丽的山色，而且跟老建筑的风格也很不协调。

In past years Hong Kong's government has destroyed several landmarks to make way for roads and other projects. Last year the Hong Kong government demolished⁸ the famed Star Ferry terminal and Queen's Pier⁹, where British royalty¹⁰ used to step onto the territory, in favor of a harbor development plan. Fierce protests broke out over both cases.

在过去几年，为了兴建道路与其他建筑，香港政府已经推倒了好几个地标性建筑。去年为了港口发展计划，香港政府拆除了著名的天星码头与皇后码头。两处码头皆为英国政府当年登陆香港之地。两项拆除案都曾遭到愤怒的抗议。

Christine Loh is the founder¹¹ of Civic¹² Exchange, an independent public-policy research group. She says finding a happy medium between preserving Hong Kong's past and making money is not always the easiest task.

独立公共政策研究机构思汇政策研究所的创办人陆恭蕙说，在保存历史与寻求经济效益两者中间取得平衡并不是件容易的事：

"On the one hand people are worried that commercialization means that this place will be turned into something that nobody recognizes… there's another issue of how do you maintain the cost of maintaining a heritage site?" she notes.

“一方面民众担忧商业化将意味著这里将变成一个陌生的地方。还有一个难题是，为了保存历史遗迹要花多少代价？”

The new plan to renovate the police station has become a test for the city's ability to reconcile historical and financial concerns.

在保存历史遗迹和增加财政收入之间如何取得平衡？在这个问题上，翻新警察局的计划对香港政府来说是一个考验。

But for people like Batten, even this plan is a slap in the face for preservation¹³ activists¹⁴.

对巴顿这样的历史遗迹保存人士来说，警察局翻新计划如同一巴掌打在脸上。

He says over the past few decades Hong Kong has seen itself turn into a city that is no longer recognizable.

他说，在过去几十年来，香港已经变得面目全非了：

"There has been concern," Batten says. "The difference is between 1985 and 2005 and 2006 and '07 is we don't have much heritage left. And it's a realization¹⁵ by government finally that if everything goes then there is nothing left."

“有许多人感到关注。从1985年到2005年，到2006，到2007年，传统遗迹已经所剩无几了。现在政府总算意识到了，如果把所有的东西都拆了，那就什么东西都没有了。”

Batten says that putting galleries and restaurants inside the old police building and creating yet another high rise will not showcase the uniqueness of the building. While Batten did not offer any concrete alternatives to the plan, he said any renovation¹⁶ projects for the Central Station and other historical structures should maintain and make use of existing structures as they are.

巴顿说，将画廊与餐厅建在旧警察局里，并且在里面再造一个摩天大楼无法彰显该建筑物的独特风格。虽然巴顿并没有拿出另一个具体的可行方案，但他说任何历史遗迹的翻新计划，都应该保存并且充分利用老建筑的特色。

One charitable foundation a few years ago offered to fund a $64 million plan to convert the old complex into art studios, classrooms and museums that could be used by local and visiting artists and students. The government rejected that plan.

Batten does acknowledge that the government has begun to realize that the public values Hong Kong's history and its older buildings. In recent months, government planners have turned down a number of high-rise developments in older districts.

But he says another problem that infuriates many residents is the lack of communication between the government and public over the demolition¹⁷ of historical structures. Many preservation activists say the public often is not consulted on new projects.

Activists say if the government continues to choose development over preservation, they are going to lose more than just old structures. Within the walls of many of Hong Kong's old buildings, the stories that make up the territory's identity were created. And for Batten and many others, tearing those buildings down makes it all the harder to recall the city's origins.