Fifty years ago，the spot where Brasilia now stands was nothing but Cerrado-short scrubby forest，stretching thousands of miles in every direction。That the entire city，this modernist architectural feat，was completed in the space of just 4 years is thanks to the will of one man，former president Juscelino Kubitschek。JK was elected president in 1956 on the promise that he'd move the capital inland from Rio de Janeiro。Other politicians had made similar promises to no avail；the capital had even been mandated in Article Ⅲof the constitution of the First Brazilian Republic。But few expected JK to successfully see it through。
The site，on Brazil's high interior plateau，was close to rivers and had a temperate climate。But it was literally in the middle of nowhere-over 360 miles from the nearest paved road，75 miles from the nearest railroad，and some 115 miles from the nearest airport。JK pressed ahead，and held a competition for city plans。The winning design for the master plan was submitted by a Rio architect named Lucio Costa。
Costa's plan incorporated some curious ideas。In a country with no auto industry，the capital was designed almost exclusively for car use。Activities like shopping，banking，even living were segregated in discrete lumps。But viewed from high above，the city grid looked bold and monumental-shaped like an airplane in flight，or an arrow shooting forward into the future。
Groundbreaking began in 1957.Thousands of workers poured in from around the country。Living conditions were frightful。But by April 21，1960，there was something that resembled a city enough for the grand inauguration to be held。Politicians and bureaucrats began to make the long shift inland。
In years since，Brasilia has been a source of some controversy。For the world of urban design it embodies the limitations of rational planning；the carefully designated use zones now feel stifling，ill-equipped to address the complexity of a true city。Some Brazilians have suggested that the money borrowed to build the new capital planted the seed for the debt crisis of the early 1980s。But its status as the federal capital is secure；if nothing else，Brasilia certainly succeeded in moving the country's focus from the coast to the vast interior。
For visitors，the attractions here are purely architectural。The city was meant to be a showcase for the country。Brazil's best designers，architects，and artists were commissioned to create the buildings and make them beautiful。A visit to Brasilia is a chance to see and judge on their success。
五十年前，巴西利亚现在所在的地方不过是巴西Mina州的一个行政区——塞雷多。那里遍布灌木，向四处蔓延几千英里。而这座城市的建立——这一现代建筑的丰功伟绩仅仅在四年时间中就完成了。这都要感谢巴西前总统儒塞利诺·库比契克。在1956年竞选总统时，库比契克就立下承诺，要将首都从里约热内卢迁往内地。其他政治家也曾作出过这样的允诺，但最后都徒劳无功，因为首都已经在巴西第一共和国宪法第三条中规定好了。没有几个人想到库比契克竟然成功迁都了。
巴西利亚的选址定在巴西的内陆高原上，近河而气候适宜，周围却完完全全什么都没有——最近的公路在360英里之外，最近的机场离它115英里，而离的最近的铁路也在75英里之外。库比契克坚持不懈，为城市规划举办了一个投标比赛，而最终胜出的大师计划出自里约热内卢的建筑家Lucio Costa之手。
Costa的计划里有好多奇奇怪怪的点子。在一个几乎没有汽车工业的国家，巴西利亚这座城市竟然几乎只为汽车交通而设计——购物、银行甚至住宅区都被分隔在不同的区块中。然而，从高处俯瞰，这座城市的版图大胆而富有意义——像一架正在翱翔的飞机，也像射向未来的一柄弓箭。
城市的奠基工作开始于1957年。成千工人从巴西各地来到这里，当时的生活条件非常糟糕。然而，在1960年4月21日，巴西利亚已经很有城市的样子了，盛大的落成仪式也将举行。政治家和官员们纷纷从遥远的四处来到内地——巴西利亚。
从此，巴西利亚就成为争论的焦点。从城市设计的角度来说，它具有理性规划的种种缺点：起初细致规划的各个功能区在当今已不能适应一个真正的城市的复杂性。也有一些巴西人说，为新建首都所借的国债为八十年代早期的借贷危机埋下了祸根。然而，作为国家首都，巴西利亚的地位却是稳固的。不管怎么说，它的确成功地把国家的中心由海岸地区牵入内地。
而对旅游者来说，这座城市的主要吸引力也纯粹在它的建筑方面。它是对一个国家的展示，巴西最好的设计师、建筑师与艺术家都受委托而来，使这座城市更加美丽。对巴西利亚的游览，就是对他们成果的一次检阅。
Scrubby adj。脏乱的，灌木杂乱丛生的
Mandate v。命令；训令，规定
Interior n。内地；腹地；内陆
the jungles of the interior of Africa 非洲内地的丛林
Plateau n。高原。
Incorporate v。将某事物包括进去；包含
Grid n。网格
To no avail 徒劳无功
Temperate adj。（指气候或有某种气候的地区）温和的temperate zones 温带
Inauguration n。落成，就职
Resemble v。与（他人或他物）相似；像……
Showcase n。展示
巴西迁都的原因
巴西利亚完全是从一个一无所有的内陆荒地上新建起来的城市，现在大约有2 百万人口。
巴西迁都的原因首先是安全。
历史上巴西饱受帝国主义列强侵略，先后被法国、荷兰和葡萄牙侵占。将一个沿海城市，里约热内卢作为首都，让巴西人感觉很不安全。巴西于1823年提出了建立一个新首都的想法。
开发内地不发达地区是巴西迁都的第二个原因。
较小规模城市政局容易控制，民众要求比较容易满足是第三个原因。
实际上，Brasília的建设工程浩大，代价高昂。公共赤字猛增，通货膨胀严重，举国怨声载道，这是导致1964年军事政变的重要原因。巴西迁都到底算是成功还是失败，至今仍是一个有争议的问题。