2021年经济学人 商用飞机之突破音障--尚需时日(1)

Business

商业版块

Supersonic passenger jets

超音速客机

Boom time

音爆时代

A flock of startups wants to break the sound barrier

一群初创公司想要突破音障

For 27 years Concorde epitomised jet-setting glamour¹.

在服役的27年里，协和式超音速飞机一直是喷气式飞机领域的象征。

Yet its elegant delta² wings came with the ear-splitting noise of thirsty military-derived engines;

不过，它优雅的三角翼伴随着军用的高耗能发动机震耳欲聋的噪音；

champagne³ was served in a cramped⁴ cabin with small seats;

虽然舱内的空间逼仄，座位狭小，但飞机提供香槟；

and cruising at twice the speed of sound,

它以两倍于音速的速度飞行，

which just about halved⁵ the time for an Atlantic crossing, cost twice the regular business-class fare.

让飞越大西洋所需时间几乎减半，不过票价也比普通的商务舱高出一倍。

Devotees shed a tear after its farewell flight in 2003, following a fatal crash in 2000 and the terrorist attacks of September 11th 2001.

在经历了2000年的致命空难和2001年9月11日的恐怖袭击后，2003年协和式飞机进行了告别飞行，发烧友们抱憾落泪。

Most business travellers shrugged⁶.

而大多数商务旅行者也只是耸了耸肩。

“Picking up where Concorde left off” is how Blake Scholl, chief executive of Boom Supersonic, describes Overture⁷ 1, the jet which the American startup is developing.

“青出于蓝而胜于蓝”，美国创业公司BoomSupersonic的首席执行官布莱克·肖尔（Blake Scholl）这样描述公司正在研发的飞机“1号序曲”（Overture 1）。

It will propel up to 88 passengers 1.7 times as fast as sound while avoiding Concorde’s drawbacks.

它最多能搭载88名乘客，以1.7倍的音速飞行，同时还规避掉了协和式客机的不足之处。

This appeals to United Airlines. On June 3rd it agreed to buy 15 planes, with an option for 35 more.

这一点对于美联航而言极具吸引力。6月3日，该公司同意购买15架飞机，还取得35架飞机的优先购买权。

JAL and Virgin⁸ Atlantic have options to acquire 30 between them.

日本航空和维珍航空共拥有30架飞机的购买权。

Mr Scholl promises that supersonic fares, once only for the very rich, will now be “for everyone”—or at least those who can afford to fly business on the same route.

肖尔承诺，曾经只专供富人消费的超音速机票现在面向了“所有人”，或者至少是那些负担的起同样航线上商务舱消费的人群。

Better aerodynamics, materials and engines are intended to keep operating costs 75% below those of Concorde.

“1号序曲”更符合空气动力学，材料更佳，引擎更强，因而运营成本比协和式飞机低75％。

Civilian⁹ engines will propel the aircraft in relative quiet and use sustainable fuel to head off criticism from environmentalists.

民用发动机让飞机在相对安静的环境中飞行，并会使用可持续燃料，以免遭到环保主义者的指责。

1 glamour   

n.魔力，魅力；vt.迷住

参考例句：

• Foreign travel has lost its glamour for her.到国外旅行对她已失去吸引力了。
• The moonlight cast a glamour over the scene.月光给景色增添了魅力。

2 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

3 champagne   

n.香槟酒；微黄色

参考例句：

• There were two glasses of champagne on the tray.托盘里有两杯香槟酒。
• They sat there swilling champagne.他们坐在那里大喝香槟酒。

4 cramped   

a.狭窄的

参考例句：

• The house was terribly small and cramped, but the agent described it as a bijou residence. 房子十分狭小拥挤，但经纪人却把它说成是小巧别致的住宅。
• working in cramped conditions 在拥挤的环境里工作

5 halved   

v.把…分成两半( halve的过去式和过去分词 )；把…减半；对分；平摊

参考例句：

• The shares have halved in value . 股价已经跌了一半。
• Overall operating profits halved to $24 million. 总的营业利润减少了一半，降至2，400 万元。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 shrugged   

vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀，什么也没说。
• She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 overture   

n.前奏曲、序曲，提议，提案，初步交涉

参考例句：

• The opera was preceded by a short overture.这部歌剧开始前有一段简短的序曲。
• His overture led to nothing.他的提议没有得到什么结果。

8 virgin   

n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的

参考例句：

• Have you ever been to a virgin forest?你去过原始森林吗？
• There are vast expanses of virgin land in the remote regions.在边远地区有大片大片未开垦的土地。

9 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。