美国有线新闻 CNN 卡车司机短缺 成为全球供应链最薄弱的环节

First story today, the U.S. government says it's made progress in an effort to relieve some of the shipping¹ problems that have clogged² up the international supply chain.

今天的第一个报道是，美国政府表示，他们在努力缓解一些堵塞国际供应链的运输问题方面取得了进展。

The government does not control that chain.

政府并没有控制那条供应链。

It's largely made up of privte port operators, trucking companies, railroads and warehouses³, but the Biden Administration is putting its support behind a plan for the Port of Los Angeles to operate 24/7 and for large companies like Walmart, Home Depot⁴ and UPS to ship more goods at night.

它主要由私人港口运营商、卡车运输公司、铁路和仓库组成，但拜登政府正在支持一项计划，让洛杉矶港全天候运营，并让沃尔玛、家得宝和UPS等大公司在晚上运送更多货物。

California's Port of Los Angeles is one of the most congested ports on Earth, 40 percent of all the containers shipped to America come through here and at the Port of Long Beach.

加利福尼亚州的洛杉矶港是地球上最繁忙的港口之一，运往美国的所有集装箱中有 40% 通过这里和长滩港。

Economic analysts⁵ and trade leaders say this is a step in the right direction, but that it won't make a major impact in supply problems.

经济分析师和贸易领导人表示，这是朝着正确方向迈出的一步，但这不会对供应问题产生重大影响。

It's estimated that around the clock operations will increase container flow at this port by 10 percent.

据估计，全天候的运营将使这个港口的集装箱流量增加10%。

The supply chain problems are complicated.

供应链问题很复杂。

They've been made worse by a worldwide shortage in trucks, computer chips, chemicals and other goods, and different COVID-19 restrictions⁶ which keep many transport workers from moving freely.

由于卡车、计算机芯片、化学品和其他商品的全球短缺，以及不同的 COVID-19 限制措施使许多运输工人无法自由移动，使情况变得更糟。

Other efforts are being made to address shipping problems, ports in the state of Florida say they have not seen the delays that California's have, so officials in the "Sunshine" state are trying to encourage shipping companies to unload there.

佛罗里达州正在采取其他措施解决船运问题，佛罗里达州的港口表示，他们没有看到像加州那样的延误，所以这个“阳光”州的官员正试图鼓励船运公司在那里卸货。

Even though that might mean sailing from the Pacific through the Panama Canal to get to Florida.

甚至认为这可能意味着要从太平洋航行，穿过巴拿马运河，到达佛罗里达州。

So, for some ships carrying billions of dollars in cargo⁷, it's a question of what takes longer and costs more, waiting to unload on the west coast or sailing to Florida on the east coast.

因此，对于一些运载价值数十亿美元货物的船只来说，问题在于，是在西海岸等待卸货，还是从东海岸驶往佛罗里达，所花费的时间更长、成本更高。

Organizations in Florida are rushing to hire more truck drivers who are needed to pick up the unloaded containers and take them to warehouses.

佛罗里达州的一些组织正忙着雇佣更多的卡车司机，他们需要将卸下的集装箱运送到仓库。

The trucker shortage is said to be the weakest link in the international supply chain, and evidence of that is to Georgia's Port of Savannah, the nation's third largest behind those in California and New York.

据说，卡车司机短缺是国际供应链中最薄弱的环节，证据是乔治亚州的萨凡纳港，是美国第三大港口，仅次于加州和纽约。

1 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

2 clogged   

（使）阻碍( clog的过去式和过去分词 )； 淤滞

参考例句：

• The narrow streets were clogged with traffic. 狭窄的街道上交通堵塞。
• The intake of gasoline was stopped by a clogged fuel line. 汽油的注入由于管道阻塞而停止了。

3 warehouses   

仓库，货栈( warehouse的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The whisky was taken to bonded warehouses at Port Dundee. 威士忌酒已送到邓迪港的保稅仓库。
• Row upon row of newly built warehouses line the waterfront. 江岸新建的仓库鳞次栉比。

4 depot   

n.仓库，储藏处；公共汽车站；火车站

参考例句：

• The depot is only a few blocks from here.公共汽车站离这儿只有几个街区。
• They leased the building as a depot.他们租用这栋大楼作仓库。

5 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

6 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

7 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。