【趣谈英语】没有窗户的飞机-Windowless Airplanes

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

 

concept: a model or design based on an early idea

flexible: bendable; not rigid¹

OLED: organic light-emitting diode

fuselage: the body of an aircraft where the passengers and crew are situated²

aerodynamic: a long, slender shape that reduces drag and allows a vehicle or creature to fly efficiently³

the sky is the limit: the options are endless

panoramic⁴: with a wide view

vista⁵: pleasant view

 

Windowless Airplanes

What will airplanes look like in the future? Some manufacturers believe that, in less than ten years, commercial planes will be windowless. Airplane windows, despite being small portholes, weigh a lot. If you’ve ever been caught with overweight luggage, you know that a heavier aircraft costs more in fuel. Early concepts of windowless planes feature flexible OLED displays that line the fuselage in place of the windows. This would reduce the weight of planes and make them slightly more aerodynamic. As for what will be featured on the screens, conceptual designer, Gareth Davies, says that “the sky is the limit”. Passengers may get a panoramic view of surrounding vistas⁶ projected from cameras outside the plane, or they might be stuck watching hours of advertising⁷.

1 rigid   

adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的

参考例句：

• She became as rigid as adamant.她变得如顽石般的固执。
• The examination was so rigid that nearly all aspirants were ruled out.考试很严，几乎所有的考生都被淘汰了。

2 situated   

adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的

参考例句：

• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。
• She is awkwardly situated.她的处境困难。

3 efficiently   

adv.高效率地，有能力地

参考例句：

• The worker oils the machine to operate it more efficiently.工人给机器上油以使机器运转更有效。
• Local authorities have to learn to allocate resources efficiently.地方政府必须学会有效地分配资源。

4 panoramic   

adj. 全景的

参考例句：

• Most rooms enjoy panoramic views of the sea. 大多数房间都能看到海的全景。
• In a panoramic survey of nature, speed is interesting because it has a ceiling. 概观自然全景，速率是有趣的，因为它有一个上限。

5 vista   

n.远景，深景，展望，回想

参考例句：

• From my bedroom window I looked out on a crowded vista of hills and rooftops.我从卧室窗口望去，远处尽是连绵的山峦和屋顶。
• These uprisings come from desperation and a vista of a future without hope.发生这些暴动是因为人们被逼上了绝路，未来看不到一点儿希望。

6 vistas   

长条形景色( vista的名词复数 )； 回顾； 展望； （未来可能发生的）一系列情景

参考例句：

• This new job could open up whole new vistas for her. 这项新工作可能给她开辟全新的前景。
• The picture is small but It'shows broad vistas. 画幅虽然不大，所表现的天地却十分广阔。

7 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。