经济学人:特朗普欲将空中交通私有化(下)

 　　Many countries, including Australia, Britain and Canada, have privatised air-traffic services or turned them into state-owned firms. 许多国家，包括澳大利亚、英国和加拿大，已经私有化的空中交通服务或转为国有企业。

　　Nav Canada, a non-profit firm that has long managed Canadian airspace, has costs per flight hour of $340 compared with the FAA's $450. 加拿大导航局，一家长期管理加拿大领空的非盈利公司，每小时飞行费用为340美元，而联邦航空局的450美元。

　　Replacing old radar-based methods with accurate satellite navigation and better digital communications is a particular priority. 旧的基于雷达的导航方式被精确的卫星导航和更好的数字通信取而代之，这是一个特别的优先项目。

　　Aircraft using satellite navigation can be safely spaced more closely together, which permits many more planes to be in the air at the same time. 使用卫星导航的飞机可以更为紧密却安全相隔，同时允许更多的飞机在空中飞行。

　　Digital systems also provide data links to control centres and to other planes by regularly broadcasting an aircraft's identification sign, its position and course. 数字系统还通过定期广播飞机的识别标志、位置和航线，向控制中心和其他飞机提供数据链接。

　　This would allow “free routing”, which means pilots can fly directly to a destination, rather than follow established airways¹, which often zigzag² around. 这将允许“自由飞行”，这意味着飞行员可以直接飞到目的地，而不是遵循既定的航线，往往曲折前进。

　　The president's proposal might even speed a move towards “virtual” control towers in low-rise buildings, which can replace towers physically³ located at airports. 总统的提议甚至可能加快向低层建筑中“虚拟”控制塔的发展，以取代在机场设立的物理塔。

　　The virtual versions are fed live video from airfield⁴ cameras. 虚拟塔台是由机场摄像机提供的实时视频。

　　Proponents⁵ argue that they are both safer and around 30% cheaper to operate. 支持者认为，它们更安全，运营成本低30%左右。

　　Virtual towers can look after more than one airport. 虚拟塔可以兼顾不止一个机场。

　　One in Norway is set to supervise 32 airports, some of them in remote areas. 在挪威设置的一个将监督32个机场，其中一些在偏远地区。

　　The European Union reckons such innovations will allow three times as many flights to be handled in the region and save airlines some 9bn euro ($10bn) a year. 欧盟认为，这些创新将允许在一个区域处理三倍多的航班，每年为航空公司节省90亿欧元（100亿美元）。

　　It also, optimistically perhaps, predicts that on average aircraft will land within one minute of their scheduled arrival time. 它还乐观地预测，平均飞机将在预定到达时间的一分钟内降落。

　　That would count as a miraculous⁶ improvement for anyone, let alone America's weary airport warriors⁷. 这对任何人来说都是一个奇迹般的进步，更不用说美国疲惫的机场工作人员。

　　Mr Trump⁸, though, may struggle to get the proposal through Congress. 然而，特朗普先生可能很难通过国会的提议。

　　A similar plan got stuck last year, despite being backed by most airlines and the air-traffic controllers' union. 去年，尽管大多数航空公司和空中交通管制员工会都支持这一计划，但类似的计划还是被搁置了。

　　At least the president can dodge⁹ the queues: Air Force One flights get special clearance¹⁰. 至少总统可以避开排队：空军一号航班已得到特别许可了。

1 AIRWAYS   

航空公司

参考例句：

• The giant jets that increasingly dominate the world's airways. 越来越称雄于世界航线的巨型喷气机。
• At one point the company bought from Nippon Airways a 727 jet. 有一次公司从日本航空公司买了一架727型喷气机。

2 zigzag   

n.曲折，之字形；adj.曲折的，锯齿形的；adv.曲折地，成锯齿形地；vt.使曲折；vi.曲折前行

参考例句：

• The lightning made a zigzag in the sky.闪电在天空划出一道Z字形。
• The path runs zigzag up the hill.小径向山顶蜿蜒盘旋。

3 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

4 airfield   

n.飞机场

参考例句：

• The foreign guests were motored from the airfield to the hotel.用车把外宾从机场送到旅馆。
• The airfield was seized by enemy troops.机场被敌军占领。

5 proponents   

n.（某事业、理论等的）支持者，拥护者( proponent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Reviewing courts were among the most active proponents of hybrid rulemaking procedures. 复审法院是最积极的混合型规则制定程序的建议者。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• Proponents of such opinions were arrested as 'traitors. ' 提倡这种主张的人马上作为“卖国贼”逮捕起来。 来自辞典例句

6 miraculous   

adj.像奇迹一样的，不可思议的

参考例句：

• The wounded man made a miraculous recovery.伤员奇迹般地痊愈了。
• They won a miraculous victory over much stronger enemy.他们战胜了远比自己强大的敌人，赢得了非凡的胜利。

7 warriors   

武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I like reading the stories ofancient warriors. 我喜欢读有关古代武士的故事。
• The warriors speared the man to death. 武士们把那个男子戳死了。

8 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

9 dodge   

v.闪开，躲开，避开；n.妙计，诡计

参考例句：

• A dodge behind a tree kept her from being run over.她向树后一闪，才没被车从身上辗过。
• The dodge was coopered by the police.诡计被警察粉碎了。

10 clearance   

n.净空；许可(证)；清算；清除，清理

参考例句：

• There was a clearance of only ten centimetres between the two walls.两堵墙之间只有十厘米的空隙。
• The ship sailed as soon as it got clearance. 那艘船一办好离港手续立刻启航了。