走遍全世界74：布莱克普想要效仿拉斯维加斯

Many English seaside towns seem as if they are stuck in a time warp¹, in an era when families and caravans² full of factory workers would converge³ on the shore for fun and frolics.

英国许多海滨小镇仿佛被卡在时间隧道里了，至今仍然停留在那个全家人和装满工人的大游览车聚集在海边欢乐嬉闹的时代。

As buildings decay and holiday makers⁴ flock to warmer shores, resorts like Blackpool and Morecambe on the northwest coast are looking to refresh their image.

随着建筑物日渐破损，度假者们蜂拥前往更温暖的海滨胜地，而位于西北海岸线上的布莱克普和莫克姆正在努力使自己的面貌焕然一新。

Blackpool council has drawn⁵ up radical⁶ plans to turn its stretch of coastline, known as the Golden Mile, into what some have called the new Las Vegas of Europe.

布莱克普议会草拟了大胆的计划，打算把被称为“黄金海岸”的海岸线改造成一些人号称的“欧洲的新拉斯维加斯”。

The town is keen to capitalize on a proposed deregulation of Britain's gambling⁷ laws.

这个小镇急于利用提议接触英国赌博法管制的契机。

"Blackpool needs to see major change if it is to turn the tide and create a prosperous future," said deputy council leader Eddie Collett.

“如果想要扭转潮流，创造繁荣的未来，布莱克普要经历很大的变化，”议会副会长埃迪·考兰特说。

The aim is to build five big casinos and create around 30,000 new jobs. The project is already underway but developers say it will take until 2020 to finish.

这一计划的目标是建立五个大娱乐场，并创造约三万个新的工作岗位，这个项目已经起步，但开发者说要到2020年才能完成。

Council officials say the plan could generate around 437 million pounds a year and increase annual tourist visitors to around 15 million from 11 million now.

议会官员说这项计划每年将创造4.37亿英镑的收入，并使每年的游客量从现在的1,100万上升到1,500万。

The glitz of Las Vegas feels a long way from Blackpool.

布莱克普要想像拉斯维加斯一样光彩夺目还有很长一段路要走。

Its sandy beach is often strewn with litter and it is hard to find much better food than a burger.

那里的沙塘上总是丢满垃圾，在那里也很难找到比汉堡更美味的食品。

Many residents acknowledge the resort is not looking its best but some worry that the casino plan could attract the wrong sort of clientele.

许多居民承认这个海滨胜地现在的情况并不是最理想的，但也有人担心建造娱乐场的机会会吸引不道德的游客。

"There are enough alcoholics⁸ and gamblers anyway in Blackpool," said sweet-seller Pat Whitty, referring to a current craze for stag and hen night parties in the resort.

“总之，布莱克普的酒鬼和赌徒已经够多了。”谈到目前这里对男女聚会的狂热，逃过售货员帕特·威蒂这样说。

"Casinos will definitely scare families away," added Whitty. "Blackpool will lose its old seaside image."

“娱乐场肯定会把家庭游客吓跑，布莱克普将丧失它缘由的海滨景象，” 威蒂补充说。

1 warp   

vt.弄歪，使翘曲，使不正常，歪曲，使有偏见

参考例句：

• The damp wood began to warp.这块潮湿的木材有些翘曲了。
• A steel girder may warp in a fire.钢梁遇火会变弯。

2 caravans   

（可供居住的）拖车（通常由机动车拖行）( caravan的名词复数 )； 篷车； （穿过沙漠地带的）旅行队（如商队）

参考例句：

• Old-fashioned gypsy caravans are painted wooden vehicles that are pulled by horses. 旧式的吉卜赛大篷车是由马拉的涂了颜色的木质车辆。
• Old-fashioned gypsy caravans are painted wooden vehicles. 旧时的吉普赛大篷车是涂了颜色的木质车辆。

3 converge   

vi.会合；聚集，集中；(思想、观点等)趋近

参考例句：

• The results converge towards this truth.其结果趋近于这个真理。
• Parallel lines converge at infinity.平行线永不相交。

4 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

6 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

7 gambling   

n.赌博；投机

参考例句：

• They have won a lot of money through gambling.他们赌博赢了很多钱。
• The men have been gambling away all night.那些人赌了整整一夜。

8 Alcoholics   

n.嗜酒者，酒鬼( alcoholic的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Many alcoholics go on drinking sprees that continue for days at a time. 许多酒鬼一次要狂饮好几天。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Do you have a copy of the Alcoholics Anonymous book? 你手上有戒酒匿名会的书吗？ 来自互联网