英伦广角 2014-11-01 英国政府支持新建高速铁路3号线

 It is perhaps the offer they cannot afford to refuse. High speed rail for the ambitious northern cities like Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool and H. The government said this is a fast track to a better life. 

 

I think it’s a real opportunity here as the chancellor¹ has spoken here to create a northern power house by looking how we could use high speed rail and other infrastructure² to link up our great  northern cities so that we really have a propel balance, rebalance of our economy. That’s what this is about.

 

Of course there are still thousands of people who are // against this plan. HS2 and the northern extension of it will cut right across where I am standing³ in this village in northeastern Leeds. And it is in this city where the chairman of the project will give his recommendations for the plan. But that’s not before the Prime Minister and the chancellor of giving their backing to the next stage, HS3.

 

The first stage of HS2 starts in London’s Uston and is due to open in 2026. It heads northwest, connecting Birmingham before heading up to Lichfield. Phase 2 of the network timetabled for 2032 recommends a route through Crewe and onto Manchester and through Nottingham and onto Sheffield and Leeds. New plans have been announced for HS3. A new tunnel under the P, connecting Manchester to Leeds. The idea that traveling times will be slashed⁴. For example, Manchester to Leeds now is around 55 minutes. In the future it could be as little as 26 minutes. 

 

We are gonna enable the north to compete. We are gonna have to be very bold on our investment for transport of the north. We just spend, we just say we just spend 15 billion pounds on cross rail in London. And I believe the north has to have its P and investment too.

 

The campaign against HS2 has long questioned the figures and promises and the impact on towns and villages.

 

Cutting across behind here, 14 meters in the air, a concrete...

 

Jo Mason whose house lies on the route of the north extension in Leeds says the value of her house has dropped by more than 300,000 pounds. 

 

We have won every argument. We have won the economic argument, the environmental argument, the capacity argument, every single argument. It will not help the north. All these things are //. This is a politically driven, vanity project. Its flames have been fund by the people who have stunned⁵ to do very well out of it. The government knows it must keep up the pace of the controversial project or risk of stalling all together. With election looming⁶, winning over the north with the promise of better times could win crucial votes.

 

1 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

2 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

3 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

4 slashed   

v.挥砍( slash的过去式和过去分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减

参考例句：

• Someone had slashed the tyres on my car. 有人把我的汽车轮胎割破了。
• He slashed the bark off the tree with his knife. 他用刀把树皮从树上砍下。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 stunned   

adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The fall stunned me for a moment. 那一下摔得我昏迷了片刻。
• The leaders of the Kopper Company were then stunned speechless. 科伯公司的领导们当时被惊得目瞪口呆。

6 looming   

n.上现蜃景（光通过低层大气发生异常折射形成的一种海市蜃楼）v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的现在分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近

参考例句：

• The foothills were looming ahead through the haze. 丘陵地带透过薄雾朦胧地出现在眼前。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Then they looked up. Looming above them was Mount Proteome. 接着他们往上看，在其上隐约看到的是蛋白质组山。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 回顾与展望