VOA慢速英语2020 美国公司展示新型超音速试验机（在线收听）

US Company Shows Off New Supersonic Test Aircraft

An American startup company recently gave reporters a chance to see its first demonstrator aircraft, which is set to begin flight testing next year.

一家美国创业公司最近向记者展示了其首架演示飞机，这架飞机将于明年进行飞行测试。

The tests will be an important milestone for the company. It has plans to develop a passenger airplane that can travel faster than the speed of sound.

这些测试将是该公司的重要里程碑。这家公司计划开发一种比音速更快的客机。

The Colorado company, Boom Supersonic, showed off its XB-1 aircraft for the very first time last week. The model is designed for testing purposes only, not to carry passengers.

上周，位于科罗拉多州的Boom Supersonic公司（以下简称Boom）首次展示了其XB-1飞机。该样机仅用于测试目的，不用于载客。

Boom plans to begin test flights of the XB-1 next year. The company said the plane is the first supersonic jet to be independently developed.

Boom公司计划明年开始XB-1飞机的试飞。该公司表示，这架飞机是第一架自主研发的超音速喷气式飞机。

A handful of U.S. companies are exploring ways to restart supersonic passenger travel for the first time since 2003, when the Concorde stopped flying. The Concorde was a supersonic passenger jet operated jointly by Britain and France.

自2003年协和式飞机停飞以来，少数美国公司正在探索重启超音速乘客出行的途径。协和式飞机是英国和法国联合运营的超音速客机。

The supersonic planes being developed today make less noise and are more fuel efficient than the Concorde. But manufacturers are under pressure from environmental groups and airports to meet the same noise and carbon emission limits as traditional planes.

目前正在研发的超音速飞机比协和式飞机噪音更小，燃油效率更高。但是制造商面临着来自环保组织和机场的压力，被要求达到与传统飞机相同的噪音和碳排放限制。

The main body of the XB-1 is 21 meters long. The jet is powered by three J85-15 engines made by General Electric Company.

XB-1飞机的机身长21米。这一喷气式飞机由通用电气公司生产的三台J85-15发动机提供动力。

Boom said in a press release that its ground tests of the XB-1 will be carried out in the coming months in Colorado. The aircraft will then be moved to California, sometime in 2021, to begin flight tests.

Boom公司在新闻稿中表示，XB-1飞机的地面试验将于未来几个月在科罗拉多州进行。之后，这架飞机将于2021年的某个时间转移到加利福尼亚州，开始飞行试验。

The company said the XB-1 will undergo a carbon-neutral flight test program during those tests.

该公司表示，XB-1飞机将在测试期间进行碳中和飞行测试。

Boom plans to use the XB-1 demonstrator to test the plane's equipment and engineering design. If the flight tests are successful, the company plans to continue development of its planned aircraft model, called Overture. The XB-1 is a version of the Overture, but about one-third of its size.

Boom公司计划用XB-1演示机测试飞机的设备和工程设计。如果试飞成功，该公司计划继续开发其计划中的飞机型号，名为“Overture”。XB-1飞机是“Overture”的一个版本，但尺寸仅有后者的三分之一。

In the coming year, Boom plans to continue working on Overture's propulsion system and carry out wind tunnel experiments.

明年，Boom公司计划继续进行“Overture”飞机的风洞推进系统试验。

"When XB-1 breaks the sound barrier in flight, Boom will be finalizing the design of Overture," the company said in a statement. It added that Overture should be ready for testing by 2025 and it plans to enter the plane into service by 2030.

该公司在声明中表示：“当XB-1飞机在飞行中突破声障时，Boom公司将最终确定“Overture”机型的设计。”。该公司补充称，“Overture”机型应该在2025年前准备好进行测试，并计划在2030年投入使用。

The company wants to cut the flying time across the Atlantic Ocean to about three-and-a-half hours. That would be half the time now required.

该公司希望将飞越大西洋的飞行时间缩短到大约3个半小时。这将是现在所需时间的一半。

The aircraft will have 65 to 88 seats, with prices expected to be like current business class rates. Boom says it has already received preorders for planes from Japan Airlines and Virgin Group.

这架飞机将设置65至88个座位，预计价格将与目前的商务舱价格持平。Boom公司表示，目前已收到日本航空公司和维珍集团的飞机预订单。

Boom Chief Executive Blake Scholl said he expects the travel market to recover over time from weakness caused by the coronavirus health crisis. He added that offering much faster flights could be a solution for people afraid of being infected on planes.

Boom公司首席执行官布莱克·斯科尔表示，他预计随着时间的推移，旅游市场将从冠状病毒健康危机造成的疲软中复苏。他补充说，对于害怕在飞机上被感染的人来说，提供更快的航班可能是一个解决办法。

"The nice thing about supersonic jets is if you're concerned about time on airplanes, less time is better," Scholl said.

斯科尔说：“超音速喷气式飞机的好处是，如果你对坐飞机的时长感到担心，那时间越短越好。”