2021年经济学人 商用飞机之突破音障--尚需时日(1)（在线收听）

Business

商业版块

Supersonic passenger jets

超音速客机

Boom time

音爆时代

A flock of startups wants to break the sound barrier

一群初创公司想要突破音障

For 27 years Concorde epitomised jet-setting glamour.

在服役的27年里，协和式超音速飞机一直是喷气式飞机领域的象征。

Yet its elegant delta wings came with the ear-splitting noise of thirsty military-derived engines;

不过，它优雅的三角翼伴随着军用的高耗能发动机震耳欲聋的噪音；

champagne was served in a cramped cabin with small seats;

虽然舱内的空间逼仄，座位狭小，但飞机提供香槟；

and cruising at twice the speed of sound,

它以两倍于音速的速度飞行，

which just about halved the time for an Atlantic crossing, cost twice the regular business-class fare.

让飞越大西洋所需时间几乎减半，不过票价也比普通的商务舱高出一倍。

Devotees shed a tear after its farewell flight in 2003, following a fatal crash in 2000 and the terrorist attacks of September 11th 2001.

在经历了2000年的致命空难和2001年9月11日的恐怖袭击后，2003年协和式飞机进行了告别飞行，发烧友们抱憾落泪。

Most business travellers shrugged.

而大多数商务旅行者也只是耸了耸肩。

“Picking up where Concorde left off” is how Blake Scholl, chief executive of Boom Supersonic, describes Overture 1, the jet which the American startup is developing.

“青出于蓝而胜于蓝”，美国创业公司BoomSupersonic的首席执行官布莱克·肖尔（Blake Scholl）这样描述公司正在研发的飞机“1号序曲”（Overture 1）。

It will propel up to 88 passengers 1.7 times as fast as sound while avoiding Concorde’s drawbacks.

它最多能搭载88名乘客，以1.7倍的音速飞行，同时还规避掉了协和式客机的不足之处。

This appeals to United Airlines. On June 3rd it agreed to buy 15 planes, with an option for 35 more.

这一点对于美联航而言极具吸引力。6月3日，该公司同意购买15架飞机，还取得35架飞机的优先购买权。

JAL and Virgin Atlantic have options to acquire 30 between them.

日本航空和维珍航空共拥有30架飞机的购买权。

Mr Scholl promises that supersonic fares, once only for the very rich, will now be “for everyone”—or at least those who can afford to fly business on the same route.

肖尔承诺，曾经只专供富人消费的超音速机票现在面向了“所有人”，或者至少是那些负担的起同样航线上商务舱消费的人群。

Better aerodynamics, materials and engines are intended to keep operating costs 75% below those of Concorde.

“1号序曲”更符合空气动力学，材料更佳，引擎更强，因而运营成本比协和式飞机低75％。

Civilian engines will propel the aircraft in relative quiet and use sustainable fuel to head off criticism from environmentalists.

民用发动机让飞机在相对安静的环境中飞行，并会使用可持续燃料，以免遭到环保主义者的指责。