VOA常速英语2016--百年老式有轨电车见证里约奥运（在线收听）

百年老式有轨电车见证里约奥运

There’s something special about old trams, such as Istanbul’s Nostalgia Tramway, whichreturned to the city more than 25 years after it was closed. In Rio de Janeiro, an extensivenetwork of tram lines, including the Santa Teresa line, operated for more than a century. Asspare parts became harder to find, workshops kept the cars running with patches andimprovisation. But one by one, the lines closed until only Santa Teresa's was left. A brakefailure in 2011 that injured 50 and killed six people finally forced officials to shut it down, as well.Responding to pressure from locals and wishing to attract tourists, authorities reopened theline last year, with replicas of the old cars with modern safety features. This year is a realbrake. It’s magnetic. It is activated by a magnet. Along with a magnetic brake, twopneumatic brake systems ensure that the cars will stop when needed. At the end of the line, aconductor still has to manually move the trolley pole from one side of the car to the other. Inother parts of Rio, the old trams were replaced by light rail – fast, silent and air-conditioned.Light rail is expected to handle much of the Olympic traffic. Training for drivers takes full sevenmonths. All the drivers are being trained both on board and in the simulator for every kind ofemergency situation. But a visit to one of Rio's many souvenir shops reveals that the light railline hardly inspires local artists. De Tulio is a local artist. He uses recycled materials. It’s easy tosee that a nostalgic ride on the Santa Teresa line, through Rio’s narrow streets and across theCarioca Aqueduct, is something that stays in one's memory much longer than a quick ride onthe modern light rail.

老式有轨电车是有些特别之处的，比如伊斯坦布尔的怀旧电车，不然它们怎么会在关闭25年后在里约市区重现呢？里约有网络式的有轨电车分布线，范围极广，比如已经运行了一个多世纪的圣塔泰瑞莎线路。

由于这些老式有轨电车的零部件愈发稀缺难找，很多工作坊的师傅们都靠即兴的修修补补来维持电车运转。但这些有轨电车的线路还是逐渐消失了，只剩下圣塔泰瑞莎线路。而2011年圣塔泰瑞莎线路的一起刹车失灵事故导致6死60伤，这场事故迫使官员们将这最后一条线路也封闭。而去年，应当地人民的要求和出于吸引游客的目的，里约当局重开了圣塔泰瑞莎线路，复制了曾经的老式有轨电车，并为其装配现代化的安全设备。今年开放的线路有真正的刹闸，是磁感应的，磁驱动的。除了磁驱动闸外，还装配了2个气动制动系统，以确保可以随时刹车。不过，线路末端的指挥员仍然需要将触轮杆手动从电车一端移动到另一端。里约有部分老式电车被轻轨电车替代，轻轨电车的优势在于速度快、噪音小、有空调。而轻轨也是里约奥运会期间分担交通流量的主力。轻轨驾驶员的培训需要整整7个月。培训既有真枪实战，也有实况模拟，让驾驶员体验每种紧急情况。不过，去了里约的纪念品商店就会知道，轻轨线路并不吸引当地艺术家。图略就是一名当地的艺术家，他创作采用的是回收材料。显而易见，现代轻轨的旅程一晃即逝，远不比带你穿梭小街小巷和高架渠桥间的圣塔泰瑞莎线路怀旧之旅，让人永生难忘。