VOA标准英语2016--里约重建有轨电车迎接奥运会

Rio’s Trams Await Olympic Tourists 里约重建有轨电车迎接奥运会

Over the past century, many cities around the world replaced electric trams, prone¹ to breakdowns² and backups, with faster and more spacious³ buses. But for some reason restored antique trams are a huge tourist attraction.

So it’s no wonder the authorities in Rio de Janeiro are busy restoring their city’s old tram line ahead of the Summer Olympic Games.

There’s something special about old trams, such as Istanbul’s Nostalgia⁴ Tramway, which returned to the city more than 25 years after it was closed.

In Rio de Janeiro, an extensive network of tram lines, including the Santa Teresa line, operated for more than a century. As spare parts became harder to find, workshops kept the cars running with patches and improvisation⁵.

But one by one, the lines closed until only Santa Teresa's was left. A brake failure 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 the line last year, with replicas⁶ of the old cars with modern safety features.

Along with a magnetic brake, two pneumatic brake systems ensure that the cars will stop when needed.

At the end of the line, a conductor still has to manually move the trolley⁷ pole from one side of the car to the other.

In other 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 seven months.

“All the drivers are being trained both on board and in the simulator for every kind of emergency situation,” says training manager Alexandre Soares.

But a visit to one of Rio's many souvenir shops reveals that the light rail line hardly inspires local artists.

It’s easy to see that a nostalgic ride on the Santa Teresa line, through Rio’s narrow streets and across the Carioca Aqueduct, is something that stays in one's memory much longer than a quick ride on the modern light rail.

1 prone   

adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的

参考例句：

• Some people are prone to jump to hasty conclusions.有些人往往作出轻率的结论。
• He is prone to lose his temper when people disagree with him.人家一不同意他的意见,他就发脾气。

2 breakdowns   

n.分解( breakdown的名词复数 )；衰竭；（车辆或机器的）损坏；统计分析

参考例句：

• Her old car was unreliable, so the trip was plagued by breakdowns. 她的旧车老不听使唤，一路上总是出故障。 来自辞典例句
• How do we prevent these continual breakdowns? 我们如何防止这些一再出现的故障？ 来自辞典例句

3 spacious   

adj.广阔的，宽敞的

参考例句：

• Our yard is spacious enough for a swimming pool.我们的院子很宽敞，足够建一座游泳池。
• The room is bright and spacious.这房间很豁亮。

4 nostalgia   

n.怀乡病，留恋过去，怀旧

参考例句：

• He might be influenced by nostalgia for his happy youth.也许是对年轻时幸福时光的怀恋影响了他。
• I was filled with nostalgia by hearing my favourite old song.我听到这首喜爱的旧歌，心中充满了怀旧之情。

5 improvisation   

n.即席演奏(或演唱)；即兴创作

参考例句：

• a free-form jazz improvisation 自由创作的爵士乐即兴演出
• Most of their music was spontaneous improvisation. 他们的大部分音乐作品都是即兴创作的。

6 replicas   

n.复制品( replica的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His hobby is building replicas of cars. 他的爱好是制作汽车的复制品。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The replicas are made by using a thin film of fusible alloy on a stiffening platen. 复制是用附着在加强托板上的可熔合金薄膜实现的。 来自辞典例句

7 trolley   

n.手推车，台车；无轨电车；有轨电车

参考例句：

• The waiter had brought the sweet trolley.侍者已经推来了甜食推车。
• In a library,books are moved on a trolley.在图书馆，书籍是放在台车上搬动的。