CCTV9英语新闻：丝绸之路的旅程

The One Belt, One Road Initiative includes massive investment in infrastructure¹, and part of that is involves upgrading electricity transmission. In Xinjiang, a power transmission line is now planned to run all the way to Pakistan.

 

Xinjiang is upgrading its main power grid² to boost capacity. This substation will be gone into action in June. It's just one part of the ambitious projects for the region as a whole. 

 

"Xinjiang's main grid frame use to be 220kV. We're jumping two grades to make it 750kV. It's like a power transmission highway, compared to a village or provincial³ road. It's fast and stable. It's some of the world's most advanced high voltage technology," said Guo Lei, project manager of 750KV substation.

 

Xinjiang, in the northwest of China, has abundant natural resources for power generation. Last year, about ten percent of power generated here, 17.5 billion kilowatt-hours, was transmitted to other provinces. 

 

Upgrading the main grid will boost that to 250 billion kilowatt-hours in 2020. And there are plans to export electricity abroad. 

 

"The State Grid Cooperation plans to build a direct-current power line from Xinjiang to Pakistan. It will run from Ili in Xinjiang to Lahore in Pakistan, a length of 2,177 kilometres. It's capacity will be 400 kilowatts⁴. The State Grid has sent experts to research in the field. It's planned to be in operation in 2020," said Zhao Zhiqiang, planning director of State Grid Xinjiang company.

 

But there are major obstacles to be overcome. 

 

"We have a serious lack of technicians who can speak a foreign language. And the line will climb through the Pamir Plateau and the Kunlun Mountains. Some parts are very high and cold, and earthquake-prone. It'll be very hard to build and maintain. Also issues like how much and how to pay will take long negotiations," Zhao said.

 

But with more connectivity of energy infrastructure planned as part of China's Belt and Road Initiative, these lines are likely to stretch further across the mountains and borders. 

 

Two thousand years ago, strong winds in Xinjiang made the journey tough for Asian and European traders trekking⁵ along the Silk Road. But not, it provides something other than travel difficulties, energy. It's now the second largest source of power in Xinjiang, and is expected to power other regions and countries along the Silk Road Economic Belt. 

1 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。

2 grid   

n.高压输电线路网；地图坐标方格；格栅

参考例句：

• In this application,the carrier is used to encapsulate the grid.在这种情况下，要用载体把格栅密封起来。
• Modern gauges consist of metal foil in the form of a grid.现代应变仪则由网格形式的金属片组成。

3 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

4 kilowatts   

千瓦( kilowatt的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• It's about 500 kilowatts per hour on average. 年用电量平均为每小时500千瓦。 来自商贸英语会话
• We have an emergency-standby electric generator with a capacity of 300 kilowatts. 我们有一台三百千瓦的事故备用发电机。

5 trekking   

v.艰苦跋涉，徒步旅行( trek的现在分词 )；（尤指在山中）远足，徒步旅行，游山玩水

参考例句：

• She can't come pony trekking after all because she's in a delicate condition. 她结果还是不能坐小马车旅行，因为她已怀孕。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We spent the summer trekking in the foothills of the Himalayas. 我们整个夏天都在喜马拉雅山的山麓艰难跋涉。 来自互联网