VOA标准英语2012--London Fears Losing Aviation Relevance

 

London Fears Losing Aviation Relevance¹

Four years ago, environmental protestors from Greenpeace demonstrated atop a passenger jet at London's Heathrow airport. The stunt² gained widespread media attention, and the battle for the future of Britain's aviation industry is still being fought.

Joss Garman is a senior campaigner with Greenpeace. 

"Britain is already very well served by airport capacity and the problem is that a huge amount of that capacity is being taken up by short-haul flights to destinations less than 500 kilometers away," said Garman. "So places like Paris and Manchester [are] easily reachable by train, which is ten times less polluting."

The British government has ruled out building a third runway at Heathrow and has no current plans to expand other airports. But business groups say Britain is being held back. 

Nicola Walker is head of infrastructure³ at the employers' organization, Confederation of British Industry. Its offices overlook the Crossrail construction project, one of the capital's biggest infrastructure investments. Walker says Britain needs to be more ambitious.

"Our current international hub Heathrow is running at 99.2 percent capacity, and we don't believe that there's the opportunity to put on new links to those high-growth emerging markets that businesses really want to attack," Walker noted⁴.

That means markets like Chongqing in China. Chongqing has grown from a small regional city to a manufacturing hub, home to an estimated 7-million people. 

Additionally, Sao Paolo, Brazil is seeing a huge influx⁵ of European businesses keen on trying to exploit old colonial ties.

Research by the British Chamber⁶ of Commerce claims two-thirds of business leaders in Brazil, China, India, South Korea and Mexico are more likely to trade with France, Germany or the Netherlands rather than Britain, because they offer more direct flights.

Independent aviation consultant⁷ Peter Forbes says London's lack of direct flights means it is losing out to rivals.

"Frankfurt for example has, I think, something like seven routes into China in comparison with Heathrow's four," said Forbes. "But Germany has a lot more trade with China and from their point of view it's good to have those links."

London Mayor Boris Johnson wants a new airport built in the Thames estuary⁸. The architecture firm Foster and Partners, which designed Beijing's airport, has submitted plans. But with Britain back in recession, analysts⁹ say it will be difficult to justify¹⁰ the estimated price tag of $80 billion. The government says it will make a decision later this year. 

1 relevance   

n.中肯，适当，关联，相关性

参考例句：

• Politicians' private lives have no relevance to their public roles.政治家的私生活与他们的公众角色不相关。
• Her ideas have lost all relevance to the modern world.她的想法与现代社会完全脱节。

2 stunt   

n.惊人表演，绝技，特技；vt.阻碍...发育，妨碍...生长

参考例句：

• Lack of the right food may stunt growth.缺乏适当的食物会阻碍发育。
• Right up there is where the big stunt is taking place.那边将会有惊人的表演。

3 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。

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

5 influx   

n.流入，注入

参考例句：

• The country simply cannot absorb this influx of refugees.这个国家实在不能接纳这么多涌入的难民。
• Textile workers favoured protection because they feared an influx of cheap cloth.纺织工人拥护贸易保护措施，因为他们担心涌入廉价纺织品。

6 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

7 consultant   

n.顾问；会诊医师，专科医生

参考例句：

• He is a consultant on law affairs to the mayor.他是市长的一个法律顾问。
• Originally,Gar had agreed to come up as a consultant.原来，加尔只答应来充当我们的顾问。

8 estuary   

n.河口，江口

参考例句：

• We live near the Thames estuary.我们的住处靠近泰晤士河入海口。
• The ship has touched bottom.The estuary must be shallower than we thought.船搁浅了。这河口的水比我们想像的要浅。

9 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

10 justify   

vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护

参考例句：

• He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.他想用站不住脚的借口为自己的缺席辩解。
• Can you justify your rude behavior to me?你能向我证明你的粗野行为是有道理的吗？