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Changes to MRT Routes Planned 捷运路线变更策划

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Changes to MRT Routes Planned  捷运路线变更策划

Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation (TRTC) will go ahead with its controversial plan to separate the MRT line that connects Danshui and Xindian. Alternations to the Red and Green Lines should come into effect as the new Xinyi Line opens in 2012 and the new Songshan Line is completed in 2013. Form this point on, those who travel north from Xindian will have to transfer at Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall Station if they wish to continue on to Taipei Main Station or onward to Danshui. TRTC officials said that the changes to the route will ease congestion at the two main transfer hubs: the main station and Zhongxiao Fuxing. The department aims to minimize disruption by ensuring passengers will do little more than switch platforms. However, users of the high-volume Green Line, in particular, are concerned about the inconvenience that they fear will result from the interruption to the journey.

台北捷运公司（TRTC）将着手进行其具争议性的计划。切割原连接淡水及新店的捷运线。2012年新信义线即将通车，而2013年新松山线也会完工，届时红线和绿线的变更就会生效。此后，从新店往北的旅客如果想搭到台北车站或继续前往淡水，将得在中正纪念堂站转乘。台北捷运公司人员表示，这样的路线变更将舒缓台北车站和忠孝复兴站两大转乘站的壅塞人潮。该部门开出支票，保证乘客只要转换月台即可，目标在于把纷扰降到最低。然而，高承载量的绿线乘客尤其担忧他们将因旅途中断而面临的不便。

Branson Verges on Bringing Space Travel to the Wealthy Masses  布兰森使富豪太空旅游几近成真

Billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson has never been one to shy away from a wild idea, and now his latest venture is about to blast off. Branson’s Virgin Galactic has finally unveiled the much-anticipated spaceship that will make space tourism possible. Shaped like a bullet and sleek in its design, SpaceShipTwo is a six-seat passenger spacecraft. It will be carried high into the sky on an aircraft and then the spaceship will fire its rocket engines and shoot off above the atmosphere, reaching a distance of about 65 miles over Earth. From here, passengers will be able to see the curve of the planet and experience weightlessness. Branson’s dream of a “commercial era of space travel” is rapidly coming true. But with prices starting at US$200,000 for a two-and-a-half hour trip, the astronaut experience will remain a thing of fantasy for most. Virgin Galactic aims to begin launching the first space tourists into orbit by 2011.

亿万富翁企业家理查德德．布兰森从不回避疯狂的点子，如今他最新的投资事业即将「发射升空」。布兰森的维京银河公司总算将万众期待的宇宙飞船公诸于世，使太空旅游变成可能。宇宙飞船二号形状如子弹且设计线条流畅，可以乘坐6位乘客。它将搭载在母船上，飞行至高空后，启动火箭引擎发射到大气层之外，距离远达地球上方65英里。从这里，乘客将能看见地球的弧线，还可以来场无重力体验。布兰森「太空旅游商业时代」的梦想正慢慢地成真，不过一趟两个半小时的旅程就要价美金20万元，航天员的体验对大多数人来说只能当作幻想。维京银河公司目标在2011年前开始把第一批太空旅客送上宇宙轨道。

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Vocabulary

单词发音

controversial [͵kɑntrəˋvɝʃəl] adj. 引起争论的

alternation [͵ɔltɚˋneʃən] n. 更迭；变换

come into effect (尤指法律、规则等) 生效 to become valid, effective, or operable

transfer [trænsˋfɝ] v. 换车，转车

onward [ˋɑnwɚd] adv. 向前；在前面

aim to 目标在于…

minimize [ˋmɪnə͵maɪz] v. 使减到最少

high-volume 高流量的

interruption [͵ɪntəˋrʌpʃən] n. 中断, 中断之事

verge on 接近; 濒临 to be almost identical to something; to be similar to or almost the same as something

unveil [ʌnˋvel] v. 使公诸于众；揭露

much-anticipated 万众期待的

atmosphere [ˋætməs͵fɪr] n. 大气层

era [ˋɪrə] n. 时代；年代

orbit [ˋɔrbɪt] n.（天体等的）运行轨道

More Information

单词发音

congestion [kənˋdʒɛstʃən] n. 拥塞；挤满

hub [hʌb] n.〔地域﹑系统的〕中心; 枢纽

disruption [dɪsˋrʌpʃən] n. 中断; 扰乱

little more than 和…无差别[一样] merely

entrepreneur [͵ɑntrəprəˋnɝ] n. 企业家

shy away from 躲开, 避开; 回避; 退缩 avoid having to deal with some unpleasant task

venture [ˋvɛntʃɚ] n. 冒险事业

blast off〔航天器〕离地升空; 发射 launch with great force

sleek [slik] adj. 光滑的，柔滑的

shoot off (对空)发射 leave promptly and quickly

weightlessness [ˋwetlɪsnɪs] n. 无重状态

astronaut [ˋæstrə͵nɔt] n. 航天员，宇航员

fantasy [ˋfæntəsɪ] n. 空想；幻想；梦想

Virgin Galactic Inside the spaceship

Spaceship Two - first feathered flight