经济学人402:老骨头 墓地问题

 　　Old bones

　　老骨头

　　A grave issue

　　墓地问题

　　The opportunity cost of letting ancient Cockneys rest in peace

　　让老伦敦人安息的机会成本

　　THE Cross Bones Graveyard¹ lies on a dingy² street in south London. The medieval prostitutes buried there were much used and little loved ; yet their graves have become a modest attraction. The unconsecrated cemetery's rusty³ gates are festooned with colourful feathers, trinkets and ribbons. The most ardent⁴ well-wishers, who are campaigning for the graveyard to be protected as a monument, hold monthly vigils there at which they chant poetry and remember the long-ago outcasts.

　　十字骨墓地坐落于伦敦南部一条肮脏阴暗的街道，在墓地中长眠的中世纪妓女被一再利用却得不到任何关爱；但是如今她们的坟墓却成为了一个不大不小的旅游景点。被视为不圣洁的墓地大门虽然已经锈迹斑斑，但现在却被多彩的羽毛，小饰品以及彩带装点着。最虔诚的一批许愿者，正致力于申请将这片墓地作为历史遗迹保护起来，他们每月都会来守夜一次，在墓地旁吟唱圣歌以纪念这群故去的放逐者们。

　　墓地问题.jpg

　　Transport forLondon, the authority that owns the spot, wants to develop it. At 1,600 per square foot, primeLondonland is among the world's dearest. To soothe⁵ the vigilistas, however, TfL says it will leave the graveyard undisturbed.

　　拥有这片墓地的伦敦交通局计划重新开发这片区域。伦敦最繁华地段的土地以每平方英尺1600英镑的价格跻身于世界上最昂贵的土地之列。然而为了安抚这群守夜人，伦敦交通局表示施工将不会扰乱这片墓地的清静。

　　Bringing up the bodies

　　挖掘遗骸

　　This highlights a growing dilemma⁶ inLondon. It is an ancient city and its subsoil is packed with ancient remains⁷. Tradition and, by and large, the law demand that they be left in peace. But the opportunity cost is enormous.

　　这突显了伦敦一个日趋严重的问题。伦敦是一座历史悠久的城市，因此城市的底土都埋藏着先人的遗骨。传统观念告诉我们应该要让先人们在地下得以安息，总的来说，法律也是这么要求的。但是让先人们安息的机会成本是巨大的。

　　Developers normally have to obtain a licence for every buried body they wish to disinter. But big infrastructure⁸ projects are sometimes granted a bulk deal. Crossrail, a 15 billion rail link across the capital, is permitted by a special act of Parliament to remove ancient skeletons from its path. To that effect, more than 300 have so far been dug up from the grounds of a medieval hospital nearLiverpool Street, to be reburied in a mass grave. By the time the project is finished, the bones of thousands of ancient Cockneys will have been shifted.

　　一般来说，开发商们想挖掘的每一具遗骸都必须获得相应的许可证。但是有时在大型的基建项目中也会大批量地进行授权。伦敦横贯铁路是一条横贯首都伦敦并价值150亿英镑的铁路联络线，在它建设期间就曾被议会特别允许移除施工路途中的每一具遗骸。也就是说，至今已经有超过300具遗骸从靠近利物浦大街的中世纪医院的地下挖掘出来，并被重新埋葬集体坟墓之中。等到这项项目竣工之时，会有成千上万的老伦敦人的遗骸被重新安放。

1 graveyard   

n.坟场

参考例句：

• All the town was drifting toward the graveyard.全镇的人都象流水似地向那坟场涌过去。
• Living next to a graveyard would give me the creeps.居住在墓地旁边会使我毛骨悚然。

2 dingy   

adj.昏暗的，肮脏的

参考例句：

• It was a street of dingy houses huddled together. 这是一条挤满了破旧房子的街巷。
• The dingy cottage was converted into a neat tasteful residence.那间脏黑的小屋已变成一个整洁雅致的住宅。

3 rusty   

adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的

参考例句：

• The lock on the door is rusty and won't open.门上的锁锈住了。
• I haven't practiced my French for months and it's getting rusty.几个月不用，我的法语又荒疏了。

4 ardent   

adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的

参考例句：

• He's an ardent supporter of the local football team.他是本地足球队的热情支持者。
• Ardent expectations were held by his parents for his college career.他父母对他的大学学习抱着殷切的期望。

5 soothe   

v.安慰；使平静；使减轻；缓和；奉承

参考例句：

• I've managed to soothe him down a bit.我想方设法使他平静了一点。
• This medicine should soothe your sore throat.这种药会减轻你的喉痛。

6 dilemma   

n.困境，进退两难的局面

参考例句：

• I am on the horns of a dilemma about the matter.这件事使我进退两难。
• He was thrown into a dilemma.他陷入困境。

7 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

8 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。