VOA慢速英语2020 飞机上中间座位是否留空取决于乘客飞行的国家（在线收听）

Empty Middle Seat? Depends on Which Country You Are Flying In

For years, travelers have gotten used to low-cost flying on planes filled with passengers.But, like everything else, the coronavirus will change their expectations.

多年来，旅客们已经习惯了低价飞行时，飞机上乘客满载。但是和其他事情一样，冠状病毒会改变他们的预想。

Travelers, airlines and airports are dealing with the different rules put in place during the pandemic.The rules are different in almost every country.

旅客、航空公司和机场时刻在执行疫情期间实施的不同规定。几乎每个国家的规则都不一样。 

In Thailand, you cannot have food or water on the airplane and you must wear a mask.In Malaysia and Indonesia, the plane needs to be half-empty.In the United States and Europe, airlines are not required to leave the middle seat open.

在泰国，乘客不能在飞机上吃东西喝水，而且必须戴口罩。在马来西亚和印度尼西亚，飞机要留空一半的座位。在美国和欧洲，航空公司没有被要求把中间座位空着。

This means passengers cannot keep social distance.

这也就是说乘客无法保持社交距离。 

Subhas Menon is head of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines.He said that it is not going to be easy to travel "because of all the measures that are going to be introduced."

苏巴斯·梅农是亚太航空公司协会的会长。他说“由于即将出台的各种限制措施，”外出旅行并不容易。

The last time there were big changes in air travel was due to the 2001 attacks in the United States.Travelers "understood the security requirements that came after 9/11," said Boeing vice-president Mike Delaney.

上一次航空旅行出现重大变化是因为2001年美国发生的袭击事件。乘客“能理解911之后的安全要求，” 播音公司副总裁麦克·德莱尼说道。

He added that international airlines need to work together to decide on the new rules for flying.

他补充道，国际上的航空公司需要共同协作制定飞行新规。 

Airline service is changing too.

航空服务也正在发生改变。 

Business class meals were once a reason to pay for the higher level of service.Now, those meals are not much better than economy class as airlines such as Emirates, Air Canada, and British Airways cut costs.

商务舱餐食曾经是乘客付费获得高水平服务的一个原因。现在，这些餐食并不比经济舱的好多少，因为航空公司正在削减成本，比如：阿联酋航空、加拿大航空、英国航空。

And Qantas Airways now asks passengers to check in online to limit contact with employees and other fliers.

现在澳洲航空公司要求乘客线上办理登机手续以限制和航空公司员工及其他乘客的接触。 

On the airplane, one of the biggest questions has been whether the middle seat should be empty.

在飞机上，最大的问题之一就是中间座位是否应该留空。 

That means airlines would only fill 65 percent of the seats on a plane with passengers - not enough to make money without increasing the cost of the seats.

留空的话意味着飞机上只能坐满65%的座位——根本不够盈利除非提高座位票价。 

Afif Zakwan recently took a Malaysia Airlines flight within the country that was not required to fly half-empty.He said he was not worried while on a short, in-country flight, but he would not fly internationally for now.

阿非弗·扎万最近乘坐了马来西亚航空的国内航班，这趟航班没有要求留空一半的座位。他说乘坐国内短程航班他并不担心，但是他暂时不会乘坐国际航班。

Some nations are setting rules just for airlines registered in their country, while others are setting them for all international airlines.

一些国家仅针对在本国注册的航空公司设定规则，而另外一些国家则是对所有国际航班设定规则。 

U.S. airlines are among those requiring passengers and crew to wear masks.They have also said they will make temperature checks.

美国航空公司也要求乘客和工作人员戴口罩。这些公司还说他们会测量体温。 

In Europe, airlines mostly decided not to leave the middle seat empty.But they have made other changes they hope will keep passengers from worrying about coronavirus.

在欧洲，大部分航空公司决定不把中间座位留空。但是他们做出了其他的改变希望能够让乘客不必担忧新冠病毒。

It is hard to social distance on an airplane, Finnair Chief Executive Topi Manner told Reuters.He added that health risks can be lowered by requiring passengers to wear masks.

芬兰航空公司首席执行官托皮·曼纳告诉路透社记者，在飞机上保持社交距离很难。他还说道，要求乘客戴口罩可以降低健康风险。

Im Susan Shand.

苏珊·尚德为您报道。