英国极地科考船将命名为Boaty McBoatface

AS IT IS 2016-05-07 Goodbye, Boaty McBoatface 英国极地科考船将命名为Boaty McBoatface

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Two years ago, Britain’s National Environment Research Council¹ (or NERC) started building a ship to carry out research in polar waters. The ship will cost almost $300 million.

The submarine-sea vehicle needed a name. So the Council decided² earlier this year to let people on the Internet choose its name. So it launched³ a campaign called “Name Our Ship.”

NERC’s website said at the time officials wanted the name to be “inspirational and about environmental and polar science.” They hoped the public would choose to name the research ship after an important scientist or explorer.

Online voting ended on April 16. But, instead of choosing an inspirational or serious name, online voters chose an unusual one: the RRS (or Royal Research Ship) Boaty McBoatface.

The name received over 124,000 online votes, far more than any other proposed⁴ name.

But, the name chosen by a huge majority of voters did not last very long. British officials said Friday that they have decided to instead name the ship after the famous researcher Sir David Attenborough.

?People on social media are not happy. There is even an online campaign asking Sir David to change his name to Boaty McBoatface. The hashtag #BoatyMcBoatface trended on Twitter Friday.

The NERC did say from the beginning that it would make the final decision on the name of the research ship. 

But many people still believe that the ship’s rightful name is Boaty McBoatface.

Words in This Story

inspirational - adj. causing people to want to do or create something

1 council   

n.理事会，委员会，议事机构

参考例句：

• The town council passed a law forbidding the distribution of handbills.市议会通过法律，禁止散发传单。
• The city council has declared for improving the public bus system.市议会宣布同意改进公共汽车系统。

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 launched   

v.发射( launch的过去式和过去分词 )；[计算机]开始（应用程序）；发动；开展（活动、计划等）

参考例句：

• He launched a bitter diatribe against the younger generation. 他对年轻一代发起了猛烈的抨击。
• The product was launched amid much fanfare worldwide. 这个产品在世界各地隆重推出。

4 proposed   

被提议的

参考例句：

• There is widespread discontent among the staff at the proposed changes to pay and conditions. 员工对改变工资和工作环境的建议普遍不满。
• an outcry over the proposed change 对拟议的改革所发出的强烈抗议