新奇事件簿 中国建尼加拉瓜大运河

A Chinese company is going to build a new shipping¹ route through Central America. Nicaragua has given the company a $40 billion contract to construct a canal across the country. It will join the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. This means there will be two waterways to connect the two oceans. The other one is the Panama Canal, which opened in 1914. The new waterway in Nicaragua will be bigger and longer than the 77-km-long Panama Canal. A spokesman said much bigger ships would pass through Nicaragua's canal – twice the size of those that currently use the Panama Canal. The name of the company that will build the canal is still a secret. However, it will have a 100-year contract to maintain the project.

中国公司将在中美洲建造新的运输航线。尼加拉瓜与该公司签订了总价值达400亿美金的合同，将建造一条横跨尼加拉瓜的大运河。并将连接大西洋和太平洋。这就意味着将出现两条连接两大洋的运河。另一条是巴拿马运河，该河道建于1914年。比起77公里长的巴拿马运河，这条建在尼加拉瓜的运河在长度，规模上将超越前者。发言人称这条新运河能够迎接大型船只通行，规模是巴拿马运河的两倍。而建造该运河的公司仍然不得而知。然而，这家中国公司有百年运营权。

The new canal will be a very important trade route. Shipping companies will save time and money because it will be farther north than the Panama Canal. It will take companies ten years to finish the project, but the first ships will use it within six years. It will be 22 metres deep and 286 km long. Not all Nicaraguans are happy about the canal. Congressman² Carlos Langrand said: "This project affects all Nicaraguans, the future of Lake Nicaragua, our environmental resources, and the economy." He complained that the government was not being honest with the people. He told the "Nicaragua Dispatch" newspaper that: "We have many more questions than answers about this project."

新运河将会是一条极其重要的贸易航道。由于该运河比巴拿马运河更加靠北，所以这将节省航运公司的时间和成本。建造这条运河需要花费10年的时间，然而首艘船只将会在6内通行。运河的深度为22米，长286公里。并不是所有尼加拉瓜人都欢欣鼓舞。国会议员卡洛斯·朗格朗称：“这项计划将对所有尼加拉瓜人民、尼加拉瓜湖，我们的环境资源以及我们的经济构成影响。”他抱怨称政府并没有对人民坦诚不公。他在接受“Nicaragua Dispatch”报纸采访时称：“我想关于此运河，我们的问题比答案多。”

1 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

2 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。