新奇事件簿 萨摩亚航空论斤卖票

Samoa Air has become the first airline in the world to base fares on a passenger's weight. The national carrier of the South Pacific island nation has discarded the traditional pricing model of asking fliers to pay for a seat and instead has moved to a price-per-kilogram structure. The airline flies domestically between the country's two main islands and has started international flights to American Samoa and Tonga. Travellers pay a price of around US$1 per kilogram on shorter routes, and over US$4 on longer flights. Samoa Air CEO Chris Langton said the new initiative would help promote health awareness¹ in Samoa, which has one of the world's highest rates of obesity².

萨摩亚航空成为全球首家“论斤”卖票的航空公司。这个南太平洋岛国的国家航空公司摒弃了传统的卖票方式，转而以“论斤”的方式卖票。这家航空公司往返于国内的两大岛屿，并开始增加了飞往美属萨摩亚群岛和汤加的国际航班。在短途旅行中，游客每公斤支付1美元，长途旅行的价格超过了4美元。萨摩亚航空公司首席执行官克里斯·兰顿表示称，这项新规将有助于提高萨摩亚民众的健康意识，该国民众的肥胖率位于全球前列。

Reaction to the new pricing scheme has been mixed. A spokeswoman from the New Zealand-based campaign group Fight the Obesity Epidemic³ vehemently⁴ opposed the new fares. She said: "I think that's absolutely appalling⁵. It's a stigmatisation of people, and really, just powerfully discriminating⁶." A Samoan community leader said he appreciated that weight was key for airlines. He told the New Zealand Herald⁷: "I weigh 200kg. I would be okay to pay the fare, provided it's reasonable, but I don't think it's a good excuse saying that they're trying to promote healthy living that's a lame⁸ reason." Many industry analysts⁹ believe other airlines will follow suit in charging overweight passengers extra.

民众对于新规却褒贬不一。新西兰公益组织“对抗肥胖疾病”发言人对这项新规表示强烈反对。她称：“这真的是骇人听闻。这是侮辱人的行为，这是严重的歧视。”萨摩亚社区领袖对体重决定票价表示赞赏。他对《新西兰先驱报》称：“我的体重是200公斤。我可以支付这笔钱，因为这是合理的，但是我不认为用促进健康的理由来收钱是个好主意，这个理由站不住脚。”许多业内分析人士认为其他航空公司也将效仿。

1 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

2 obesity   

n.肥胖，肥大

参考例句：

• One effect of overeating may be obesity.吃得过多能导致肥胖。
• Sugar and fat can more easily lead to obesity than some other foods.糖和脂肪比其他食物更容易导致肥胖。

3 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

4 vehemently   

adv. 热烈地

参考例句：

• He argued with his wife so vehemently that he talked himself hoarse. 他和妻子争论得很激烈，以致讲话的声音都嘶哑了。
• Both women vehemently deny the charges against them. 两名妇女都激烈地否认了对她们的指控。

5 appalling   

adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的

参考例句：

• The search was hampered by appalling weather conditions.恶劣的天气妨碍了搜寻工作。
• Nothing can extenuate such appalling behaviour.这种骇人听闻的行径罪无可恕。

6 discriminating   

a.有辨别能力的

参考例句：

• Due caution should be exercised in discriminating between the two. 在区别这两者时应该相当谨慎。
• Many businesses are accused of discriminating against women. 许多企业被控有歧视妇女的做法。

7 herald   

vt.预示...的来临，预告，宣布，欢迎

参考例句：

• In England, the cuckoo is the herald of spring.在英国杜鹃鸟是报春的使者。
• Dawn is the herald of day.曙光是白昼的先驱。

8 lame   

adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的

参考例句：

• The lame man needs a stick when he walks.那跛脚男子走路时需借助拐棍。
• I don't believe his story.It'sounds a bit lame.我不信他讲的那一套。他的话听起来有些靠不住。

9 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。