VOA慢速英语2020 疫情下客流萎缩 航空公司将客机改装为货机

Air travel companies are permanently¹ changing their older passenger jets into airplanes that carry goods for trade.

航空旅游公司正在将他们较旧的客机永久改装为货运飞机。

The companies expect a large increase in e-commerce in the future. At the same time, the value of used passenger airplanes is falling because coronavirus restrictions² mean that fewer people are traveling. Air Canada and China's CDB Aviation are just a few of the companies making the changes.

这些公司预计未来电子商务将会大幅度增长。与此同时，因为新冠病毒限制措施意味着出行人数减少，二手飞机的价值将会下降。加拿大航空和中国国开行航空只是进行这类改装的一部分公司。

As a result, companies that convert, or change, passenger planes into freighter planes see a big chance for more business. These permanent changes are sometimes called P2F, or passenger-to-freighter, conversions³.

结果，将客机改装为货机的公司看到了巨大的商业机会。这种永久改装有时候被称为P2F改装，即客改货。

Cirium, a company that studies aviation data, expects the number of P2F conversions will rise by 36 percent to 90 planes in 2021. That number could increase to 109 airplanes in 2022.

研究航空数据的Cirium公司预计到2021年，客改货的飞机数量将会增长36%达到90架。到2022年可能会增长到109架飞机。

Chris Seymour is Cirium's Head of Market Analysis. "We estimate that most slots are sold for 2021 and at least 40% for 2022," Seymour said.

克里斯·西摩是Cirium公司的市场分析主管。西摩表示：“我们估算2021年的改装档期大部分已经订出，2022年的改装档期至少订出了40%。”

The business advisory⁴ company Ishka said the value of 15-year-old planes has fallen between 20 percent and 47 percent since the start of the year. This drop in value makes freighter conversions more attractive, or pleasing, to businesses.

Ishka商业咨询公司表示，自今年年初以来，15年机龄飞机的价值下降了20%到47%。这种贬值使得货机改造对企业更具吸引力。

P2F conversions are more costly⁵ than temporary conversions that many airlines have made during the coronavirus health crisis.

与许多航空公司在新冠病毒健康危机期间的临时改装相比，客改货的成本更高。

Temporary conversions remove passenger seats to carry more freight. Permanent conversions are a financial prediction that air freight demand will remain strong for years to come as people buy more online. Freight demand was weak before the COVID-19 crisis. The airline industry estimates it will take until 2024 for passenger traffic to return to 2019 levels.

临时改装是撤掉乘客座椅以运送更多货物。永久改装是一项认为随着人们更多在网上购物，未来几年航空货运需求将会保持强劲的金融押注。在新冠肺炎危机之前，货运需求疲软。航空业估计，至少要到2024年客运量才能恢复到2019年的水平。

Normally, about half of the world's freight is carried inside passenger planes. "2020 has seen record high freighter aircraft" use, said CDB Aviation chief executive Patrick Hannigan.

通常，全球近半货运是在客机内进行的。中国国开行航空的首席执行官帕特里克·汉尼根表示：“2020年货机使用率达到创纪录水平。”

P2F conversions cost millions of dollars in addition to the cost of the aircraft. They also take three to four months to complete, said ST Engineering Aerospace⁶ president Jeffrey Lam. His company plans to convert at least 18 A321 planes next year. That is eight more than in 2020. "We are all booked out for 2021 for aircraft conversions," Lam said. "The first slots are well into 2022."

除了飞机成本之外，客改货还需要花费数百万美元。ST Engineering Aerospace公司总裁杰弗里·莱姆表示，客改货需要三到四个月时间才能完成。他的公司计划明年至少改装18架空客A321飞机。这比2020年增加了8架。莱姆表示：“2021年的飞机改装订单名额已满。最早的改装档期到2022年。”

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) said it can convert 18 or more 767s each year. The company produces most of those used by Amazon.com Inc. "We are investing a lot of effort to meet the market demand," said Yosef Melamed, general manager of IAI's aviation group.

以色列航空航天工业公司称其每年可以改装至少18架波音767型飞机。该公司改装了亚马逊公司使用的大部分货机。以色列航空航天工业公司旗下航空集团总经理尤瑟夫·梅拉姆德表示：“我们投入了大量精力来满足市场需求。”

U.S.-based Aeronautical⁷ Engineers is also seeing a large increase in demand for conversions, said Robert Convey. He is a vice⁸ president for sales and marketing⁹ for the company. The move to more airplane conversions is also helping¹⁰ aviation repair and overhaul¹¹ companies. They have lost some of their business from the decrease in passenger air travel.

罗伯特·康维表示，总部位于美国的Aeronautical Engineers公司也看到了改装需求的大幅上升。康维是该公司的销售和营销副总裁。向改装更多飞机的转变也有助于航空检修公司。由于航空旅行的减少，他们失去了部分业务。

1 permanently   

adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地

参考例句：

• The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。

2 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

3 conversions   

变换( conversion的名词复数 )； （宗教、信仰等）彻底改变； （尤指为居住而）改建的房屋； 橄榄球（触地得分后再把球射中球门的）附加得分

参考例句：

• He kicked a penalty goal and two conversions, ie in Rugby football. 他一次罚球得分，两次触地后射门得分（在橄榄球赛中）。
• Few of the intermediates or enzymes involved in these conversions have been isolated from higher plants. 在这些转变中包含的少数中间产物或酶已经从高等植物中分离出来。

4 advisory   

adj.劝告的，忠告的，顾问的，提供咨询

参考例句：

• I have worked in an advisory capacity with many hospitals.我曾在多家医院做过顾问工作。
• He was appointed to the advisory committee last month.他上个月获任命为顾问委员会委员。

5 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

6 aerospace   

adj.航空的，宇宙航行的

参考例句：

• The world's entire aerospace industry is feeling the chill winds of recession.全世界的航空航天工业都感受到了经济衰退的寒意。
• Edward Murphy was an aerospace engineer for the US Army.爱德华·墨菲是一名美军的航宇工程师。

7 aeronautical   

adj.航空（学）的

参考例句：

• Many of the pilots were to achieve eminence in the aeronautical world. 这些飞行员中很多人将会在航空界声名显赫。 来自辞典例句
• The advent of aircraft brought with it aeronautical engineering. 宇宙飞船的问世导致了航天工程的出现。 来自辞典例句

8 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

9 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

10 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

11 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。