2023年02月01日 VOA慢速英语：波音公司完成最后一架 747 喷气式飞机

 

Boeing has manufactured its last 747 jet airplane. The move ends the long production history of one of the company's most popular aircraft.
波音公司制造了最后一架 747 喷气式飞机。此举结束了该公司最受欢迎的飞机之一的悠久生产历史。
 
The aerospace company built the last 747 for American-based airline Atlas Air. The plane was delivered to the company on Tuesday. The final 747 was the 1,574th one manufactured by Boeing at its production center in the state of Washington. Thousands of employees were expected to take part in a ceremony for the airplane.
这家航空公司为美国航空公司阿特拉斯航空公司制造了最后一架 747。这架飞机已于周二交付给该公司。最后一架 747 是波音公司在其位于华盛顿州的生产中心生产的第 1,574 架飞机。预计将有数千名员工参加飞机的仪式。
 
Boeing completed the first 747 in 1969. The aircraft has served as a supply plane, an airliner with the ability to carry nearly 500 passengers and a transport plane for space shuttles. The 747 also serves as Air Force One, the official aircraft for the president of the United States.
这家航空公司为美国航空公司阿特拉斯航空公司制造了最后一架 747。这架飞机已于周二交付给该公司。最后一架 747 是波音公司在其位于华盛顿州的生产中心生产的第 1,574 架飞机。预计将有数千名员工参加飞机的仪式。
 
The plane revolutionized travel by connecting international cities that had never been directly linked before. Its ability to carry many passengers meant more people could travel by air.
这家航空公司为美国航空公司阿特拉斯航空公司制造了最后一架 747。这架飞机已于周二交付给该公司。最后一架 747 是波音公司在其位于华盛顿州的生产中心生产的第 1,574 架飞机。预计将有数千名员工参加飞机的仪式。
 
But over the past 15 years, Boeing and its European competitors have launched their own versions of large planes that are more profitable and use less fuel. The newer aircraft also have just two engines instead of the 747's four.
这家航空公司为美国航空公司阿特拉斯航空公司制造了最后一架 747。这架飞机已于周二交付给该公司。最后一架 747 是波音公司在其位于华盛顿州的生产中心生产的第 1,574 架飞机。预计将有数千名员工参加飞机的仪式。
 
"If you love this business, you've been dreading this moment," said longtime airline expert Richard Aboulafia. He added that the end of 747 production clearly demonstrates that "nobody wants a four-engine airliner anymore." However, Aboulafia said it should not be forgotten that for many years, the 747 had a major influence on the development of the airline industry.
“如果你喜欢这个行业，你就会害怕这一刻，”资深航空专家理查德阿布拉菲亚说。他补充说，747 停产清楚地表明“没有人再想要四引擎客机了。” 不过，阿布拉菲亚表示，不应忘记多年来，747 对航空业的发展产生了重大影响。
 
Boeing approved production for the 747 after losing a contract for a huge military transport plane, the C-5A. The idea was to put new, powerful engines designed for transport aircraft into planes designed to carry passengers.
在失去了大型军用运输机 C-5A 的合同后，波音公司批准了 747 的生产。这个想法是将专为运输机设计的新型强大发动机安装到专为运载乘客而设计的飞机中。
 
It took Boeing workers less than 16 months to complete the first 747. The major effort ended up earning the manufacturing team a nickname called "The Incredibles." The plane's production required a huge factory in Everett, Washington. It is still the world's biggest building by volume.
波音工人用了不到 16 个月的时间就完成了第一架 747。这项重大努力最终为制造团队赢得了“超人总动员”的绰号。这架飞机的生产需要在华盛顿州埃弗雷特的一家大型工厂进行。它仍然是世界上体积最大的建筑。
 
The body of the aircraft, known as the fuselage, measured about 69 meters long. The tail was as tall as a six-story building. The design included a second level that extended upward over the first third of the plane. Some airline companies turned the second level into a first-class sitting area.
这架飞机的机身被称为机身，长约 69 米。尾巴有六层楼那么高。该设计包括第二层，向上延伸超过平面的前三分之一。一些航空公司将二层变成了头等舱休息区。
 
The large, new plane model became known as the "Queen of the Skies."
这种大型新飞机模型被称为“天空女王”。
 
"It was the first big carrier, the first wide-body. So, it set a new standard for airlines to figure out what to do with it, and how to fill it," said Guillaume de Syon. He is a history professor and airline expert at Pennsylvania's Albright College.
“这是第一家大型航空公司，第一家宽体机。因此，它为航空公司制定了一个新标准，以确定如何处理它，以及如何填充它，”Guillaume de Syon 说。他是宾夕法尼亚州奥尔布赖特学院的历史教授和航空专家。
 
Delta was the last U.S. airline to use the 747 for passenger flights, which ended in 2017. Some international carriers continue to use the plane to transport passengers, including Germany's Lufthansa.
达美航空是最后一家使用 747 客运航班的美国航空公司，该航班于 2017 年结束。一些国际航空公司继续使用该飞机运送乘客，包括德国汉莎航空。
 
Atlas Air ordered four 747-8 models early last year and the final one left Boeing's factory on Tuesday.
阿特拉斯航空公司去年初订购了四架 747-8 机型，最后一架于周二离开波音工厂。
 
Boeing's relationship with the Federal Aviation Administration has been strained since deadly crashes of its best-selling plane, the 737 Max, happened in 2018 and 2019.
自 2018 年和 2019 年波音公司最畅销的飞机 737 Max 发生致命坠机事故以来，波音公司与美国联邦航空管理局的关系一直紧张。
 
The FAA took nearly two years – far longer than Boeing expected – to approve design changes and permit that plane back in the air.
美国联邦航空局花了将近两年的时间——比波音公司预期的时间长得多——来批准设计变更并允许这架飞机复飞。