VOA慢速英語：瑞士開通了世界最長最深鐵路隧道

瑞士開通了世界最長最深鐵路隧道

Switzerland has opened the world’s longest and deepest railway tunnel, 17 years after starting work on the project.

在該項目動工17年后，瑞士已開通世界最長最深的鐵路隧道。

The Gotthard Railway Tunnel is 57 kilometers long. Trains passing through it will be about 2.3 kilometers underground at the deepest point.

戈特哈德鐵路隧道總長57千米。其地下最深處有2.3千米。

The tunnel cost $12 billion to build under the Alps of central Switzerland.

該隧道位于瑞士中部阿爾卑斯山脈下，總共花費120億美元。

The tunnel will reduce the time it takes trains to travel between northern and southern Europe. It is also expected to lower the number of vehicles on roads, and move cargo between north and south.

該隧道將縮短乘坐火車從北歐到南歐的時間。它也有望減少公路交通，從北到南運貨。

Many large trucks now carry goods through Europe. The trucks pollute the air.

現(xiàn)在許多大型卡車通過歐洲運輸貨物。卡車污染了空氣。

The two-way tunnel opens for commercial service in December. When that happens, up to 260 freight trains and 65 passenger trains will be able to pass through it every day.

雙向隧道的開通是為了在12月提供商務(wù)服務(wù)。到那時，每天會有約260列貨運列車和65列客運列車通過該隧道。

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi were at the opening ceremony on Wednesday. There were also musical bands and dancers. To celebrate the event, a special song was even written for the tunnel.

德國總理安吉拉·默克爾、法國總統(tǒng)弗朗索瓦·奧朗德和意大利總理馬泰奧·倫齊在周三出席了開通儀式?，F(xiàn)場還有樂隊及舞蹈表演。為了慶祝該事件，還特地為該隧道寫了一首特別的歌曲。

The new tunnel will have an effect on Switzerland and the rest of Europe for years to come.

這條新隧道在今后的一些年里會影響瑞士以及其余整個歐洲。

Switzerland is not a member of the European Union. But some EU member countries have helped pay for, design and build the tunnel. The tunnel is expected to help the EU railway network -- especially traffic between Germany and Italy.

瑞士并非歐盟成員國。但是一些歐盟成員國也幫助出資、設(shè)計并建造了這條隧道。這條隧道有望隊歐盟鐵路網(wǎng)絡(luò)有所助益——尤其是德國和意大利之間的交通。

The tunnel stretches from the German-speaking town of Erstfeld in the north to the Italian-speaking town of Bodio in the south.

該隧道從北方說德語的城鎮(zhèn)斯特菲爾德一直延伸到南方說意大利語的城鎮(zhèn)博迪奧。

I’m Christopher Jones-Cruise.

克里斯托佛·瓊斯·克魯斯報道。

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Words in This Story

tunnel – n. a passage that goes under the ground, through a hill, etc.

cargo – n. something that is carried from one place to another by boat, airplane, etc.

commercial – adj. related to or used in the buying and selling of goods and services; concerned with earning money

freight – adj. goods that are carried by ships, trains, trucks or airplanes