2021-01-10
How Europe's night trains came back from the dead
Going to bed in one major city and waking up in another; toasting the landscape as a new
country slips past; being rocked to sleep as you rattle across a continent.It's no wonder that
the night trains of Europe have been a byword for romance, immortalized by writers such as
Agatha Christie.
In fact, over the past decade, much of Europe's night train network has been cut.For many,
it seemed the end of the line was nigh.But recently there has been a resurgence of night trains
across Europe.On December 8, four national rail providers teamed up to announce new routes
between 13 European cities.
"You leave work at a normal time, have dinner, make your way to the station, get on the train,
and wake up in the place you want to be. There's no turning up at the airport at an unearthly hour,
as you do for a budget flight." says Monisha Rajesh, author of "Around the World in 80 Trains."
In fact, "flight shaming" has been sweeping across Europe in the past few years.In 2018,
domestic flights were down 9% in Sweden.
The Covid-19 pandemic has helped, too.Trains are easier to social-distance on,
says Rajesh.And night trains — where you can book an entire compartment to yourself — are even
better.
Europe's geography also helps the argument for night trains, says Nicolas Forien,
part of Back on Track, who points out that half the flights departing France are either internal,
or going to a neighboring country."The distance between European capitals is mostly ideal for night
trains.The continent could be a night-train paradise."
came back from the dead;起死回生
toasting;烤.. 取暖 举杯庆祝,后接答谢的对象
toasting the landscape ;庆祝美景
landscape;景色风景眺望
slips;滑动 溜走 ,外场员防守区域 幼枝 后裔
slip past;飞逝 过的飞快(时间或者飞速驶过)
rocked to sleep;轻轻摇摆进入梦乡
rattle across a continent;牢牢系在..上, 根据不同情境翻译成不同的拟声词,轰隆隆驶过大陆
it's no wonder that;难怪...
byword;榜样例子典型 笑柄, 俗彦,代名词
Agatha Christie;侦探小说家
nigh;near 凛冬将至
end of the line was nigh;这里指火车线路的终点
resurgence;再起 复活 上升激增
teamed up to;联手 协作合作
make your way to;到某个地点
turning up;调高 出现
budget;预算
at an unearthly hour;过早的 反常的 怪异的,特意赶早起个大早
as you do for a budget flight;廉价的机票
flight shaming;飞行羞耻,因为乘坐飞机会产生排放物人们应该对这种污染感到羞耻,反飞行运动的代名词
sweeping;横扫 迅速传播
compartment;区划 隔间 分隔车室 小隔间
Back on Track;回归正轨
departing; 离开,for表示目的地,from表示源
internal;国内的
is mostly ideal for;最适合