Flying has revolutionised the way we navigate the world. It's often the quickest and most convenient way to travel long distances. But there's a catch – it's one of the most carbon-intensive activities the average person is likely to do. In 2018, a small group of celebrities in Sweden led the 'flygskam' movement, meaning 'flight shame' in English, to encourage people to give up flying. But, for people who need or love to travel, what can we offer as green alternatives?
Flying has revolutionised the way we navigate the world. It's often the quickest and most convenient way to travel long distances. But there's a catch – it's one of the most carbon-intensive activities the average person is likely to do. In 2018, a small group of celebrities in Sweden led the 'flygskam' movement, meaning 'flight shame' in English, to encourage people to give up flying. But, for people who need or love to travel, what can we offer as green alternatives?
飞行彻底改变了我们探索世界的方式。它通常是长途旅行最快捷、最方便的方式。但有一个问题——这是普通人可能进行的碳密集程度最高的活动之一。2018年，瑞典的一小群名人发起了“flygskam”运动，在英语中意为“飞行耻辱”，鼓励人们放弃飞行。但是，对于需要或热爱旅行的人来说，我们可以提供什么作为绿色替代品呢？
For medium to long-distance travel, it seems trains are our best bet. Using a train instead of a domestic flight reduces emissions by 86%, according to the 2023 article 'Which form of transport has the smallest carbon footprint?'. A downside is that trains can be more expensive than flying with low-cost airlines. Another is that it might take hours longer to reach your destination, and most people don't want to spend a large part of their trip travelling from A to B. That's where sleeper trains come in. European rail networks are expanding, which means passengers can travel while sleeping and wake up in a new city or country!
对于中长途旅行，火车似乎是我们最好的选择。根据 2023 年文章“哪种交通方式的碳足迹最小？”，使用火车代替国内航班可减少 86% 的排放。缺点是火车可能比乘坐廉价航空公司的航班更贵。另一个原因是，到达目的地可能需要更长的时间，而且大多数人不想花大部分时间从 A 点到 B 点。这就是卧铺火车的用武之地。欧洲铁路网络正在扩张，这意味着乘客 可以在睡觉时旅行并在新的城市或国家醒来！
For shorter distances, many would be willing to swap cars for bicycles, but few would consider cycling internationally. Among those few, Matilda Welin. It took her 17 days to cycle from London to Sweden. Sadly, she concluded that her trip neither benefitted the planet nor saved her money. But, it did change her perspective. She says "As I pedalled, I felt I was experiencing the true distance of the journey I take so casually and so often with a plane." She describes how the world around her changed slowly; the languages, the architecture, the landscapes – something she wouldn't have appreciated on a flight.
对于较短的距离，许多人愿意将汽车换成自行车，但很少有人会考虑在国际范围内骑自行车。在这少数人中，玛蒂尔达·韦林（Matilda Welin）就是其中之一。她花了17天的时间从伦敦骑自行车到瑞典。可悲的是，她得出的结论是，她的旅行既没有给地球带来好处，也没有为她省钱。但是，这确实改变了她的看法。她说：“当我踩踏板时，我感觉自己正在体验我经常乘坐飞机随意旅行的真实距离。” 她描述了她周围的世界是如何慢慢变化的；语言、建筑、风景——这些都是她在飞机上不会欣赏的。
Unfortunately for the planet, air travel remains a popular option – around 100,000 planes take off globally per day. But, further investment in rail infrastructure and subsidising ticket fares could help get more people on trains than planes.
不幸的是，对于地球来说，航空旅行仍然是一种流行的选择——全球每天约有 100,000 架飞机起飞。但是，对铁路基础设施的进一步投资和票价补贴可能有助于让更多的人乘坐火车而不是乘坐飞机。
词汇表
revolutionise 使彻底改变，在…方面引起突破性变革
a catch 隐藏的问题
carbon-intensive 碳排放最密集的
flight shame 飞行羞耻
green 绿色环保的
best bet 最佳选择
domestic flight 国内航班
carbon footprint 碳足迹
airline 航空公司
destination 目的地
from A to B 从一地到另一地
sleeper train 卧铺列车
rail network 铁路网
passenger 乘客
pedal 骑自行车
infrastructure 基础设施
subsidise 给予…补贴
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