Sunny Chao
Beijing’s Bird’s Nest Risks Becoming White Elephant
北京鸟巢有成为累赘的风险
【新闻关键字】
1. Bird’s Nest: n. 鸟巢 (北京奥运体育馆)
2. Olympic Games: n. 奥林匹克运动会,世运会
3. stadium: n. 体育馆
4. potential: a. 可能的，潜在的
5. white elephants: phr. 累赘之物，无用物品
STORY:
Half a year after 91,000 people packed the Bird’s Nest to watch the Olympic Games, the stadium’s owners are struggling to find a lasting role for the arena.
新闻内容:
北京鸟巢在奥运时聚集了91,000人。现在已过了半年，体育场业主仍然费劲的在找看鸟巢还能做什么用。
There’s no shortage of examples of Olympic hosts building huge stadiums that are rarely used after the Games. With a price tag of over 500 million U.S. dollars, the National Stadium always had the potential to become the mother of all white elephants.
6. structure: n. 结构
7. interior: n.a. 内部(的)
8. discoloration: n. 变色，污点
9. due to: phr. 由于
10. operate: v. 经营
奥运东道国家建立的巨大体育馆，在奥运会后就没什么机会使用了，这样的例子也不少。这座耗资超过5亿美元的国家体育场，有可能成为所有累赘物之母。
For the last half year it has functioned mainly as a tourist site, playing host to visitors from around the country.
在这半年，它主要是作为观光景点，招待全国各地来玩的游客。
The stadium’s structure and interior are showing a bit of wear and tear in places, with ripped posters left over from the Games and slight discoloration of the roof.
体育馆的结构和内部已经有些磨损的地方，像奥运海报撕下来的痕迹，和轻微变色的屋顶。
And due to the operating cost, the owners don’t want to put it to full use as a regular stadium.
由于经营成本的考量，业主不想把它当作一般体育馆来充份利用。
11. performance: n. 表演，成果
12. event: n. 事件，(比赛)项目
13. match: n. 比赛、对手
14. opening ceremony: n. 开幕式
15. retractable: a. 可缩回的，可取消的
16. admission: n. 门票，任用
17. memory: n. 记忆
18. eventually: adv. 最终
19. concern: v. 使关心，使担心
[Zhang Hengli, CITIC Consortium Stadium Operation Company]:
“The next performance will be in May of this year, but for sports events like football matches and other large events it is more difficult. Because of the Olympic opening ceremony we have a retractable grass pitch which is very expensive to set and remove, so a single football match would not be worth the cost."
张恒力(读音，中信联合体体育场营运公司)说：“今年五月会再使用鸟巢一次。但对于体育活动，像足球赛或其它大型活动，就很难使用它。因为在奥运开幕式上，我们做了一个可伸缩的草地球场，要架设和移开这个球场费用昂贵，所以单单一个足球赛不值得花那个成本。”
While admission fees from tourists are covering costs for now, Zhang says, memories of the 2008 Games will eventually fade.
张先生说，虽然现在游客的门票到目前还能支付所需费用，但2008年奥运的记忆终将消退。
Mother and travel agent from Shaanxi province Shi Aiping is concerned about the financial implications of an Olympic white elephant.
陕西省来的施爱萍，是母亲兼旅游代理商。她担心鸟巢可能成为奥运后的财务重担。
[Shi Anping, Travel Agent from Shaanxi Province]:
“I think it would be a great waste, it really would. Because the Bird’s Nest really did cost a lot of money, and if it had no other use it would be a great waste."
施爱萍(陕西省旅游代理商)说: “我觉得鸟巢可能成为巨大的浪费，确实是这样的。因为鸟巢的确耗费了很多钱，如果它没有其它用途的话，将是巨大的浪费。”
20. anniversary: n.a. 周年纪念(的)
21. cancel: v. 取消，废除
22. tender: n. v. 投标
23. athletics: n. 体育(课)，竞技
A performance of the opera Turandot is planned for the one-year anniversary of the opening of the Olympics on August 8.
歌剧杜兰朵公主计划在今年8月8日，奥运开幕周年庆时演出。
But plans for the Beijing Guo’an soccer team to play their home matches at the stadium were cancelled. And authorities have yet to invite tenders to host the IAAF Diamond Grand Prix athletics meeting that will begin in 2010.
但原本计划在鸟巢举办的北京国安足球队主赛已被取消。当局将邀请投标国际田联钻石联赛体育会议的东道，这些会议将于2010年开始召开。
本则影音新闻出处：新唐人电视台英语新闻
http://english.ntdtv.com/?c=145&a=8389
