英公司为避奥运拥堵让员工留宿＂太空舱＂

2012-04-24 00:00:00来源：中国日报英语点津

　　Sleeping on the job: Staff at London based Interxion will be given the choice to sleep at work during the Olympics, in a bid to avoid busy commutes

　　With roads and tube lines set to be more congested than ever this summer a few people may be tempted to use it an excuse for a day off.
　　今年夏天，英国的马路和地铁将出现前所未有的拥挤，有些人可能会很想以交通堵塞为由请假。

　　But for employees at data services provider Interxion a chaotic commute during the Olympics will hold no weight.
　　然而对数据服务供应商Interxion的雇员来说，奥运期间混乱的交通不足为惧。

　　That's because, in a bid to keep things ticking overthis summer, bosses at the London company are asking staff to sleep at work - in space pods.
　　这是因为这家伦敦公司的老板们今夏为了保持公司正常运转，让员工睡在办公室的“太空舱”里。

　　Far from sleeping on the job engineers at the Brick Lane based firm in east London will be asked to stay behind and sleep in the claustrophobiccapsules to avoid the rush hour.
　　这家公司的工程师完全不是在工作时打盹，而是为了躲避交通高峰期，被留宿在幽闭的“太空舱”里。这家公司的总部位于伦敦东部的砖块街。

　　And while other companies are set to offer staff the luxury of working from home during the Games the firm behind the capsules hope to get more workplaces on board.
　　其他公司打算奥运会期间让员工享受在家工作的待遇，而这家设置“太空舱”的公司希望能增加更多工作人员用舱。

　　Podtime, the firm behind the unusual cabins, are billingthem as the perfect solution to the Olympics' congested commute.
　　发明这种奇特的太空舱的Podtime公司宣称这是应对奥运会交通拥堵的最佳方案。

　　On their official website they state 'London businesses will be severely affected by the transport problems caused by the Olympics.
　　该公司在官方网站上说道：“伦敦商业将会因奥运会导致的交通问题而受到严重影响。

　　'Cost effective and versatilepods provide the best solution to this by allowing your staff to stay on site as necessary, in comfort and privacy.'
　　“太空舱成本低又集多功能于一身，通过让员工在必要的时候就地留宿，又舒适又清静，为奥运交通问题提供了最佳解决方法。”

　　Coming in a range of colours, the capsules made of polycarbonate, sell at anything from ￡1,375.
　　这种小舱用聚碳酸酯制成，有多种颜色，起价为1375英镑。

　　The stock models are fitted with either foam mattresses or a standard single mattress as well as a storage shelf, mirror and power points.
　　这种小舱的模型内装有储物架、镜子和电源插座，还有泡沫床垫或标准单人床垫。

　　These types of capsules have been around for years, in hotels, but Interxion is thought to be among the first to have them stalled at the workplace.
　　多年前旅馆里就已经有这种小舱，但据认为Interxion是第一个将这种小舱安置在工作场所的公司。

　　An independent report carried out by Oxford Economics last year estimated that around 450,000 visitors will stay in the capital while 5.5 million people will visit for at least a day during the Games.
　　《牛津经济学》去年发布的一份独立报告估计，奥运会期间约有45万游客将在首都伦敦停留，550万人至少会在伦敦停留一天。

　　This will inevitably mean more cars on the road and greater congestion on the Underground.
　　这意味着马路上不可避免地会有更多车，地铁里也必然会更加拥挤。

　　Vocabulary:

　　hold no weight:不重要

　　tick over:（事业等）进展缓慢；（生活等）勉强过得去

　　space pod:太空舱

　　claustrophobic:患幽闭恐怖症的；导致幽闭恐怖症的

　　bill:宣布

　　versatile:多功能的；多方面适用的

本文关键字: 太空舱