又中又英｜Reclining seats

又中又英｜Reclining seats

There was a recent article on CNN\'s website that immediately caught my eye. If something catches your eye, it means it gets your attention. The article was about reclining seats on passenger planes. A reclining seat is a seat with a back that moves backwards a little when you press a button, giving you more space. Most airlines have reclining seats. Some passengers love reclining seats, but others hate them. I hate reclining seats. Almost every time I fly economy or business, the passenger in front reclines the seat. This gives the passenger more space but lessens the space in front of me.

There are many news reports of passengers arguing and even coming to blows because passengers reclined their seats. To come to blows means to fight. Reclining seats are less of a problem in first or business class but a big problem for many in economy class because the space between seats is already small. The CNN article said some airlines have, in recent years, started to replace reclining seats with pre-reclined seats for short-haul flights. These are seats that cannot be reclined but are already partly reclined. A short-haul flight is a flight of not more than three hours. A long-haul flight is a flight of up to 12 hours or even more.

The CNN article I read said airlines are unlikely to replace reclining seats with pre-reclined seats on long-haul flights. That must come as a blow to passengers who hate reclining seats. To come as a blow used this way means to come as a big disappointment. Do not confuse it with the expression "come to blows", which means to fight.

最近在美国有线电视新闻网的网站上，有一则新闻立时吸引我的眼球（caught my eye）——若某事物catches your eye，即是它引起了你的注意。那则新闻是关于客机上的 reclining seats。A reclining seat就是按下按钮就能稍为向后躺的座椅，让你能有更多的空间。大部分的航班都有可调节躺椅（reclining seats），一些乘客喜爱躺椅（reclining seats），但另一些人则讨厌它。我就很讨厌躺椅（reclining seats）。差不多每次搭乘经济舱或商务舱时，前面的乘客都会将椅背向后倾，这让他们有更多的空间，却缩减了我前方的空间。

历来不乏新闻报道，有乘客因为椅背后倾的问题而争执甚至大打出手（coming to blows）。To come to blows 是指因某事而打起来。能后倾的躺椅（reclining seats）对于头等和商务舱位来说问题不大，但对许多坐经济舱的人而言却是一大问题，因为座位与座位之间的空间已经很狭小。有线电视新闻网的那则新闻指，近年有一些航空公司开始将短途航班（short-haul flights）的可调校躺椅（reclining seats）转换成预设后倾座椅（pre-reclined seats）。这些座椅不能自行调校后躺，但都已设计成稍为后倾。A short-haul flight是指不多于三小时的短途航班；a long-haul flight就是可达十二小时甚至更长时间的长途航班。

我在有线电视新闻网上读到的那则报道说，航空公司不大可能会为长途航班（long-haul flights）以预设后倾座椅（pre-reclined seats）取代原有的可调校躺椅（reclining seats）。对于那些讨厌躺椅（reclining seats）的乘客来说，这肯定是 come as a blow——to come as a blow在这里是指令人大失所望，是一大打击。可不要将它跟习语“come to blows”混淆啊，后者是指动手打架。

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Michael Chugani褚简宁
中译：七刻