在机场，控制塔台对于飞机的安全起降至关重要。但是有些新修的机场却没有塔台。那么，没有塔台的话，怎么保证飞机安全地起飞和降落呢？
Will air traffic control towers disappear?
by Maureen O'Hare
Standing tall over pretty much every airport in the world, a reassuring presence reminding us that planes are being guided safely along set paths, is the air traffic control tower.
pretty much 基本上
reassuring /ˌriːəˈʃɔːrɪŋ/ adj. 令人安心的
presence /ˈprez(ə)ns/ n. 在场、存在
guide /ɡaɪd/ v. 引导
set /set/ adj. 安排好的
control /kənˈtrəʊl/ n. 控制
But not at Sweden's new Scandinavian Mountains Airport. It's one of the first airports in the world to pioneer new remote air traffic control technology, with the operators not on site but in a low-rise building some 300 kilometers away.
Sweden /ˈswiːd(ə)n/ n. 瑞典（北欧国家）
pioneer /ˌpaɪəˈnɪə(r)/ v. 成为先锋
remote /rɪˈməʊt/ adj. 远程的、偏远的
operator /ˈɒp(ə)reɪtə(r)/ n. 操作员（由operate加上表示人的后缀-or；这里指指挥飞机的人员）
on site 在现场
low-rise 楼层少的
some /sʌm/ adv. 大约（用于数字之前）
At the airport, multiple cameras and sensors（传感器） around the airfields and its immediate surroundings will relay data to a control center at Sundsvall in central Sweden. High-definition screens will give the operators 360-degree views, but condensed（浓缩） to a 225-degree arc, meaning this virtual window can in some ways offer a more comprehensive overview than a traditional tower.
multiple /ˈmʌltɪp(ə)l/ adj. 很多的、多种多样的
airfield /ˈeəfiːld/ n. 飞机起降区、简易机场
immediate /ɪˈmiːdiət/ adj. 紧挨着的
surroundings /səˈraʊndɪŋz/ n. 周边环境、周围事物
relay /rɪˈleɪ/ v. 转发、转达
data /ˈdeɪtə/ n. 数据
definition /ˌdefɪˈnɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 清晰度
arc /ɑːk/ n. 弧、弧形
virtual /ˈvɜːtʃuəl/ v. 虚拟的
comprehensive /ˌkɒmprɪˈhensɪv/ adj. 详尽的
overview /ˈəʊvəvjuː/ n. 概览、总览
Augmented（增强的） reality allows the operators to see flight and radar（雷达） information overlaid（叠加） over the live video feed, while the external sounds of the airport are played over speakers to its remote control center. In addition, vision is improved at night and in adverse conditions, and operators can also zoom in and out with ease.
reality /rɪˈæləti/ n. 现实（由real加后缀-ity变成名词）
flight /flaɪt/ n. 航班
live /laɪv/ adj. 实况的
feed /fiːd/ n. 信息流
external /ɪkˈstɜːn(ə)l/ adj. 外面的
speaker /ˈspiːkə(r)/ n. 喇叭、扬声器
in addition /əˈdɪʃ(ə)n/ 此外、另外
vision /ˈvɪʒ(ə)n/ n. 视力、视野
adverse /ˈædvɜːs/ adj. 不利的
condition /kənˈdɪʃ(ə)nz/ n. 环境、条件
zoom /zuːm/ in 放大（zoom out 就是缩小）
"Virtual towers in principle work like any person who works remotely using technology, whether it is education, software, meetings and so on," says David Gillen, a professor at the University of British Columbia. "We learned a long time ago you do not have to be 'in the office' all the time – if surgeons can perform an operation via video, surely we can inform an aircraft what it should do for a safe landing or departure."
in principle /ˈprɪnsəp(ə)l/ 原则上说
remotely /rɪˈməʊtli/ adv. 远程地（由remote加后缀-ly变成副词）
surgeon /ˈsɜːdʒ(ə)n/ n. 外科医生
perform /pəˈfɔːm/ v. 做、实施
operation /ˌɒpəˈreɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 外科手术
surely /ˈʃʊəli/ adv. 当然、想必
aircraft /ˈeəkrɑːft/ n. 飞机、飞行器
departure /dɪˈpɑːtʃə(r)/ n. 离开、离港
"Virtual towers are in place in Scandinavia due to cost, the number of small remote airports and low traffic volumes," adds Gillen. "It allows a single team to operate a number of remote airports and, in principle, could optimize（优化） an airport system."
Scandinavia /ˌskændɪˈneɪviə/ n. 斯堪迪纳维亚（包括北欧的丹麦、挪威、瑞典三国）
volume /ˈvɒljuːm/ n. 量
single /ˈsɪŋɡ(ə)l/ adj. 单个的
operate /ˈɒp(ə)reɪt/ v. 运作
While the idea of operators not being on site may spook（吓坏） some, there are backup systems in place and – in the event of a disaster or emergency which could shut down a traditional on-site tower – it may actually be beneficial to have operators at a safe distance.
backup /ˈbækʌp/ n. 备用品
disaster /dɪˈzɑːstə(r)/ n. 灾害
emergency /ɪˈmɜːdʒ(ə)nsi/ n. 紧急情况
beneficial /ˌbenɪˈfɪʃ(ə)l/ adj. 有益的、有好处的
"Even today, busy airports will have approach and departure control that are not located on the airfield but in low-rise buildings elsewhere," says Gillen. "They operate using radar and other sensitive information transfer devices. The move to virtual towers is a relatively small step technically and operationally."
approach /əˈprəʊtʃ/ n. 接近
elsewhere /ˌelsˈweə(r)/ adv. 其他地方
sensitive /ˈsensɪtɪv/ adj. 敏感的、灵敏的
transfer /ˈtrænsfɜː(r)/ n. 转移、传送
device /dɪˈvaɪs/ n. 设备、装置
move /muːv/ n. 移动、迁移
relatively /ˈrelətɪvli/ adv. 相对来说
technically /ˈteknɪk(ə)li/ adv. 技术上（由technical加后缀-ly变成副词）
operationally /ˌɒpəˈreɪʃ(ə)n(ə)li/ adv. 运营上（由operation加后缀-al变成形容词operational，再加后缀-ly变成副词）
Gillen predicts remote air traffic control is going to become more common, especially if we switch to small aircraft – such as VTOL (Vertical Take Off and Landing) jets – which have the flexibility to land in multiple locations, such as regional airfields. In contrast, air traffic control towers, those mighty symbols of aviation（航空） dominating airports around the world, might one day disappear from view.
vertical /ˈvɜːtɪk(ə)l/ adj. 竖直的、垂直的
take off 起飞
flexibility /ˌfleksəˈbɪləti/ n. 灵活性
regional /ˈriːdʒ(ə)n(ə)l/ adj. 地区性的（由region加后缀-al变成形容词）
in contrast /ˈkɒntrɑːst/ 相比之下
mighty /ˈmaɪti/ adj. 巨大的、威武的
symbol /ˈsɪmb(ə)l/ n. 符号、象征
dominate /ˈdɒmɪneɪt/ v. 成为…的最重要事物
（如果您发现某些行的最后一个单词被分成两半了，请把您使用的浏览器升级到最新版本就能正常显示了。）
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