原文来源：The Economist 2019-4-5
The sky’s the limit
[2019-04-05] Beijing is building a colossal new airport. Delays will still be common
Article
Officials use many superlatives to de- scribe a massive new airport nearing completion in Daxing district on Beijing’s southern edge. It deserves them all. The golden-roofed terminal (pictured) is a triumph of design by Zaha Hadid, an Iraqi- born British architect who died in 2016, a few days after work on the edifice began. At 180,000 square metres the building’s steel roof, they say, is the largest of any airport terminal. The ground floor has the world’s biggest seamless single slab of concrete. It covers nearly 250,000 square metres, roughly the area of 35 football pitches. The state-owned firm in charge of building the airport says construction has involved “unprecedented” difficulty.
It was only just over a decade ago that the capital was boasting the completion of what it then called the world’s largest man- made structure—terminal three of the cur- rent main aviation hub, Beijing Capital international airport. That building (also de- signed by a British architect), along with a new runway, more than doubled the air- port’s capacity to 80m passengers per year. Last year, however, Capital airport handled more than 100m travellers, making it the world’s second-busiest, after Atlanta in America. Beijing is “very ready for another new airport”, says a foreign airline executive. Daxing airport will have four runways, compared with three at Capital.
In many other countries, a project on this scale would be beset with delays and cost overruns. But as always with big projects in China, nimby-ish concerns have been ignored. Officials had a free hand to requisition land for the airport: 13 villages were demolished and about 20,000 people relocated to make way for it. The construction manager, Li Jianhua, says Daxing air- port is on budget (it is costing 80bn yuan, or nearly $12bn) and on time. It is due to open in September. Officials call it a gift for the communist country’s 70th birthday, which will be celebrated on October 1st.
The airport is also intended as a gift for the relatively underdeveloped region south of the capital where it is located (67km from Capital airport in the north- east). It is roughly equidistant between the centre of Beijing and a new city, Xiongan, that is being built in Hebei province, south of Daxing, to relieve population pressure on the capital (Xiongan is a project cherished by China’s leader, Xi Jinping, as is the airport). The cost of new infrastructure around Daxing, including road and high- speed rail links between the airport, Xiong- an and downtown Beijing, is four times as much as the facility itself.
China needs many more new airports. The International Air Transport Association predicts that by the mid-2020s China will surpass America as the world’s largest aviation market. By 2037 China will be serving 1.6bn air passengers yearly, 1bn more than in 2017, it reckons. But airlines also need more room in China’s sky. The People’s Liberation Army keeps rigid control of around 75% of Chinese airspace, a far great- er share than most other countries reserve for defence purposes. It is reluctant to loos- en its grip, say many in the industry. As a result, passengers often suffer long and unpredictable delays, especially in the corridor between Beijing and Shanghai, Chi- na’s busiest. If traffic grows as projected, the congestion will get worse.
Notes
new airport nearing completion
接近完工
football pitches
足球场
The state-owned firm in charge of building the airport
负责建造机场的
construction has involved “unprecedented” difficulty.
前所未有的
aviation hub
航空枢纽
Last year, however, Capital airport handled more than 100m travellers, making it the world’s second-busiest, after Atlanta in America.
客流量最大的是亚特兰大机场，第二是首都国际机场
a project on this scale would be beset with delays and cost overruns.
受到困扰；开销超支
13 villages were demolished
拆迁拆除了
Daxing airport is on budget
on/within budget：在预算之内；over budget：超预算了
It is roughly equidistant between the centre of Beijing and a new city
be equidistant between A and B, A与B之间是等距的
relieve population pressure on the capital
缓解人口压力
The cost of new infrastructure around Daxing, including road and high-speed rail links between the airport, Xiongan and downtown Beijing, is four times as much as the facility itself.
配套基础设施建设费用是机场本身建设费用的四倍
loosen its grip
放松控制
Ex: It is impossible for your mother to loosen her grip on your life.
suffer long and unpredictable delays, especially in the corridor between Beijing and Shanghai
形象化的说法：北京与上海之间的走廊
