【英語多益通】看機場公告突破多益重圍
文／周強 (Tim Chou)
地球暖化持續，極端氣候的現象愈見嚴峻。南半球的澳洲熱浪席捲，創下一百五十年來的高溫，而全境有一百多處的森林大火。美國東北部則是降下了百年來的大雪。無獨有偶，歐洲大陸也是低溫伴隨着數十年來的大雪，使得歐洲德、英、法幾個位居樞紐的國際機場都因大雪而使數百架次的航班停飛，滯留的旅客使機場大亂。
英國希斯洛機場(Heathrow Airport)是英國最大的國際機場，也是世界上最忙碌的機場之一。如果你人正好位在英國倫敦，等着要搭乘班機回臺灣，在這種陸空交通大亂的時刻，英語可就是一個重要的溝通工具。在這個歐洲大雪紛飛的時刻，我們來看一下英國希斯洛機場宣佈了什麼樣的聲明:
Weather update at Heathrow
The airfield at Heathrow is fully operational with all runways, taxiways and stands clear.
The schedule for today has been reduced by 10% in order to cope with the low visibility conditions expected from 1600 this afternoon. Low visibility means that, for safety reasons, there needs to be a bigger gap between aircraft. Because Heathrow runs at almost 100% capacity there is no slack in the system and flights unfortunately have to be cancelled. Further cancellations are inevitable given the adverse weather conditions at other airports around Europe.
We ask that all passengers please check the status of their flight with their airline before they leave for the airport.
We have over 200 additional customer services staff at Heathrow today to assist passengers as they come through the airport.
英國希斯洛機場對於大雪影響的最新消息(weather update at Heathrow)，說長不長、說短也不短地共有七句。你若是能瞭解此通告，身爲旅客的你才能正確的做出對策。它首先說道:「在希斯洛的機場區域完全正常運作，包括跑道、滑行道與空橋都暢通無阻。」
在「with all runways, taxiways and stands clear」之中， stands在此是指旅客上下飛機的「空橋」，而clear在此是指「暢通的、無阻礙的」。洋片電影或影集的警匪片裡，警察們攻堅進屋時，如果壞人都被解決或沒有壞人時，常聽到這句「Clear!」。
機場通告的全句: The airfield at Heathrow is fully operational with all runways， taxiways and stands clear.
雖然跑道是沒有問題而可以運作，但是大雪帶來什麼樣的問題? 機場的通告裡接着說:「今日飛航班次將減少10%，以因應預計今天下午四點起的低能見度。低能見度意謂飛機爲了安全，會有較大的間隔。」機場通告的全句:
The schedule for today has been reduced by 10% in order to cope with the low visibility conditions expected from 1600 this afternoon. Low visibility means that, for safety reasons, there needs to be a bigger gap between aircraft.
句中的「schedule(時間表、行程)」、「cope with(處理、應付)」、「reduce(降低、減少)」、「visibility(能見度)」都是常用字，在國際職場上很常見。常見的visible，是「看得見的」，配上名詞字尾-ity，所以是「能見度」。在「the low visibility conditions expected from 1600」之中，有一個關係代名詞which are的省略是「the low visibility conditions (which are) expected from 1600」，句中的conditions expected是被動式與關係代名詞conditions (which are) expected的簡化省略，這個盲點很常出現在多益測驗的Part 5的40題語法題之中。
英國希斯洛機場是歐洲最忙碌的機場之一，其運能與容量都已近飽和，所以較大的飛機間隔只會造成飛機「塞車」，因此這篇通告說:「因爲機場營運已接近百分之百，所以沒有餘裕空間。很遺憾航機班次必須取消。基於歐洲其他機場的惡劣天候，後續的班機取消勢所難免。」機場通告的全句:
Because Heathrow runs at almost 100% capacity there is no slack in the system and flights unfortunately have to be cancelled. Further cancellations are inevitable given the adverse weather conditions at other airports around Europe.
有些英美人士寫的句子，有時會省略主要子句與副詞子句之間的逗號，以上面第一句而言，補上句中的逗號，你會較爲了解:
主要子句: there is no slack in the system and flights unfortunately have to be cancelled
副詞子句: because Heathrow runs at almost 100% capacity
加上逗號之後: Because Heathrow runs at almost 100% capacity, there is no slack in the system and flights unfortunately have to be cancelled.
句中的「capacity(容量、能力)」、「unfortunately(遺憾地、不幸地)」、「inevitable(不可避免的)」、「adverse(不利的、有害的)」都是職場常用字。「given (that)」後接句子時，有「如果、鑑於」的意思。
這篇通告最後的兩句更告訴機場的旅客:「旅客要前往機場前，請先向航空公司查詢現況。」以及「今天當旅客停留在機場時，我們有兩百名以上額外增加的客服人員提供協助。」機場通告的全句:
We ask that all passengers please check the status of their flight with their airline before they leave for the airport. We have over 200 additional customer services staff at Heathrow today to assist passengers as they come through the airport.
句中的status(現況)與staff(員工、幕僚)都是職場常用字，相對之下，它們出現在多益測驗的機會也對很大。尤其leave for這個片語在聽力部分是個高頻用字，因爲leave是「離開」，但是leave for是「前往」，(例句):When will you leave for Hong Kong?(你何時要前往香港?)
當一個乘客看完這篇通知時，他應可判斷得知:1.機場的飛機起降沒有問題，只是大雪的能見度影響航班。2. 去機場前，應該先打電話詢問航空公司是否取消航班。3. 機場有增派的客服人員可以提供協助。
類似這種英國希斯洛機場通告的文章，經常出現在多益測驗的Part 7之中，你如果能夠看懂這篇通告，多益測驗(www.toeic.com.tw)就難不倒你，試試看能否回答以下兩題閱讀測驗題:
1.For whom is this announcement most likely intended?(A) Airport employees(B) Airline travelers(C) Travel industry agents(D) Customer service manager
2. Which is not mentioned as an update at the airport?(A) It is fully operational.(B) There will be other flight cancellations.(C) Low visibility is not expected.(D) Passengers are advised to check the status.
[解析]:第一題是問，本通告最可能是給誰看的；正確答案是(B)。從文中「We ask that all passengers please check the status of their flight…」(旅客要前往機場前，請向航空公司查詢現況)一句，應可得知此文對象應該是搭飛機的旅客，而不是機場員工、旅行社代購人員、或是客服經理。
第二題是選錯的，以下何者不是最新消息，正確答案是(C)，預計下午四點以後，能見度低。
你有被困在國際機場的經驗嗎? 記住，即使被困在機場，也可以看通告而準備多益測驗(www.toeic.com.tw)呦!!