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擁擠的車廂或機(jī)艙中，疲憊的旅客們正欲休息，忽然傳來一陣小孩的哭聲。被打擾的旅客紛紛將目光投向孩子的家長，而這些或帶些許不滿的目光又讓家長倍感壓力和不安。為了應(yīng)對這樣的尷尬場面，亞航?jīng)Q定從明年2月起在飛機(jī)經(jīng)濟(jì)艙中開設(shè)“安靜區(qū)”，只有12歲及以上的乘客才可在該區(qū)域就坐，無需額外支付費(fèi)用。對于那些沒有孩子以及容易被打擾的旅客來說，這無疑是個(gè)好消息。不過很多有孩子的家長則對此表示不滿，稱這樣與其他乘客隔離開來，感覺自己像二等公民。英國一家網(wǎng)站今年4月對1600多人進(jìn)行調(diào)查后發(fā)現(xiàn)，有53%的人贊成開通不搭載兒童的航班；8月份的另一個(gè)調(diào)查顯示，超過三分之一的英國人表示愿意多付錢乘坐沒有兒童乘客的航班。雖然得到不少支持，不過航空公司在真正實(shí)施的時(shí)候也有不少困難。比如，小型飛機(jī)空間有限，就算隔離出“安靜區(qū)”，現(xiàn)實(shí)意義也不大。另外，不搭載兒童乘客可能會使航空公司失去不少客源，從而影響其經(jīng)濟(jì)利益。
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An airline says it will offer baby-free "quiet zones" on its flights. Should all planes and trains follow suit, or do adults need to learn to live with child passengers? |
At 35,000ft, the klaxon-like howl of a distressed toddler screeches through a pressurized cabin.
For travelers already stressed by lengthy security checks, crammed into cramped seating and unnerved by the very fact of being so high above ground, it's almost enough to make them shatter the Plexiglas windows and jump.
And it's a source of anxiety for the embarrassed parents, too, desperately trying to pacify their wailing offspring while facing disapproving stares from fellow adults.
One airline is offering what it says is a solution. Budget carrier Air Asia says from February it will provide a "quiet zone" for passengers aged 12 and over at no extra cost.
Separated from the rest of the cabin by toilets and bulkheads, these seven rows of economy class seats should be immune from the sound of infant tantrums, the company claims.
It is following the example of Malaysia Airlines, which in April announced it would limit families with children sitting on the upper deck of its Kuala Lumpur to London service.
For the childless and the easily irritable, it may be a blessed relief.
Equally, many parents will surely be disgruntled at the suggestion they should be segregated from other passengers like second-class citizens.
UK train operators which provide "quiet coaches" instruct commuters not to use their phones and ensure music devices aren't heard by other passengers - but no mention is made of infant noise pollution.
In April, a survey of 1,666 British adults by Jetcost.co.uk found that 53% supported child-free flights.
A poll by Tripadvisor in August found that over a third of Britons would be prepared to pay extra to travel by air without the presence of children.
But although airlines could presumably charge a healthy premium for the privilege of no-infant compartments, there might be logistical difficulties.
In smaller aircraft, with different layouts to those used by Air Asia and Malaysia Airlines, screening off the sound of crying children will not always be practical. Adult-only flights would mean reducing the number of available customers, and thus have a negative impact on profitability.
And perhaps most importantly, introducing segregation would risk infuriating families who resent the idea they should be treated as second-class citizens.
（Read by Brian Salter, editor with China Daily website)
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(Agencies)
（中國日報(bào)網(wǎng)英語點(diǎn)津 Helen 編輯）
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