イギリス南西部のコーンウォール州では、今年の8月11日午前11時11分から2分間にわたり皆既日食を見ることができる。その日までまだ半年あるのに、英国民の興奮は加熱気味。すでにホテルは予約で満室で、交通渋滞と水・食料不足が今から心配されている
Crowds in Cornwall May Eclipse Best-Made Plans
By STEVE HILL
The doom mongers are predicting anarchy, gridlock on the roads and a shortage of water that could affect millions of people in the far southwestern county of Cornwall this coming August.Are we talking about an earthquake, the effects of people fleeing a nuclear explosion, or an uprising to proclaim an independent state? No, no and no. The subject for debate is the first total eclipse of the sun visible from Britain in 72 years. Back in 1927, more than 3 million people traveled to North Yorkshire — the biggest recorded movement of people by train in British history — to view the last eclipse. And just as many are expected to pack their bags later this year and head for Cornwall to enjoy what is being billed as the greatest free show on earth. The level of public interest, with six months still to go, cannot be exaggerated. With the next total eclipse visible from Britain not due until September 2090, this will be the only chance for millions of people to enjoy this rare natural phenomenon, when the moon will totally block out the sun. It does not matter that, on August 11 at precisely 11:11 a.m., the sky will turn black for only 2 minutes and 6 seconds. This event is being billed as bigger than the millennium and something not to be missed. While many Cornish people and entrepreneurs will be doing their best to cash in on the massive influx of visitors, officials are already openly voicing concern that the existing infrastructure simply will not be able to cope and that disasters are waiting to happen. The is where Gage Williams, a former Army brigadier, comes in. Appointed to mastermind the biggest invasion the county has ever seen, he has drawn up a battle plan covering every possible eventuality. The greatest concern is the volume of traffic the eclipse is expected to generate and the effects of gridlock on the work of the emergency services and on the local population, people who could face problems going about their everyday life. With so many people expected to flood into Cornwall, the next worry is where they will all stay. It has been reported that 85 percent of the county's hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, and inns are already fully booked, despite a massive hike in prices, while there has also been a rush on self-catering accommodation. The vast majority of visitors will, in all probability, end up camping, but even here there may not be enough sites to cope despite frantic efforts to make provision. One company, for example, hopes to sign up enough landowners to provide some 10,000 acres of camping land at 30 different sites. To all of these, roads will have to be specially laid and shops, banks and toilets must be provided. It's a daunting task and, despite the fact that the date of the eclipse was accurately predicted hundreds of years ago, sure to trigger a desperate last-minute rush. People are already being told to arrive early with full food and water provisions for their stay, and to stay until a few days after the eclipse to ease the pressure on Cornwall. It promises to be quite a party. Plans are being made for a program of festivals and events to keep the masses entertained before and after the big day. The city of Plymouth, for example, is to stage a 10-day festival which could feature some of the biggest names in contemporary popular and classical music. It is predicted that some 100,000 American and Japanese tourists as well as dedicated eclipse fans from all over the world will be joining the throngs, many of whom will have no idea what they are letting themselves in for! With such a stampede predicted, perhaps a better option for people determined to view the eclipse will be to go to continental Europe instead. First viewable at dawn off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, then across the Atlantic to Cornwall, the eclipse will be seen over the tiny Channel Island of Alderney and then Northern France before coming into view in Germany and Austria. Its path can be followed over Hungary and Romania — where the chances of clear skies are apparently better than anywhere else — then Turkey, before reaching Iran and India. Those not content to sit and stare — don't forget you need to look at the sun through special filters to prevent long-term damage to your eyes — could consider booking a seat on a special Concorde flight. The supersonic aircraft will chase the eclipse over the Atlantic Ocean, giving passengers a view for some 11 minutes before being forced to decelerate as it approaches Land's End, the southernmost tip of England. It promises to be the experience of a lifetime, but will not come cheap. Seats are reported to be on sale for more than £1,000 (¥190,000).
The doom mongers are predicting anarchy, gridlock on the roads and a shortage of water that could affect millions of people in the far southwestern county of Cornwall this coming August. Are we talking about an earthquake, the effects of people fleeing a nuclear explosion, or an uprising to proclaim an independent state? No, no and no. The subject for debate is the first total eclipse of the sun visible from Britain in 72 years. Back in 1927, more than 3 million people traveled to North Yorkshire — the biggest recorded movement of people by train in British history — to view the last eclipse. And just as many are expected to pack their bags later this year and head for Cornwall to enjoy what is being billed as the greatest free show on earth. The level of public interest, with six months still to go, cannot be exaggerated. With the next total eclipse visible from Britain not due until September 2090, this will be the only chance for millions of people to enjoy this rare natural phenomenon, when the moon will totally block out the sun. It does not matter that, on August 11 at precisely 11:11 a.m., the sky will turn black for only 2 minutes and 6 seconds. This event is being billed as bigger than the millennium and something not to be missed. While many Cornish people and entrepreneurs will be doing their best to cash in on the massive influx of visitors, officials are already openly voicing concern that the existing infrastructure simply will not be able to cope and that disasters are waiting to happen. The is where Gage Williams, a former Army brigadier, comes in. Appointed to mastermind the biggest invasion the county has ever seen, he has drawn up a battle plan covering every possible eventuality. The greatest concern is the volume of traffic the eclipse is expected to generate and the effects of gridlock on the work of the emergency services and on the local population, people who could face problems going about their everyday life. With so many people expected to flood into Cornwall, the next worry is where they will all stay. It has been reported that 85 percent of the county's hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, and inns are already fully booked, despite a massive hike in prices, while there has also been a rush on self-catering accommodation. The vast majority of visitors will, in all probability, end up camping, but even here there may not be enough sites to cope despite frantic efforts to make provision. One company, for example, hopes to sign up enough landowners to provide some 10,000 acres of camping land at 30 different sites. To all of these, roads will have to be specially laid and shops, banks and toilets must be provided. It's a daunting task and, despite the fact that the date of the eclipse was accurately predicted hundreds of years ago, sure to trigger a desperate last-minute rush. People are already being told to arrive early with full food and water provisions for their stay, and to stay until a few days after the eclipse to ease the pressure on Cornwall. It promises to be quite a party. Plans are being made for a program of festivals and events to keep the masses entertained before and after the big day. The city of Plymouth, for example, is to stage a 10-day festival which could feature some of the biggest names in contemporary popular and classical music. It is predicted that some 100,000 American and Japanese tourists as well as dedicated eclipse fans from all over the world will be joining the throngs, many of whom will have no idea what they are letting themselves in for! With such a stampede predicted, perhaps a better option for people determined to view the eclipse will be to go to continental Europe instead. First viewable at dawn off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, then across the Atlantic to Cornwall, the eclipse will be seen over the tiny Channel Island of Alderney and then Northern France before coming into view in Germany and Austria. Its path can be followed over Hungary and Romania — where the chances of clear skies are apparently better than anywhere else — then Turkey, before reaching Iran and India. Those not content to sit and stare — don't forget you need to look at the sun through special filters to prevent long-term damage to your eyes — could consider booking a seat on a special Concorde flight. The supersonic aircraft will chase the eclipse over the Atlantic Ocean, giving passengers a view for some 11 minutes before being forced to decelerate as it approaches Land's End, the southernmost tip of England. It promises to be the experience of a lifetime, but will not come cheap. Seats are reported to be on sale for more than £1,000 (¥190,000).
Shukan ST: Jan. 22, 1999
(C) All rights reserved
doom mongers破滅論者
are predicting予言している
anarchy無秩序状態
gridlock交通渋滞
shortage of 〜 〜 の不足
county州
〜 fleeing a nuclear explosion核爆発から逃げる 〜
uprising to proclaim an independent state独立国家を求める反乱
〜 for debate問題になっている 〜
total eclipse of the sun皆既日食
visible from 〜 〜 で見られる
recorded記録に残っている
is being billed as 〜 〜 と報じられている
with 〜 still to goまだ 〜 もあるのに
cannot be exaggeratedどれだけ誇張しても十分ではない
phenomenon現象
block out覆い隠す
precisely正確に
millennium2,000年の到来
Cornishコーンウォールの
entrepreneurs企業家
cash in on 〜 〜 で儲ける
influx殺到
existing infrastructure現在の交通機関などの施設
cope対応する
disasters混乱
brigadier准将
mastermind指揮する
invasion侵略
has drawn up 〜 〜 を考え出した
eventuality結末
generate生み出す
emergency sevices緊急・救急サービス
local population地元住民
flood into 〜 〜 に流れ込む
bed and breakfasts朝食付き宿泊施設
inns宿
(are)fully booked予約で満室である
massive hike in prices大幅な値上げ
self-catering accommodation自炊・素泊まりの施設
vast majority大多数
in all probability多分
sites場所
frantic必死の
make provision準備を整える
landowners地主
daunting taskやる気をくじかれる仕事
trigger引き起こす
desperate必死の
ease和らげる
party大騒ぎ
feature 〜 〜 を呼び物にする
the biggest names超有名人
contemporary現代の
dedicated熱心な
throngs人の群れ
what they are letting themselves in for自分たちがどんな事態に巻き込まれることになるか
stampede殺到
continental Europeヨーロッパ大陸
dawn夜明け
Channel Island of 〜 チャネル諸島の中の 〜 島
apparently 〜 どうやら 〜 だ
content to 〜 〜 に満足する
Concordeコンコルド(英仏共同開発の超音速旅客機)
supersonic aircraft超音速旅客機
decelerate減速する
tip先端
experience of a lifetime一生残る経験
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