[慢速VOA]高油价影响运输业(2) [080615]

作者：VOA | 沪江听说VOA美国之音时间：3年前 | 阅读：3410次 | [划词　　　]

Automakers, Airlines Hit by Sky-High Fuel Prices (2/2)

Still, new findings show that Americans are driving less. The Federal Highway Administration says the number of kilometers traveled on public roads has dropped since late two thousand six. Many people may be driving less because of high gasoline prices. But transportation officials worry that less demand for gasoline will mean shortages of money from fuel taxes that support roads.

Use of public transportation, though, is up. The American Public Transportation Association says it increased three percent in the first three months of this year over last year. High fuel prices are also affecting air travel. The International Air Transport Association expects the industry to lose at least two billion dollars this year, mainly because of prices for jet fuel.

This week, more air carriers in the United States announced plans to cut flights and jobs and remove older, less fuel-efficient planes from service. Continental Airlines said record-high fuel prices have produced the worst crisis for the industry since the terrorist attacks of two thousand one.

Continental announced Thursday that it will reduce flights in the United States by sixteen percent during the last three months of the year. The airline will cut three thousand jobs, about seven percent of its positions worldwide.

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另外，新调查表明美国人比以前开车少了。美国联邦公路总署称，汽车在公共道路上行驶的公里数自2006年年底开始下降。许多人减少驾驶可能是因为油价高昂。但是交通部官员担心对汽油需求的减少将意味着从燃料税当中征收的养路资金不足。

然而，公共交通的使用率却提高了。美国公共交通协会说与去年相比，今年的头三个月公共交通的使用提高了百分之三。高昂的燃油费也影响了航空业。国际航空运输协会预计该行业今年至少会损失二十亿美元，主要因为飞机燃油价格（上升）。

本周，越来越多的美国航空公司宣称他们打算减少航班和工作岗位，并停止使用老旧耗油的飞机。大陆航空公司说史无前例的高昂油价导致了自2001年恐怖袭击后该行业的最大危机。

大陆航空周四时宣布，它将在今年最后的三个月里减少在美国百分之十六的航班。该航空公司将削减三千个工作岗位，这相当于其全球总岗位的百分之七。