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编译／黎明
Frequent fliers know all too well: Hell isn't fire and brimstone. It's a coach seat on a seven-hour trans-oceanslog. For decades, airlines have sacrificed passengercom fort in their cattle-class benches to concerns for safety, economy,and ease of maintenance. The result: a cozy metal rack draped inluxuriant, stain-resistant Dura Weave. Talk about flying by the seat of yourpants.
在长达七小时的跨洋飞行中，没有什么比不舒服的座椅更令人深恶痛绝，“空中飞人”们对此感同身受。近几十年来，航空公司出于对安全、经济以及容易维护等因素的考虑，不惜牺牲乘客的舒适度，让他们坐在裹着华丽织物却毫无舒适感可言的铁皮板凳上，乘坐这样的飞机，实在是和运牲口的交通工具没什么区别。
Perhaps there's a better way. Virgin Atlantic Airways,with London-based design firm Pearson Lloyd, set outin 2003 to create chairs for its economy and "premiumeconomy" sections that feel like, well, chairs--more furniturethan machine. Virgin says it has spent ＄25 million on theproject so far, with the new seats set to appear in planesover the next year or so.
或许有更好的方法来减少空中旅行的折磨，2003年，英国第二大远程国际航空公司——维珍航空公司和一家位于伦敦的设计公司(Pearson Lloyd)合作，为其经济舱和特级经济舱设计座椅。维珍声称该项目已经花费2500万美元，新设计的座椅将在未来几年内出现在维珍的航班上。
Virgin and PearsonLloyd started by reexamining the historicalconstraints on airplane seating. The first was weight: One reasoncoach perches feel so spartan is the very realdemand that they be light--and with jet-fuel costs ata record high, no airline can afford to add pounds.So the team figured out how to cut the number ofcomponents in economy seats by 20%. That let it addnew features, such as adjustable lumbar support,while keeping overall weight the same.
维珍和PearsonLloyd设计公司重新审视了飞机座椅的历史性局限。首先，他们面对的是重量问题，飞机上通常采用的沙发椅给人简陋而艰苦的感觉，原因之一是燃油费居高不下，各航空公司都在想方设法减轻椅子重量，因而采用一些成套基座。所以，设计小组想方设法将经济舱座位部件减少20％，同时在保持总质量不变的前提下增加新的部件，例如腰部调节器。
The carrier also bucked convention by bringingdesigners to the party from day one. In the past,engineers mostly ran the seating show--and they putcost and safety above comfort and aesthetics. Not thatthose engineering concerns aren't vital: "We're designinga chair that has to withstand a 16 kg crash test," says JoeFerry, Virgin's design head. But previously, "it's been leftto engineers to create the structure, and then [designers]stitched over the top of it."
从第一天起，维珍显示了其反传统的个性，让设计师加入工程师的团队一起进行座椅设计。通常，飞机座椅的设计都是由工程师说了算，相比舒适度和美感，他们更加看重成本和安全性。工程师们的考虑并非没有道理，正如维珍航空公司的设计总监Joe所说：“我们设计的椅子需要经受住16千克的冲撞测试。”但是很明显，结构部分交给了工程师们去设计，设计师只是在工程师的基础上象征性地装饰一下，没有更多发挥的余地。
Teaming designers with engineers producedcreative solutions to old problems, likeshifting a support bar so that it could holdthe same weight load without stickinginto passengers. It also yielded a newmanufacturing strategy. Most airline seatsare built the way couches are--a basicskeleton covered with upholstery. Virgindesigners thought that approach wastedspace and made upkeep difficult. So thenew seats include replaceable modulesthat let cleaning crews quickly swapout damaged pieces during a plane'sturnaround time: Just rip out the old and lets passengers slide the bottom cushion forwardin recline mode, revealing extra foam hidden underthe seat-back padding. The change also angles thecushion upward to move the center of gravity andbetter distribute body weight. Virgin tested about twodozen types of foam to find one with the best weightdissipation. Total effect: more recline space and lowerrisk of sore buns. Plus, says Brent Stackhouse, a realestate consultant who flies often, "it would certainlyhelp keep your pants from riding up to your armpits."
B)滑行规则
维珍的首席设计师Joe Ferry说，“当你的身体向后靠的时候，大腿部分需要更大的支撑力”，为此，设计师特意添加了一块挡板，乘客身体斜倚时可供坐垫前移一点点，释放靠背填充物的压力。这一设计还调整了重力中心，更均匀地分布乘客体重。为了找到最佳的重量消融材料，维珍测试了十几种泡沫材料，总体效果是：有了更多的后倚空间，降低了擦伤的危险。正如一位经常坐飞机的房地产顾问Brent Stackhouse夸张的说法：“这种座椅可以避免让短裤滑到腋窝。”
C) Back Down
Most airline seat backs are so flat you could playhandball off of them--great for aerobic conditioning,but not for your comfort. "I have a bad lower back,"says regular flier Liz Coleman. "I always put a pillowunder it." To alleviate the pressure, designers createdan S-curved frame with adjustable back support.Press a button on the armrest, and an airbag inflatesor deflates, gently altering the seat's contour andpushing snugly against your back. The slight curvealso means a bit more recline--the effect of which isenhanced by a higher pivot joint that lets the seat dropback an extra inch without bruising the knees of theguy in back of you.
C)椅背
大多数航空公司的飞机座位椅背都是平坦的，夸张地说，平得可以当手球桌面，毫无舒适性可言。频繁乘坐飞机的Liz Coleman说：“我的背部有点儿小毛病，经常需要垫一个小枕头。”为了减轻压力，设计师发明了一个S形的背部可调节台面。只需按一下扶手上的按钮就可以通过调节气囊轻易变换座椅的外形，让它紧贴你的背部。这条轻微的曲线同时意味着更多的后倚空间，通过一个轴关节可以使椅子额外后仰一英寸而不会擦伤后方乘客的膝盖。
D) Max Headroom
An adjustable headrest has been standardequipment in automobiles for eons, but it hasn't beenadopted by most airlines. Virgin's moves up and down 2.5inches, offering neck support for a wide range of bodytypes. Is that enough? "A headrest, to be useful, has tomove at least 5 inches," says Niels Diffrient, who designsoffice furniture for Humanscale and once shaped airlineinteriors. But even the modest change has beneficialsecondary effects. Virgin says introducing headrests ledit to make the seat backs themselves a bit shorter.Thatcreated more cabin headroom and, more important,allowed the carrier to widen seats by 10% and still fit thesame number within the plane's curved walls.
D)最大的头部空间
可调节的头垫很久以前就成了汽车的标配部件，但是大部分飞机都还未采用。维珍的座椅可以上下移动2．5英寸，能够为不同体形的人的颈部提供支撑。那样足够吗?曾为飞机做过内部设计的休思乐公司(Humanscale)(一家应用人体工程学制造办公用品的小公司)设计师NielsDiffrient认为：“头垫起作用的话，至少需要移动五英寸。”引进头垫后，椅背相应变短了一点，从而产生了更多的头部空间，更重要的是能够让在飞机保持椅子座位数量不变的前提下拓宽10％的椅子空间。
E) Comfort at a Premium
Virgin's "premium economy" (better than coach;not quite business) seat got an overhaul, too. The airlineadded a dual-position footrest to support danglingfeet and give passengers a leg up. That's good for 5'1"flier Celeste Frisbee, who laments that most seats are"made for bigger people." It also introduced leather(oooh!) and a hidden tray table in the armrest--plus acouple more inches in width.
E)特级经济舱的舒适度
除了经济舱，维珍的“特级经济舱”座椅也进行了大改造，比如添加了双位置脚垫来支撑垂悬的双脚，对于那些个头较矮的人来说不愧是个福音。此外，还在扶手处提供了一个隐藏的托盘式桌子，可用来放笔记本。
(C)2006 MANSUETO VENTURES LLC, AS FIRST PUBLISHED INFAST COMPANY MAGAZINE,DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIASERVICES.
Frequent fliers know all too well: Hell isn't fire and brimstone. It's a coach seat on a seven-hour trans-oceanslog. For decades, airlines have sacrificed passengercom fort in their cattle-class benches to concerns for safety, economy,and ease of maintenance. The result: a cozy metal rack draped inluxuriant, stain-resistant Dura Weave. Talk about flying by the seat of yourpants.
在长达七小时的跨洋飞行中，没有什么比不舒服的座椅更令人深恶痛绝，“空中飞人”们对此感同身受。近几十年来，航空公司出于对安全、经济以及容易维护等因素的考虑，不惜牺牲乘客的舒适度，让他们坐在裹着华丽织物却毫无舒适感可言的铁皮板凳上，乘坐这样的飞机，实在是和运牲口的交通工具没什么区别。
Perhaps there's a better way. Virgin Atlantic Airways,with London-based design firm Pearson Lloyd, set outin 2003 to create chairs for its economy and "premiumeconomy" sections that feel like, well, chairs--more furniturethan machine. Virgin says it has spent ＄25 million on theproject so far, with the new seats set to appear in planesover the next year or so.
或许有更好的方法来减少空中旅行的折磨，2003年，英国第二大远程国际航空公司——维珍航空公司和一家位于伦敦的设计公司(Pearson Lloyd)合作，为其经济舱和特级经济舱设计座椅。维珍声称该项目已经花费2500万美元，新设计的座椅将在未来几年内出现在维珍的航班上。
Virgin and PearsonLloyd started by reexamining the historicalconstraints on airplane seating. The first was weight: One reasoncoach perches feel so spartan is the very realdemand that they be light--and with jet-fuel costs ata record high, no airline can afford to add pounds.So the team figured out how to cut the number ofcomponents in economy seats by 20%. That let it addnew features, such as adjustable lumbar support,while keeping overall weight the same.
维珍和PearsonLloyd设计公司重新审视了飞机座椅的历史性局限。首先，他们面对的是重量问题，飞机上通常采用的沙发椅给人简陋而艰苦的感觉，原因之一是燃油费居高不下，各航空公司都在想方设法减轻椅子重量，因而采用一些成套基座。所以，设计小组想方设法将经济舱座位部件减少20％，同时在保持总质量不变的前提下增加新的部件，例如腰部调节器。
The carrier also bucked convention by bringingdesigners to the party from day one. In the past,engineers mostly ran the seating show--and they putcost and safety above comfort and aesthetics. Not thatthose engineering concerns aren't vital: "We're designinga chair that has to withstand a 16 kg crash test," says JoeFerry, Virgin's design head. But previously, "it's been leftto engineers to create the structure, and then [designers]stitched over the top of it."
从第一天起，维珍显示了其反传统的个性，让设计师加入工程师的团队一起进行座椅设计。通常，飞机座椅的设计都是由工程师说了算，相比舒适度和美感，他们更加看重成本和安全性。工程师们的考虑并非没有道理，正如维珍航空公司的设计总监Joe所说：“我们设计的椅子需要经受住16千克的冲撞测试。”但是很明显，结构部分交给了工程师们去设计，设计师只是在工程师的基础上象征性地装饰一下，没有更多发挥的余地。
Teaming designers with engineers producedcreative solutions to old problems, likeshifting a support bar so that it could holdthe same weight load without stickinginto passengers. It also yielded a newmanufacturing strategy. Most airline seatsare built the way couches are--a basicskeleton covered with upholstery. Virgindesigners thought that approach wastedspace and made upkeep difficult. So thenew seats include replaceable modulesthat let cleaning crews quickly swapout damaged pieces during a plane'sturnaround time: Just rip out the old and lets passengers slide the bottom cushion forwardin recline mode, revealing extra foam hidden underthe seat-back padding. The change also angles thecushion upward to move the center of gravity andbetter distribute body weight. Virgin tested about twodozen types of foam to find one with the best weightdissipation. Total effect: more recline space and lowerrisk of sore buns. Plus, says Brent Stackhouse, a realestate consultant who flies often, "it would certainlyhelp keep your pants from riding up to your armpits."
B)滑行规则
维珍的首席设计师Joe Ferry说，“当你的身体向后靠的时候，大腿部分需要更大的支撑力”，为此，设计师特意添加了一块挡板，乘客身体斜倚时可供坐垫前移一点点，释放靠背填充物的压力。这一设计还调整了重力中心，更均匀地分布乘客体重。为了找到最佳的重量消融材料，维珍测试了十几种泡沫材料，总体效果是：有了更多的后倚空间，降低了擦伤的危险。正如一位经常坐飞机的房地产顾问Brent Stackhouse夸张的说法：“这种座椅可以避免让短裤滑到腋窝。”
C) Back Down
Most airline seat backs are so flat you could playhandball off of them--great for aerobic conditioning,but not for your comfort. "I have a bad lower back,"says regular flier Liz Coleman. "I always put a pillowunder it." To alleviate the pressure, designers createdan S-curved frame with adjustable back support.Press a button on the armrest, and an airbag inflatesor deflates, gently altering the seat's contour andpushing snugly against your back. The slight curvealso means a bit more recline--the effect of which isenhanced by a higher pivot joint that lets the seat dropback an extra inch without bruising the knees of theguy in back of you.
C)椅背
大多数航空公司的飞机座位椅背都是平坦的，夸张地说，平得可以当手球桌面，毫无舒适性可言。频繁乘坐飞机的Liz Coleman说：“我的背部有点儿小毛病，经常需要垫一个小枕头。”为了减轻压力，设计师发明了一个S形的背部可调节台面。只需按一下扶手上的按钮就可以通过调节气囊轻易变换座椅的外形，让它紧贴你的背部。这条轻微的曲线同时意味着更多的后倚空间，通过一个轴关节可以使椅子额外后仰一英寸而不会擦伤后方乘客的膝盖。
D) Max Headroom
An adjustable headrest has been standardequipment in automobiles for eons, but it hasn't beenadopted by most airlines. Virgin's moves up and down 2.5inches, offering neck support for a wide range of bodytypes. Is that enough? "A headrest, to be useful, has tomove at least 5 inches," says Niels Diffrient, who designsoffice furniture for Humanscale and once shaped airlineinteriors. But even the modest change has beneficialsecondary effects. Virgin says introducing headrests ledit to make the seat backs themselves a bit shorter.Thatcreated more cabin headroom and, more important,allowed the carrier to widen seats by 10% and still fit thesame number within the plane's curved walls.
D)最大的头部空间
可调节的头垫很久以前就成了汽车的标配部件，但是大部分飞机都还未采用。维珍的座椅可以上下移动2．5英寸，能够为不同体形的人的颈部提供支撑。那样足够吗?曾为飞机做过内部设计的休思乐公司(Humanscale)(一家应用人体工程学制造办公用品的小公司)设计师NielsDiffrient认为：“头垫起作用的话，至少需要移动五英寸。”引进头垫后，椅背相应变短了一点，从而产生了更多的头部空间，更重要的是能够让在飞机保持椅子座位数量不变的前提下拓宽10％的椅子空间。
E) Comfort at a Premium
Virgin's "premium economy" (better than coach;not quite business) seat got an overhaul, too. The airlineadded a dual-position footrest to support danglingfeet and give passengers a leg up. That's good for 5'1"flier Celeste Frisbee, who laments that most seats are"made for bigger people." It also introduced leather(oooh!) and a hidden tray table in the armrest--plus acouple more inches in width.
E)特级经济舱的舒适度
除了经济舱，维珍的“特级经济舱”座椅也进行了大改造，比如添加了双位置脚垫来支撑垂悬的双脚，对于那些个头较矮的人来说不愧是个福音。此外，还在扶手处提供了一个隐藏的托盘式桌子，可用来放笔记本。
(C)2006 MANSUETO VENTURES LLC, AS FIRST PUBLISHED INFAST COMPANY MAGAZINE,DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIASERVICES.