When you order, say, a pack of crisps from the UK, and we’d forgive you for doing so, chances are it came to China, along with literally millions of others just like it, on a container ship. Recent developments imply a lot more crisps are coming your way…
比如说，当你从英国订购一包薯片时，我们会原谅你这样做，那么它很可能会和数百万其他类似的薯片一起通过集装箱船运到中国。最近的事态发展意味着更多的薯片即将到来……
On 10 February, the MSC Irina that is the world’s biggest container ship took to sea, or more specifically, river, out of Taicang in Suzhou for an 8-day trial voyage.
2月10日，全球最大集装箱船MSC Irina号从苏州太仓出海，更具体地说是内河航行，开始为期8天的试航。
The Irina is 399.99 metres long, 61.3 metres in beam and capable of carrying 24,346 TEUs (20-Foot Equivalent Unit) containers. In some parts of the ship, containers can be stacked as many as 25 deep, FleetMon reports. The vessel has been built by Jiangsu Yangzi Xinfu Shipbuilding Co. Ltd.
Irina 船长 399.99 米，宽 61.3 米，能够运载 24,346 TEU（20 英尺等效单位）集装箱。据 FleetMon 报道，在船上的某些部分，集装箱堆放深度可达 25 个。该船由江苏扬子新福造船有限公司建造。
How does the MSC Irina qualify as the world’s largest container ship?
MSC Irina 为何有资格成为世界上最大的集装箱船？
By Dead Weight Tonnage (DWT). The Irina is in fact half of a pair of ships, together with the MSC Loreto, each with a DWT of 240,000.
按载重吨位 (DWT) 计算。事实上，Irina 号与 MSC Loreto 号是两艘船的一半，每艘船的载重吨均为 240,000 吨。
To use the correct terminology, while the two “ultra-large container ships” are in fact the same length as others in their class, it is the specific arrangement of the deck which provides for their record-breaking container capacity.
用正确的术语来说，虽然这两艘“超大型集装箱船”实际上与同级其他船的长度相同，但正是甲板的特殊布置才使其破纪录的集装箱容量。
Prior to this trial of actual performance, the Irina and Loreto were first floated out on 29 October, with work having begun on both the ships on 29 November, 2021.
在这次实际性能试验之前，“伊琳娜”号和“洛雷托”号于 10 月 29 日首次下水，两艘船的施工工作已于 2021 年 11 月 29 日开始。
These two vessels are just the start. Ultimately, the Irina and Loreto shall form part of a group of six such ultra-large container ships that are the biggest ever built.
这两艘船仅仅是开始。最终，“伊琳娜”号和“洛雷托”号将成为迄今为止建造的最大的六艘此类超大型集装箱船的一部分。
That’s all down to an aggressive expansion by Switerland-based-owner, MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company), that early last year overtook Maersk as the world’s largest container line.
这一切都要归功于瑞士船东 MSC（地中海航运公司）的积极扩张，该公司去年初超越马士基成为全球最大的集装箱航运公司。
But thankfully, the enormous group of ships shall also be a relatively environmentally-friendly one. As well as numerous features which help in increasing operational efficiency and decreasing emissions, the ships’ hulls also employ and ingenious, air-lubrication system. By creating a layer of bubbles between the hull and the actual ocean, friction and hydrodynamic resistance are reduced.
但值得庆幸的是，这一庞大的船舶群也将是一支相对环保的船舶群。除了有助于提高运营效率和减少排放的众多功能外，船体还采用了巧妙的空气润滑系统。通过在船体和实际海洋之间形成一层气泡，可以减少摩擦和水动力阻力。
As of 11 February, no final date had been reported for delivery of the Irina.
截至 2 月 11 日，伊琳娜号的最终交付日期尚未公布。
