奇速英语

澳大利亚亿万富翁重启复制“泰坦尼克号”计划

Australian billionaire Clive Palmer, who made his fortune from mining, first launched plans for Titanic II in 2012, and again in 2018.

When he first floated his dream of building Titanic II — an exact copy of the Titanic a decade ago, the popular view was that he was rich and strange enough to do it. But the COVID pandemic hit, and the multimillion-dollar project was sidelined as ports closed and passengers wouldn’t like to be quarantined (隔离) at sea.

Now that the pandemic has passed, and cruise ships are once again at sea, Palmer, who is chairman of the Blue Star Line company behind the project, said the time is right to revive his Titanic dream. “We are very pleased to announce that after unforeseen global delays, we have reengaged with partners to bring the dream of Titanic II to life. Let the journey begin,’’ Palmer said. Blue Star is collecting proposals and plans to confirm a ship builder by the end of the year, to begin work in the first quarter of 2025. Right now, Palmer expects the winning bidders to be based in Europe.

At the relaunch, his team redistributed an eight-minute video. The ship itself will be 269 meters long and 32.2 meters wide — slightly wider than the original. Capacity will be 2,345 passengers spread across nine decks with 835 cabins. Almost half of those will be reserved for first class passengers. Third class passengers will be treated to stew and mash at long tables in a communal dining room — as they were on the original boat — though a spokesperson said other meals will also be available for those who want a less authentic experience.

Palmer wants to replicate the Titanic — without the tragic ending. And he believes that tapping the world’s fascination for the luxury vessel (豪华游艇) will somehow bring people closer together. “We all know how to make war. We get armies and we fund wars. People know about that. But it is a lot harder to make peace. To make peace you have got to stick with it every day. You progress inch by inch,” he said.