每日英語 #117: Airport Codes 機場代碼

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機場代碼

A “code” is a system of words, letters, numbers, and symbols that are used to represent other words and ideas, often to send secret messages. An “airport code” is a short code that is used to identify airports.

「代碼」是一種用來表示其他詞語或想法的系統，通常用於傳遞秘密信息。「機場代碼」則是一種用來識別機場的簡短代碼。

There are two international systems of airport codes. One system is “known as” (called) the “IATA airport code,” where “IATA” is an “acronym” (a word where each letter is the first letter of another word) for the International Air Transport Association. Each IATA airport code has three letters and these codes are “familiar” (recognizable and understandable) to “the public” (normal people who aren’t part of a specific industry or organization). The other system is known as the “ICAO airport code,” where ICAO is an acronym for the International Civil Aviation Organization. Each ICAO code has four letters, and although these codes aren’t very familiar to the public, they are used more commonly internationally.

國際上有兩種機場代碼系統。一種系統稱為「IATA機場代碼」，IATA是「國際航空運輸協會」（International Air Transport Association）的縮寫。每個IATA機場代碼由三個字母組成，且這些代碼對「公眾」（普通人）來說是熟悉的。另一種系統稱為「ICAO機場代碼」，ICAO是「國際民航組織」（International Civil Aviation Organization）的縮寫。ICAO代碼有四個字母，儘管這些代碼對公眾來說不太熟悉，但在國際上更為常用。

People need to enter IATA codes when they make “reservations” (arrangements to use a service at a specific time in the future) or buy airline tickets online. They have to enter the three-“digit” (number or letter) codes for the airports that they wish to fly from and to. IATA airport codes are also printed on “baggage tags” (the stickers that are placed on airline passengers’ luggage so that workers know which plane the suitcases need to be put on, and when).

當人們「預訂」（預先安排未來特定時間的服務）機票或在線購票時，需要輸入IATA代碼。他們必須輸入出發和到達機場的三位字母代碼。IATA機場代碼也會印在「行李標籤」上（貼在航空旅客行李上的標籤，讓工作人員知道行李需要放上哪班飛機以及何時放上）。

The ICAO codes, which are less familiar to the public, are used for more technical purposes. For example, “air traffic controllers” (people who give instructions about how and where planes should move in the sky) and airline “flight planners” (people who decide when and how often planes should fly on certain routes) use the four-digit ICAO airport codes.

ICAO代碼，雖然對公眾來說不太熟悉，但用於更「技術性的目的」。例如，「空中交通管制員」（指示飛機如何和在哪裡移動的人）和航空公司的「航班計劃員」（決定飛機何時以及在某條航線上飛行頻率的人）使用四位字母的ICAO機場代碼。

重要單字

• code /koʊd/ — 代碼
• IATA /aɪˈætə/ — 國際航空運輸協會
• ICAO /ˌaɪˌkeɪˈoʊ/ — 國際民航組織
• reservation /ˌrɛzərˈveɪʃən/ — 預訂
• baggage tag /ˈbæɡɪdʒ tæɡ/ — 行李標籤