Few people expect luxury while flying, but these days, even the basics seem to be in bad shape.
很少有人在乘飞机的时候奢望环境奢华，但如今，即使是最基本的东西看起来也很糟糕。
It's not uncommon to find your tray table broken, the in-flight entertainment system not working and your seat cushion worn.
餐盘坏了，飞机上的娱乐系统坏了，坐垫坏了，这种情况并不少见。
All of this can make you think: how old is this plane anyway?
所有这些都会让你思考：这架飞机到底有多大了？
The reality for many U.S. air travellers is that most of their journeys take place on planes that have been in service for a decade or more.
在美国，其实航空旅行者的大部分旅程都是乘坐已经服役十年甚至十年以上的飞机。
The average age of the fleet of the seven large U.S. passenger airlines is about 14 years old, according to The Airline Monitor.
根据航空监测网的数据，美国7家大型民航公司的客机，平均年龄大约为14岁。
It found American Delta / Northwest had the oldest fleets, at about 16 years on average.
研究发现，美国达美/西北航空公司的客机机龄最大，平均约16年。
As of the end of 2008, a small percentage of the merged Delta / Northwest's planes dated back to the late 1960s.
截至2008年底，合并后的达美/西北航空公司中仍有一小部分飞机是上世纪60年代末出产的。
U.S. fleets are among the oldest in the world, said Richard Aboulafia, an aviation analyst."
美国飞机是世界上年纪最大的飞机之一，航空分析师理查德·阿布拉菲亚说。
I'm not really sure that people should read that much into that, Aboulafia said.
阿布拉菲亚说:“我不确定人们是否应该对此进行深入研究。”
"From a safety standpoint, a lot of the older planes were built tougher and with proper maintenance." There's no reason why a plane can not stay safe for 25 to 30 years.
“从安全的角度来看，许多旧飞机的制造更加坚固，并且有适当的维护。”没有理由说飞机在25到30年内会不安全。
"It's also important to remember that a plane may be 20 years old, but its engines and other major systems could have been recently manufactured or upgraded," said Aboulafia.
阿布拉菲亚说:“重要的是，一架飞机可能已经有20年的历史了，但它的发动机和其他主要系统可能是最近制造或升级的。”
"There's less pressure on the airlines to upgrade the interior, unless it's a safety issue or a redesign that will save money."
“航空公司升级内部设备的压力较小，除非是安全问题，或者是为了可以省钱而重新设计。”