Maglev： A New Generation in Railroad Technology

Japan has one of the most advanced mass railroad systems in the world. The Shinkansen， referred to as the Bullet Train， covers thousands of kilometers of tracks at speeds in excess of 200 kilometers per hour. Each day more than 270 bullet-nosed trains convey 340，000 passengers throughout Japan.

日本是拥有世界上最先进的火车体系的国家之一。新干线，即子弹头列车，以每小时200千米的速度跑完数千千米的距离。每天有270列子弹头列车运送34万乘客往来日本全境。

Since the Japanese railroad system went into service in 1964， the trains have carried more than 1.8 billion travelers without an injury or a fatality. The well-maintainer system is not only safe and fast， but it is not petroleum dependent.

自从1964年日本铁路体系运行以来，火车已运送18亿旅客，无一伤亡。这种性能良好的系统不但方便快捷，而且不用石油供给能量。

Technical specialists working at Japanese National Railways had experimented with a prototype magnetic levitation train. The maglev （an acronym for magnetic levitation） actually races along a guideway at almost 500 kilometers per hour， floating on a magnetic field. The maglev operates on the basic principles of electromagnetism.

致力于日本国家铁路的技术专家已经对标准的磁悬浮列车进行了试验。这种列车实际上可以沿指定的轨道以每小时500千米的速度浮于磁面前行。这种磁力通过电磁铁而产生。

The train depends on magnetism for propulsion， suspension， and braking. Specialized sets of magnetic coils are built into the body framework of the train. Other sets of magnetic coils are installed in the bottom and sides of a U-shaped guideway that cradles the train. When electric power is switched on， the coils on the train and in the guideway produce a magnetic field with north and south poles. The magnetic forces between the coils on the train and the coils in the guideway can be made to attract or repel each other by changing their polarity.

这种列车通过磁力进行推进、悬浮、制动。一些特制的磁线圈安装于火车的主体结构中，其他的磁线圈被安装于支撑列车的U形铁轨的底部和侧面。通电后，列车及铁轨的磁线圈将产生南北极磁场。列车及铁轨的磁线圈生成的磁力会相互吸引或相互排斥。

Low maintenance is another advantage of the maglev train because of the fact that the maglev has no moving motor parts or steel wheels as conventional trains do. This factor virtually eliminates guideway wear and tear and prevents costly break-downs. In addition， much less time will be spent on equipment inspection， track repair and parts replacement.

低維修率也是磁悬浮列车的一个优势，因为它们不像传统列车有活动的部分或钢轮。事实上，这减少了钢轨的摩擦与损耗，不会形成高昂的维修费用。此外，设备检查、铁轨维修、零件更换也无须太多时间。