準空服員的夢想是否被疫情摧毀？

Ethan Yang, special to The China Post
·5 分鐘 (閱讀時間)
<p>EVA Air cabin crew indicating “Doors Armed” with thumbs up, before and after the beginning of the coronavirus crisis. (Courtesy of EVA Air/Instagram)</p>

EVA Air cabin crew indicating “Doors Armed” with thumbs up, before and after the beginning of the coronavirus crisis. (Courtesy of EVA Air/Instagram)

【看CP學英文】在不久之前，許多正要進入職場的人們都夢想著能夠成為航空業的空服團隊人員。

Not too long ago, the idea of becoming a cabin crew member in the airline industry appealed to many young men and women entering the workforce.

想像一下，一份能環遊世界、入住飯店、探索異國風情，同時還能得到報酬的工作！對於許多人來說，作為空服員的好處遠遠勝過於潛在的弊端。這些缺點包括長時間不在家、經常需要調整時差、以及較長的工作時數等。

Imagine one traveling around the world, staying at hotels, and exploring exotic destinations — all while being paid! To many, the benefits of working as a flight attendant outweigh the potential downsides, which include experiencing long periods of time away from home, dealing with jet lag, and enduring long working hours.

Passengers disembark from a China Airlines rescue flight from Wuhan, China in this file photo. (Courtesy of the CECC)
Passengers disembark from a China Airlines rescue flight from Wuhan, China in this file photo. (Courtesy of the CECC)

過去，要成為航空服務團隊的人員競爭相當激烈。台灣的星宇航空、長榮航空和中華航空的空服員錄取率僅只有百分之二，代表著要在台灣成為空服員，遠比被哈佛大學、史丹福大學或是其他全球著名大學錄取入學更為困難。

In the past, working as an airline flight attendant was an extremely competitive job. Taiwanese airlines Starlux, EVA Air, and China Airlines have consistently reported acceptance rates of less than 2 percent, making it more difficult to become a cabin crew member in Taiwan than being accepted at Harvard, Stanford, or any of the world’s prestigious universities.

然而，因新型冠狀病毒肺炎疫情，為全球的航空業帶來重大打擊，國際間旅行航空飛行頻率也隨著急劇下降。因此，航空業相關工作的長期之可行性、可靠性和穩定性皆引人質疑。

However, as the coronavirus pandemic continues to ravage nations around the world, times have certainly changed. In light of the plummeting demand for international travel, questions have been raised about the long term viability and reliability of such jobs.

CAL ground staff at Taiwan Taoyuan Airport Check-in desks pose for a photograph. (Courtesy of China Airlines/Instagram)
CAL ground staff at Taiwan Taoyuan Airport Check-in desks pose for a photograph. (Courtesy of China Airlines/Instagram)

根據這篇雙語文章內對各種因素的分析和討論，台灣的三大國際航空公司應當能度過這艱難的疫情時期。但同時，擴張營運目前顯然地不在這些公司的短期計畫內。

Taiwan’s three international airlines are expected to survive difficult times due to various factors, but the respective companies are for sure not looking to significantly expand in the immediate short term.

實際上，航空業的未來面臨著不確定性。許多大型的國際航空公司，包括阿聯酋航空和美國航空在內，都在這疫情期間解雇了大批員工。

In fact, with the world’s largest airlines, including Emirates and American Airlines laying off a large number of employees, the future of the aviation industry is facing uncertainty.

EVA Air (left) and China Airlines (right) flight attendants pose at press conference donning their new protective gear. (Courtesy of the CECC)
EVA Air (left) and China Airlines (right) flight attendants pose at press conference donning their new protective gear. (Courtesy of the CECC)

對於仍在調減後的少數航班上繼續服務的空服員所處的工作環境也和疫情爆發前截然不同。

But even for the flight attendants that continue to operate the minimal flights still in the air, their working environment is now completely different.

值班時，大多數航空公司要求機組人員穿上防護裝備，包括口罩、手套、護目鏡，甚至是覆蓋制服的全套防護衣。現在的空服員，不僅需要像過去一樣服務乘客和對乘客的飛行安全負責，另外還要顧及乘客的健康。

When on duty, most airlines require cabin crew to wear a combination of protective gear, including face masks, gloves, protective eyewear, and even full medical gowns covering their uniforms. In the air, flight attendants are not just responsible for aircraft safety and service as in the past, but also for the passengers’ health and wellbeing.

Flight attendants from Starlux Airlines (left) and EVA Air (right) pose for photographs before the coronavirus outbreak. (Courtesy of Starlux/Instagram and EVA air/Instagram)
Flight attendants from Starlux Airlines (left) and EVA Air (right) pose for photographs before the coronavirus outbreak. (Courtesy of Starlux/Instagram and EVA air/Instagram)

除了在空中工作時受疫情影響，空服員在抵達航班目的地時的休息時間也因疫情有所限制。具體來說，因應當地法規，航空公司的政策也有所改變。這意味著空服人員可能無法像過去一樣在飛機抵達航班目的地之後去該城市區域到處探索，而必須被隔離在指定的飯店中。

In addition, their experience at the destinations they fly to has also drastically changed. Specifically, airline policies have changed to adapt to local regulations, meaning cabin crew may no longer explore the city as they have done in the past, but rather, must remain quarantined in a designated hotel.

目前的政策改變是否會成為新常態，仍有待觀察。但是可以確定的是，許多準空服員原本夢想的工作體驗，在短期內可能無法實現。

It remains to be seen whether current arrangements in place will become the new normal, but what is certain is that the dreams of many prospective flight attendants may unfortunately be impossible to accomplish in the short term.

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