2--True. With the extension of railways and highways, and the improvement of safety and capacity of airplanes, ships and boats have been giving place to trains, planes and automobiles.
 
1--I read in the newspapers that the passenger liners from Shanghai to Ningbo and Dalian have been out of business; and the liners up and down the Yangtze River have been reduced by 70%.
 
2--The pace of life of people is now getting faster and faster, so the speed of ships and boats seems to be so slow. I think it may be the reason why people don't like to travel by boat.
 
1--But the most of the transoceanic cargo transportation is still carried by boat.
 
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注解：
 
1.transportation运输  
2.extension延伸  
3.improvement改善 

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译文：
 
1--如今，轮船在交通中的重要性大不如从前了。
2--的确如此。随着铁路与高速公路的延伸、飞机安全性和运力的提高，轮船已经让位给火车、飞机和汽车了。
1--我从报纸上看到，从上海开往宁被、大连的客轮已经歇业了，而长江沿线的客轮量也已经减少了70%。
2--人们的生活节奏如今变得越来越快，所以轮船的速度就显得太慢了。我想这大概就是人们不爱乘船旅行的原因。
1--但是如今大部分的跨洋货运还是靠轮船。