Walking along Southport pier, there is no one in sight.
The only sound is of squawking seagulls swooping down from above and the waves of the tide slowly trying to come in.

沿着南港码头漫步，不见一人。唯一的声音是海鸥从天空俯冲下来的叫声声和潮水慢慢涌来的声音。

The ice-cream parlours are bolted shut and in the arcade, machines ring out tunes to an empty audience, creating an eerie atmosphere.

冰淇淋店被闩上了门，在拱廊里，机器对着空荡荡的听众奏乐，营造出一种阴森的气氛。

Christmas decorations are left on the counter behind the bar in the cafe, while stock is half opened out of cardboard boxes on the floor.

圣诞装饰品被放在咖啡馆吧台后面的柜台上，而地板上的纸板箱里的存货被打开了一半。

The Southport Pier Pavilion, Merseyside, has been left abandoned in a mad dash like something out of an apocalypse film - and that's because the council ordered its closure last December on health and safety grounds.

默西塞德郡（Merseyside）的南港码头亭（ Southport Pier Pavilion）就像世界末日电影里的场景一样，被疯狂地遗弃了——这是因为去年12月，市政委员会以健康和安全为由下令关闭它。

But five months on, there is still no sign of when life can return to the remarkable pier, which is country's second oldest.

但五个月过去了，这座举世瞩目的码头仍然没有恢复生机的迹象，它是该国第二古老的码头。


Colin Jamieson is terrified for his family's future ( Image: Saffron Otter)

科林·贾米森为他家庭的未来深感担忧(图片来源:Saffron Otter)

I meet with Colin Jamieson, who has run two businesses on the iconic structure for 20 years.

我见到了科林·贾米森(Colin Jamieson)，他在这座标志性码头上经营了两个营生，已经有20年了。
原创翻译：龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处


One is the railway train that usually travels the length of the pier, which runs for 1km, and the other is the cafe business - which hasn't been able to operate since they had to shut up shop two weeks before Christmas due to 'ice-damage'.

一个是长达一公里的沿码头行驶的观光列车，，另一个是咖啡馆业务--由于 "冰害"，他们不得不在圣诞节前两周关闭商店，因此一直无法经营。

The 67-year-old is distraught, as he employs almost all of his family on the pier, and says it is like being in lockdown but without the financial support from the Government that he previously received during Covid.

这位67岁的老人心烦意乱，因为他几乎所有的家人都在码头工作，他说这就像被封锁一样，但却没有以前在疫情期间从政府得到的财政支持。

"Any company that isn't trading for six months, it's going to go bust and the staff are going to leave. It's terrifying, we have no income," he tells the Mirror.

"任何公司如果六个月不营业，它就会破产，员工就会离开。 这很可怕，我们没有收入，"他告诉《镜报》。

"The longer it goes on, it's going to kill our company.”

“这种情况持续得越久，我们的公司就会完蛋。”

"I'm using what is left in the bank to keep things afloat. I have two daughters, one is 42 and the other 35.

"我正在用银行里剩下的钱来维持生计。 我有两个女儿，一个42岁，另一个35岁。


The pier was closed last December ( Image: Saffron Otter)

码头于去年12月关闭（图片：Saffron Otter）。

"They have homes and kids to look after and they aren't earning any money.

"他们有自己的家庭，有孩子要照顾，但却没有任何收入。

"Everyone works for me, my son-in-law works for me, the whole family works for me. They're all suffering.

"每个人都是我的员工，我的女婿为我工作，全家人都为我工作。他们的日子都不好过

"No one wants to be seen as unethical and immoral. To do this to a company, to anyone, it's not right."

“没有人希望被视为不仁义和不道德。对一家公司、对任何人这样做，都是不对的。”

Shaking his head as he struggles to comprehend what is happening, the dad-of-two adds: "I can't even find the words to describe it."

这位两个孩子的父亲在努力理解所发生的事情时摇了摇头，他补充说： "我甚至找不到词来描述它"。
原创翻译：龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处


According to Colin, Sefton Council told him to remove the train last June so they could repair some damaged timbre.

据科林说，去年6月，塞夫顿委员会让他把火车移走，以便他们能修复一些损坏的木板。

Workmen set out replacing boards, and completed a full 50-foot stretch at one end.

工人们开始更换木板，并在一端完成了长达50英尺的延伸。


Shutters drawn on Colin's cafe and arcade ( Image: Saffron Otter)

科林的咖啡馆和拱廊上的百叶窗(图片来源:Saffron Otter)

He says that by the November, the work had stopped, and the following month, the council ordered a full closure citing weather damage.

他说，到11月，工程已经停止，接下来的一个月，委员会以天气破坏为由下令全面关闭。

As per his tenancy agreement, he has to obey when it comes to health and safety.

按照他的租赁协议，在涉及到健康和安全问题时，他必须服从。
原创翻译：龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处


"We were closed without any warning whatsoever," he recalls.

“我们在没有任何警醒的情况下就关门了，”他回忆道。

"This pier has been here 160 years now and it’s been rebuilt a few times along the way.

"这个码头在这里已经有160年了，沿途已经重建了好几次。
原创翻译：龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处


"It's had ice damage every year and this timber on it now has been down for 20 years. It has never caused any problems and it never will."

"它每年都有冰损，现在上面的木头已经倒了20年了。它从来没有造成任何问题，也永远不会。"

He understands the council’s need to ensure the utmost safety, but Colin argues that it is safe and wishes to work with them to see new decking laid down in stages - like the work being done on neighbouring Blackpool pier, which can be spotted in the distance.

他理解委员会需要确保最大限度的安全，但科林认为这是安全的，并希望与他们合作，看到新的甲板铺设阶段-就像在可以在远处看到的，附近的布莱克浦码头（Blackpool pier）正在进行的工作一样。

Joining Colin for a walk along the pier, you can vividly see the toll it's taking on the businessman.

和科林一起沿着码头散步，你可以生实在地看到商人受到的损失。


They're in limbo waiting to see when they can reopen ( Image: Saffron Otter)

他们正在等待何时能够重新开业（图片：Saffron Otter）。

He shows me the locked-up cafes, ice-cream van, inside his recently refurbished cafe and bar, and turns on the arcade machines for me after opening up the shutters.

他向我展示了他最近翻新的咖啡馆和酒吧内被锁住的咖啡机、冰淇淋车，并在打开百叶窗后为我打开了街机。

As we're there, countless visitors walk up to the pier to only have to turn back around when they're confronted with the gates.

当我们在那里的时候，无数的游客走到码头，当他们面对大门的时候，只得回头。

When I point out that it's even making me feel sad to be alone on a usually bustling monument, which was visited by steamliners in its heyday and where Charlie Chaplin performed in the early 20th century, Colin admits that he finds it depressing to come and see his life’s work currently vacant.

当我指出，在这个总是熙熙攘攘的纪念碑上独自一人甚至让我感到悲伤时，科林承认，看到他一生的工作现在空置，他感到很沮丧。这个纪念碑在全盛时期曾被蒸汽轮船访问过，查理-卓别林在20世纪初曾在这里表演过。

"I've been in business for over 40 years and I’ve dealt with that much pressure in my life, it never bothers me," he says.

他说:“我从商40多年了，我一生中处理过那么多的压力，但这些压力从来没有困扰过我。”

"But since this has happened, I've had palpitations. I didn't like to admit it, but it's medically put me in a bad way. I'm waiting for a call to discuss a heart monitor with my GP.

“但自从这件事发生后，我就心悸了。我不想承认这一点，但这在医学上让我很难受。我正在等待一个电话，与我的全科医生讨论心脏监测。


The now empty arcade ( Image: Saffron Otter)

现在空荡荡的游戏厅（图片：Saffron Otter）。

"There is no plan for the future anymore. I'm being held off the end of the pier on a rope."

“未来已经没有计划了。我被绳子吊在码头的一端。”

The council say they are still awaiting survey results before any action can be taken with it being a complex job, but Colin argues it has taken far too long.

委员会表示，在采取任何行动之前，他们仍在等待调查结果，因为这是一项复杂的工作，但科林认为这花了太长时间。

They offered up another spot in town for him to operate but he says it wouldn't have been a profitable move. At the end of his tether, Colin has submitted a compensation claim.

他们为他在镇上提供了另一个营业地点，但他说这不会是一个有利可图的举动。无奈之下，科林提交了一份赔偿要求。

If the pier remains shut over its busiest period during the summer season, he estimates to lose out on roughly £600,000 turnover.

如果码头在夏天旺季时仍然关闭，他估计会损失大约60万英镑的营业额。
原创翻译：龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处


But it's not just the Jamieson family that are impacted, it's the whole town, he says, as 400,000 visitors would usually flock there for a walk in the coming months.

但受影响的不只是贾米森（Jamieson）一家，而是整个镇子，他说，因为在接下来的几个月里，通常会有40万游客涌向这里散步。


People say it is the main attraction of the seaside town ( Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)

人们说这是海滨小镇的主要景点(图片来源:Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)

"It's everything about the town for the people that come here," he states.

"对于镇子来说，游客就是一切"他说。

"Every shop there at the end of the pier is losing out. Business owners are going mad about it. They're putting the town to death."

“码头尽头的每家商店都在亏损。商家们都快疯了。这也使镇子逐渐衰落”

Max Wright, the manager of Wright’s Diner, located on Nevill Street, says he has been affected by the ongoing situation.

位于内维尔街的Wright 's Diner的经理马克斯·赖特(Max Wright)说，他已经受到了持续的影响。

"It's just a shame, isn't it?" the 28-year-old says.

“真是太遗憾了，不是吗?”28岁的他说。

"It diverts people, they can't really get it to us so it is affecting us. You can't get to the beach easily anymore."

“这分散了人流，游客不能真正来到这里，让我们很受影响。你再也不能轻易到达海滩了。”

A few stores down is Kim Paskin, of Southport Rock Shop. The 63-year-old says he has been met with disgruntled customers who share their aggravation when they discover the pier's closure.

沿着几家商店走，是南港岩石店（Southport Rock）的金-帕斯金(Kim Paskin)。这位63岁的老人说，当他发现码头关闭时，他遇到了一些不满的顾客，他们都很委屈。

"We have people come from all over, coach trippers, and when they arrive they’re disappointed to see it's not open," he says.

他说:“我们有来自世界各地的游客，乘坐长途汽车的游客，当他们到达时，看到这里没有开放，他们很失望。”

"The pier is massively important, it's one of the biggest attractions and it's better for everyone if it's open."

"码头是非常重要的，它是最重要的景点之一，如果它能开放，对大家都好。


It is "massively important" for the town and its people ( Image: Saffron Otter)

这对小镇及其人民来说“非常重要”(图片来源:Saffron Otter)

One of those visitors is Dan, who wished not to disclose his surname, who is staying in the Pontins for four nights.

其中一位不愿透露姓氏的游客--丹(Dan)，他将在庞廷斯酒店（Pontins）住四个晚上。

From Doncaster, South Yorkshire, the 38-year-old has fond memories of visiting Southport as a child, with the pier a big part of it.

他来自南约克郡的唐卡斯特(Doncaster)，这位38岁的年轻人对儿时参观绍斯波特(Southport)有着美好的回忆，码头是其中的重要组成部分。

"It looks strange being empty. We were gutted," Dan says.

"它空着看起来很奇怪。我们被吓坏了，"丹说。

"I've been coming since I was a kid. I've always loved the pier. It was going to be the first thing we did when we arrived but realised it was closed.

"我从孩提时代就开始来了。我一直很喜欢这个码头。当我们到达时，我们要做的第一件事就是去码头，但却发现它已经关闭了。
原创翻译：龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处


"What's going on?"

“发生什么事了?”

Aside from debate about the grand pier, which has taken over Facebook pages, another talking point of the seaside town is its sea, or lack of.

除了Facebook页面上关于大码头的讨论之外，这个海滨小镇的另一个话题是它的海，或者说是缺乏海。

A string of TripAdvisor comments from dissatisfied visitors complain that they couldn't find it, with one writing: "Does the tide ever come in? I can't find one picture of it even over the net."

不满意的游客在猫途鹰(TripAdvisor)上发表了一系列评论，抱怨他们找不到海，其中一条评论写道:“潮水来过吗?我甚至在网上都找不到一张图片。”

Another shared: "Beach is clean but where is the sea ?? We went to the end of the pier and still no sea."

另一位分享说： "海滩很干净，但海在哪里？我们走到了码头的尽头，还是没有海。"


Some visitors moan that you cannot always see the sea at Southport ( Image: Saffron Otter)

一些游客抱怨说，在南港不能一直看到海（图片：Saffron Otter）。

While I could barely make it out when I first arrived late morning, local Terry O’Toole says I've got lucky, as it glides to the shore behind us.

上午晚些时候我刚到这里，几乎什么也看不清，当地人特里·奥图尔(Terry O 'Toole)说我很幸运，因为潮水就在我们身后慢慢涌到了岸边。

The 72-year-old walks along the strip, and usually the pier, three or four times a week.

这位72岁的老人每周都会沿着这条路漫步，通常也会在码头散步三四次。

"It [the sea] is in now but you might not see it again for three weeks," he laughs.

他笑着说:“现在海慢慢出现了，但你可能三周内都不会再看到海水了。”

Like others I've heard from today, he echos the importance of the pier and its place at the centre of the town's identity.

就像我今天听到的其他人说的一样，他也表达了码头的重要性，以及它在该镇的中心地位。

"It's the main thing in the town," Terry says. "It's the first place people head to and always have done.

泰里（Terry）说："码头是镇上的核心东西，它是人们前往的第一个地方，而且一直都是如此。”

"It looks like we're still in the pandemic now."

“我们现在就像仍处于疫情之中一样。”


Terry, who loves to walk along the pier, likens the situation to lockdown ( Image: Saffron Otter)

特里喜欢沿着码头散步，他把现在这种情况比作封禁(图片来源:Saffron Otter)

The pier was refurbished in 2002 at a cost of £7 million and a year later, it won the National Piers Society's prestigious "Pier of the Year" award.

2002年，该码头耗资700万英镑进行了翻新，一年后，它赢得了国家码头协会享有盛誉的“年度码头”奖。

Ten years later, Sefton Council outlined £3m plans to replace the wooden beams - which added to a total distance of 63 miles.

十年后，塞夫顿委员会（Sefton Council）列出了300万英镑的计划，以更换木梁--这增加了63英里的总距离。

But in December 2022, damage was caused by freezing weather, which reportedly exposed the dire state of the historic structure, turning the renovation into what looks to be a much bigger project than they set out for it to be.

但在2022年12月，冰冻的天气造成了破坏，据说这暴露了这个历史性建筑的糟糕状态，把翻新变成了一个看起来比他们设定的要大得多的项目。

Engineers advised the council to close it down, with structural surveys now taking place.

工程师建议委员会关闭它，现在正在进行结构调查。

A spokesperson for Sefton Council said: "As previously stated, the survey being carried out on Southport Pier involves a thorough and intrusive assessment of the 3,600ft structure.

塞夫顿委员会的一位发言人说： "正如之前所说，在南港码头进行的调查涉及对3600英尺的结构进行彻底和侵入性的评估。

"Due to the detailed nature of this assessment and the complexity of Southport Pier's structure, the survey takes time to complete.

“由于这项评估的详细性质和南港码头结构的复杂性，这项调查需要时间来完成。

"However we will upxe both business owners directly and the public through our official communication channels as soon as possible.

"然而，我们将尽快通过我们的官方沟通渠道，直接向企业主和公众提供最新信息。

"We appreciate this is a frustrating time for everyone but health and safety remains our priority."

"我们理解这对每个人来说都是一个令人沮丧的时刻，但健康和安全仍然是我们的首要任务。"