Many English seaside towns seem as if they are stuck in a time warp, in an era when families and charabancs full of factory workers would converge on the shore for fun and frolics.

As buildings decay and holiday makers flock to warmer shores resorts like Blackpool and Morecambe on the northwest coast are looking to refresh their image.

Blackpool council has drawn up radical plans to turn its stretch of coastline, known as the Golden Mile, into what some have called the new Las Vegas of Europe.

The town is keen to capitalize on a proposed deregulation of Britain's gambling laws.

"Blackpool needs to see major change if it is to turn the tide and create a prosperous future," said deputy council leader Eddie Collett.

The aim is to build five big casinos and create around 30,000 new jobs. The project is already underway but developers say it will take until 2020 to finish.

Council officials say the plan could generate around 437 million pounds a year and increase annual tourist visitors to around 15 million from 11 million now.

The glitz of Las Vegas feels a long way from Blackpool.

Its sandy beach is often strewn with litter and it is hard to find much better food than a burger.

Many residents acknowledge the resort is not looking its best but some worry that the casino plan could attract the wrong sort of clientele.

"There are enough alcoholics and gamblers anyway in Blackpool," said sweet-seller Pat Whitty, referring to a current craze for stag and hen night parties in the resort.

"Casinos will definitely scare families away," added Whitty. "Blackpool will lose its old seaside image."

英國許多海濱小鎮仿佛被卡在時間隧道里了，至今仍然停留在那個全家人和裝滿工人的大游覽車聚集在海邊歡樂嬉鬧的時代。

隨著建筑物日漸破損，度假者們蜂擁前往更溫暖的海濱勝地，而位于西北海岸線上的布萊克普和莫克姆正在努力使自己的面貌煥然一新。

布萊克普議會草擬了大膽的計劃，打算把被稱為“黃金海岸”的海岸線改造成一些人號稱的“歐洲的新拉斯維加斯”。

這個小鎮急于利用提議解除英國賭博法管制的契機。

“如果想要扭轉潮流，創造繁榮的未來，布萊克普要經歷很大的變化，”議會副會長埃迪·考蘭特說。

這一計劃的目標是建立五個大娛樂場，并創造約三萬個新的工作崗位。這個項目已經起步，但開發者說要到2020年才能完成。

議會官員說這項計劃每年將創造約4.37億英鎊的收入，并使每年的游客量從現在的1100萬上升到1500萬。

布萊克普要想像拉斯維加斯一樣光彩奪目還有很長一段路要走。

那兒的沙灘上總是丟滿垃圾，在那里也很難找到比漢堡更美味的食品。

許多居民承認這個海濱勝地現在的情況并不是最理想的，但也有人擔心建造娛樂場的計劃會吸引不道德的游客。

“總之，布萊克普的酒鬼和賭徒已經夠多了。”談到目前這里對男女聚會的狂熱，糖果售貨員帕特·威蒂這樣說。

“娛樂場肯定會把家庭游客嚇跑，布萊克普將喪失它原有的海濱景象，”威蒂補充說。

重點詞語注釋：

warp: 彎曲
draw up: 草擬
capitalize on: 利用
strew: (with) 撒，散播
clientele: 客戶
stag night party: 只有男性參加的社交晚會
hen night party: 只有女性參加的社交晚會