Traffic in Our Cities城市的交通

　　The volume of traffic in many cities in the world today continues to expand. This causes many problems, including serious air pollution, lengthy delays, and the greater risk (1) accidents. Clearly, something must be done, but it is often difficult to (2) people to change their habits and leave their cars at home.

　　當今世界，許多城市的交通量在不斷擴大。這導致了許多問題，包括嚴重的空氣污染、長時間擁堵，以及交通事故發生概率的增大。顯而易見，我們必須要有所行動，但往往說服人們改變他們的生活習慣，使他們把車留在家里是很困難的。

　　One possible (3) is to make it more expensive for people to use their cars by (4) charges for parking and (5) tougher fines for anyone who (6) the law. In addition, drivers could be required to pay for using particular routes at different times of the day. This system, (7) as "road pricing", is already being introduced in a (8) of cities, using a special electronic card (9) to the windscreen of the car.

　　一種可行的方法是通過增加停車收費和加強違規罰款而使人們使用汽車的成本變得更加昂貴。此外，在每天的不同時間，一些特殊路段將對司機另行收費。這個被稱為“道路收費”的系統已經被一些城市所引用，它使用一種特殊的電子卡固定在汽車的擋風玻璃上。

　　Another way of (10) with the problem is to provide cheap parking on the (11) of the city, and strictly control the number of vehicles allowed into the centre. Drivers and their passengers then use a special bus service for the (12) stage of their journey.

　　另一種處理這個問題的方法是在城市的郊區提供廉價的停車場，并嚴格控制進入城市中心的車輛數量。司機和乘客乘坐特殊巴士完成他們最后的旅程。

　　Of course, the most important (13) is to provide good public transport. However, to get people to (14) the comfort of their cars, public transport must be felt to be reliable, convenient and comfortable, with fares (15) at an acceptable level.

　　當然，最重要的事情還是提供良好的公共交通。然而，要讓人們放棄他們汽車的舒適，公共交通必須要讓人感覺可靠、便利、舒適，同時票價也要保持在一個可接受的水平。

　　詞匯:

　　lengthy /'le?θi/ a. 漫長的，冗長的

　　persuade / p?'sweid / V. 說服，勸服

　　approach / ?'pr?ut? / n.方法，途徑

　　windscreen /'windskri:n/ n. 汽車擋風玻璃

　　outskirt / 'autsk?:t / n. 郊區，市郊

　　reliable / ri'lai?bl / a. 可靠的，可信賴的

　　注釋:

　　1. ... strictly control the number of vehicles allowed into the centre:… 嚴格控制進入城市中心的 車輛數量

　　2. ... public transport must be felt to be...: ……公共交通必須要讓人感覺到……