意大利人骑车上班可获补贴

 　　An Italian town will pay people hundreds of euros per year if they cycle to work instead of using their cars.

　　意大利一小镇鼓励居民骑车上班，不开车。这样的居民每年可获几百欧元补贴。

　　The council¹ in Massarosa, just north of Pisa, says the pilot scheme² will see cyclists paid 25 cents per kilometre travelled, up to a monthly³ cap of 50 euros (?35), the regional Il Tirreno news website reports. That means⁴ commuters who switch⁵ to two wheels could pocket up to 600 euros (?424) in a year. It's said to be the first such scheme in Italy.

　　据当地一家名叫Il Tirreno的新闻网站报道，位于比萨北部的马萨罗萨市政机构说，这一试验计划将补贴骑自行车上班的人每公里25分，最高每月50欧元（35英镑）。这意味着骑行通勤族一年最多能得到600欧元（424英镑）奖励。据称这是意大利首次推出此类计划。

　　Fifty workers will be included in the 12-month pilot, which will use a smartphone app to record the distance travelled each day. The scheme is being funded from fines collected from traffic tickets in the town, which by law has to be reinvested in road safety, the site points out.

　　共有50名上班族参与这次为期12个月的试验计划，他们将使用智能手机应用记录每天的骑行里程。网站称，奖金将从该镇的交通罚款里出，按法律要求，这些罚款需要再投资到道路安全中去。

　　意大利人骑车上班可获补贴

　　"The Bike to Work scheme will offer incentives⁶ to citizens to ensure the area becomes more liveable," says local councillor Stefano Natali, adding that it will naturally mean less traffic on the streets, and will have health benefits⁷. The Italian Federation⁸ Friends of the Bicycle (FIAB), which helped to develop the idea, says it hopes that other towns will now follow Massarosa's lead.

　　当地议员斯特凡诺·纳塔莉说，“骑车上班计划为公民提供奖励措施，目的是确保该地区更宜居。”她补充道，这自然意味着街上的车辆会变少，对居民的健康有利。意大利自行车友会（FIAB）协助制定了该计划，并称希望其他市镇能效仿这个由马萨罗萨镇牵头的计划。

　　A similar scheme was introduced in France in 2014, with mixed results. While a six-month trial⁹ found that paying people to cycle to work did increase the numbers doing so, the majority had been using public transport, rather than private vehicles¹⁰. Of those making the move from cars to bicycles, most had already been carpooling.

　　2014年，法国推出过类似的方案，结果好坏参半。六个月的试验发现，发补贴的做法的确增加了骑行上班族的数量，但其中大部分人之前已经放弃私家车，在乘公共交通了。那些从开车转向骑车的人，其实大部分人之前已经在拼车了。

　　Vocabulary

　　councillor：议员，顾问

　　carpooling：拼车

　　commuter：通勤者

1 council   

n.理事会，委员会，议事机构

参考例句：

• The town council passed a law forbidding the distribution of handbills.市议会通过法律，禁止散发传单。
• The city council has declared for improving the public bus system.市议会宣布同意改进公共汽车系统。

2 scheme   

n.安排，配置，计划，阴谋，方案，图解，摘要；v.计划，设计，图谋，策划

参考例句：

• The scheme seems on the surface to be quite practical.这个方案表面上看来似乎很实际。
• The scheme was a bad egg.计划失败了。

3 monthly   

adj.每月的，持续一个月的，每月发生的；adv.每月，按月； n.月刊；(复数）monthlies:月经

参考例句：

• The rent on his apartment was his biggest monthly expense.他的房租是每个月最大的开支。
• The monthly rent is $15,inclusive of light and water.每月租金15美元，包括水电费在内。

4 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

5 switch   

n.开关，电闸，转换，软枝；vt.转变，切换，摆动，转换，使转轨；vi.转换，变换，摆动

参考例句：

• The switch on the wall was beyond the baby's reach.墙上的开关小孩子是够不到的。
• There's been a switch in our plans.我们的计划改变了。

6 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

7 benefits   

n.津贴费；利益( benefit的名词复数 )；（给职工的）奖金；救济金；益处

参考例句：

• economic benefits accruing to the country from tourism 旅游业为该国带来的经济效益
• The article enthused about the benefits that the new system would bring. 本文热情赞扬了新制度将带来的好处。

8 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

9 trial   

n.审判，试验，艰苦，麻烦事，考验；adj.尝试的，试验性的

参考例句：

• We shall put the machine to further trial.我们将进一步试验这部机器。
• He appeared as a witness in the trial.在审判中他出庭作证。

10 vehicles   

n.运载工具；传播媒介；（为展露演员才华而）特意编写的一出戏（或电影等）；[画]展色剂；交通工具( vehicle的名词复数 )；车辆；传播媒介；手段

参考例句：

• There is not much clearance for vehicles passing under this bridge. 车辆在这座桥下通过时没有多少余隙。
• to carry out random spot checks on vehicles 对车辆进行抽检