托福阅读素材：4G是否在逐渐变慢

 　　The new 4G mobile phone services in the UK are not as super-fast as the industry promised - and could get worse.

　　在英国，新的4G移动服务达不到运营商所承诺的超高速度，而且速度可能还会变慢。

　　The mobile phone companies boasted that 4G services would be ‘five times faster’ than the existing 3G networks when they launched in the autumn of 2012.

　　当移动运营商在2012年秋季开通4G服务时，它们宣称4G服务的速度将比现有3G网络快5倍。

　　However, a new official study puts the real figure at an average of 2.5 times faster - 14.7 megabits per second compared to 5.9Mbit/s per second on the 3G service that most people use.

　　然而，一份新的官方研究表明，真实的数字是4G速度仅比3G平均快2.5倍——也就是4G速度是14.79Mbit/s，大多数人使用的3G网络的速度是5.9Mbit/s。

　　At the same time, the evidence suggests that 4G services are likely to slow down as more people connect to them.

　　同时，有证据表明，当更多的人接入网络时，4G服务有可能变得更慢。

　　4G technology is being promoted by the big mobile networks on the basis it offers high speed internet access and smooth video streaming without annoying buffering¹.

　　基于能够提供高速的网络接入和流畅的视频流媒体服务并避免烦人的缓冲等优势，4G技术得以在大型移动网络中得到应用。

　　More than 10 million people have been won over by the promises and have signed two year contracts costing an average of ?20 ($30) a month.

　　超过一千万人被这一承诺所打动，他们签定了平均每月消费20英镑的合约。

　　When 4G services launched at the end of 2012, the average download speed was up at around 19 Mbit/s, however the new research suggests an average of 14.7 and other studies put it as low as 10.

　　当4G服务在2012年年底刚开通时，平均下载速度可达19Mbit/s。新的研究表明现在这一数字仅为14.7Mbit/s，甚至有研究认为只有10Mbit/s。

　　This has happened because more people are using the service, effectively causing jams on the airwaves. The only way this can be countered is if the networks spend millions upgrading² masts³ and installing new ones.

　　这是因为越来越多的人开始使用4G，导致了无线网络的拥堵。而唯一的解决办法是由运营商投入大量资金对基站进行升级并且增加基站数量。

　　Vocabulary：

　　buffering 缓冲

1 buffering   

缓冲（作用）； 减震； 阻尼； 隔离

参考例句：

• Fig. 3-13 gives a suggested buffering arrangement for the data lines. 图3―13示出了一种缓冲数据线的方案。
• It requires buffering for most applications. 在大多数使用场合，它都需要缓冲。

2 upgrading   

浓缩

参考例句：

• Many people are upgrading their mobiles to top-end models. 很多人不断将手机升级到最高档的款式。
• We will press ahead with our plans for upgrading the software. 我们会继续为我们的计划努力，加快进行软件升级。

3 masts   

船桅( mast的名词复数 )； 桅杆； 旗杆； 天线塔

参考例句：

• Her masts leveled with the spires of churches. 船的桅杆和教堂的塔尖一样高。
• First the sails and then the masts went. 先是帆坏了，随后桅杆也断了。