VOA常速英语2016--纽约推出覆盖全市的免费Wi-Fi（在线收听）

纽约推出覆盖全市的免费Wi-Fi

Futuristic, 3-meter-tall Wi-Fi portals are replacing thousands of old payphones in New York city. By summer’s end, more than 500 will dot the city streets; in 12 years, as many as 10,000.

高达3米、充满未来主义风格的Wi-Fi站点正在取代掉纽约市数千个老式付费电话，到夏末，将有500多个Wi-Fi站点分布在该市的大街小巷，12年后将有一万个。

The selling points are simple: They are free to use, providing high-speed internet to city’s residents and visitors,roughly 100 times faster than the average public Wi-Fi.

其卖点很简单：免费使用，向本市居民和游客提供高速网络，网速是一般公共Wi-Fi的100倍。

“It means you can upload pictures in a fraction of a second, you can download a movie before you hop on the train in less than 30 seconds. ”

“这意味着你可以在不到一秒内下载好图片，在登上火车前的不到30秒内就能下载好一部电影。”

Each hot spot has a minimum radius of 45 meters before automatically connects you to the next.Every unit is equipped with a charging device and Android tablet for Internet browsing, phone calls and easy access to information on city services, as well as a 911 emergency call button.

在你连接到下一个热点之前，每个热点都有最小45米的辐射半径。每个站点都配备有充电设备和一部安卓平板电脑供浏览网页、打电话和获取有关市政服务的信息，以及911紧急按钮。

“The idea is to reach every New Yorker who might not otherwise have access to a broadband connection, either in their homes or at work.” Hensley describes the links as a “revolutionary” model for other cities worldwide.

“其构想是让那些没有装宽带的纽约人都能连上网，无论是在家中还是在工作场所。”汉斯里称这是一种革命性的模式，可供世界各地其他城市模仿。

“It’s a global economy.People are traveling more and more, and the services that they know they can rely on in New York. We expect them to want when they go to places like London and Paris and Hong Kong.”

“现在是全球经济，人们外出旅行的机会越来越多，他们知道可以依赖于纽约的服务，我们希望他们在前往伦敦、巴黎和香港等地时能这么想。”

The unit’s infrastructure is built using a cast aluminum exterior, designed by CIVIQ Smartscapes to withstand vandalism and severe weather.

这种站点的构造使用了铸铝外壳，由CIVIQ Smartscapes公司设计以防止被破坏和恶劣天气。

Its look blend in with its surroundings.“It stands out on its own, but it doesn’t really jump out at you and stand out too much from the rest of the streetscape.”

它和环境融为一体，“它自身是醒目的，但并不突兀，与街景也不冲突。”

At New York’s Union Square, many agree.

在纽约的联合广场，很多人也这么认为。

“It feels at home,and the landscape of the city, it doesn’t feel like would be out of place in a bunch of different contexts, which I think is a testament to good design.”

“看起来很亲切，这种城市景观不会看起来和环境不协调，我想这表现出设计很棒。”

“That’s why people are so comfortable because it looks just like something that would be supported in New York City.”

“人们感觉很舒适，是因为它看起来是能被纽约所接纳的东西。”

LinkNYC expects CityBridge, the consortium awarded the 12-year franchise, to generate more than $500 million for the city of New York, primarily through digital screen advertisements, its primary source of revenue.

LinkNYC项目的运营商CityBridge已经获得12年的特许经营权，该项目有望为纽约市带来5亿多美元的收益，其主要收益来自数字屏幕上的广告。