新西兰英语 241 Tauranga library may charge for books

　　Tauranga City Council¹ want to charge adults a fee to borrow books from the public library. The fee would be 50 cents for each book but would increase to 80 cents in three years time.
Libraries get most of their money from rates. Everyone who owns a house or a flat pays rates to the council. These rates are for city roads, footpaths², rubbish collection, water and sewerage, parks and libraries. Tauranga is about 3 hours by car south east of Auckland. It has a population of nearly 120,000 people. It has four public libraries and a mobile³ library which travels around the city. The public libraries cost $6.7 million a year and rates pay most of that cost – $6 million. The Council wants the libraries to reduce the cost to ratepayers.
However, no other public library in New Zealand charges for books. It is true that some libraries charge for new books, DVDs and CDs; however, most books are free.
New Zealand has excellent public libraries and they are very popular. Most are modern, attractive with friendly and helpful staff. Most public libraries in the bigger cities have on-line catalogues⁴, free internet, books in Maori and other languages and they are open seven days a week. In New Zealand, our population of 4 million people borrow about 50 million books a year from public libraries. The libraries are busy places. In Tauranga, 60% of residents⁵ use the libraries.
At the moment, this idea to charge a fee is a plan only. Many residents are angry about this plan. The Tauranga City Council said that people will have a chance to discuss the plan before the councillors vote on it in May.

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 footpaths   

人行小径，人行道( footpath的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There are a lot of winding footpaths in the col. 山坳里尽是些曲曲弯弯的羊肠小道。
• There are many footpaths that wind through the village. 有许多小径穿过村子。

3 mobile   

adj.可移动的，易变的，机动的；n.运动物体

参考例句：

• The old lady sits on a mobile chair every morning.那位老妇人每天上午坐在一把可携带使用的椅子上。
• She's much more mobile now that she's bought a car.自从她买了汽车后，活动量就大多了。

4 catalogues   

v.为…编目录( catalogue的第三人称单数 )；登记分类；记载；登记（某人、某事等的详情）

参考例句：

• Catalogues of our books will be sent on request. 书籍目录承索即寄。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Catalogues of our books will be mailed on request. 书目承索即寄。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

5 residents   

n.居民( resident的名词复数 )；（旅馆的）住宿者

参考例句：

• Plans to build a new mall were deep-sixed after protests from local residents. 修建新室内购物中心的计划由于当地居民反对而搁浅。
• Local residents have reacted angrily to the news. 当地居民对这一消息表示愤怒。