VOA慢速英语2019 欧洲考虑出台电动滑板车新规（在线收听）

Europe Considers New Rules for Electric Scooters

From Paris to Berlin, European cities are searching for ways to deal with a trend that is affecting cities worldwide: Electric scooters.

从巴黎到柏林，欧洲城市都在设法应对一种正在影响全球城市的趋势：电动滑板车。 

Supporters say scooters are a jump into the future and a fun way to travel without creating pollution.

支持者表示，滑板车是一种跨越未来的出行方式，既有趣又不会造成污染。 

Critics, on the other hand, note growing numbers of injuries and even deaths involving e-scooters.

另一方面，批评人士指出，越来越多的伤亡事故与电动滑板车有关。 

European countries are dealing with scooters in different ways.

欧洲国家正以不同的方式处理滑板车。 

Paris has many e-scooter companies, and France’s capital has at least 20,000 scooters traveling on its streets.

巴黎有很多电动滑板车公司，法国首都街头至少穿梭着2万辆电动滑板车。 

This week, the French government met with the victims of scooter accidents as it prepares new rules.

本周，法国政府在制定新规时会见了滑板车事故的受害者。 

The rules, expected in September, will likely place speed limits of about 20 kilometers an hour in most areas, and eight kilometers an hour in areas where many people walk.

预计将于今年9月出台的新规可能会在大多数地区限速每小时20公里左右，在行人众多的地区限速每小时8公里。

Nationwide, fines for speeding could go up to $1,680.

在法国全国范围内，超速罚款最高可达1680美元。 

Berlin, Germany’s capital, legalized electric scooters two months ago.

两个月前，德国首都柏林将电动滑板车合法化。 

The government quickly realized it needed new rules.

政府很快意识到需要出台新的规定。 

Last week, city officials announced plans for parking areas for scooters, which riders often leave on sidewalks.

上周，市政府官员宣布了滑板车停放区域的计划，骑车人经常将滑板车停放在人行道。 

In southeastern Europe’s Balkan countries, e-scooters are still operating in a legal gray zone -- except for Slovenia.

在欧洲东南部的巴尔干国家，除斯洛文尼亚外，电动滑板车仍处于法律的灰色地带。 

The country is working on legislation that will restrict the devices to pedestrian areas and bicycle lanes.

该国正在立法，将这些设备限制在步行区和自行车车道上。 

The rules will restrict speeds to 25 kilometers an hour, but in pedestrian areas, electric scooters will have to stay at the speed of a walking person.

该规定将车速限制在每小时25公里以内，但是在步行区，电动滑板车必须保持与行人相同的速度。 

Scooters will be subject to the same rules as bicycles.

滑板车还将遵守与自行车相同的规则。 

And underage scooter riders will be required to have lights and helmets.

未成年人骑车必须安装警示灯和佩戴头盔。 

Europe is not the only area struggling with how to deal with scooters.

欧洲并不是唯一一个在如何处理滑板车问题上苦苦挣扎的地区。 

They are increasingly becoming an issue of debate in the United States.

这一问题在美国也日益成为其争论的焦点。 

Scooter companies, in many cases, deployed the devices throughout major American cities without permission or permits.

在很多情况下，滑板车公司未经批准就在美国主要城市部署了这种设备。 

A recent report by the National Association of City Transportation Officials noted that in 2018, Americans took 38.5 million trips on shared electric scooters.

全美城市交通官员协会最近的一份报告指出，2018年美国人骑行共享滑板车出行达3850万次。 

However, the future of rules for scooters in the U.S. remains an open question.

然而，美国未来对电动滑板车的规定仍是一个悬而未决的问题。