VOA慢速英语2015 什么能够帮助雅加达庞大的交通问题?

AS IT IS 2015-03-04 What Can Help Jakarta's Huge Traffic Problem? 什么能够帮助雅加达庞大的交通问题?

The Indonesian capital Jakarta has long been held up as an example of a major city that cannot stop nor support its continuing growth. After years of delays, Jakarta is taking action to deal with perhaps its most pressing problem: traffic gridlock.

Jakarta's traffic problems are getting worse. The Jakarta area is home to nearly 30 million people. And the number keeps growing. More than 1,000 additional vehicles crowd onto the city’s streets every day.

But now work has begun on a huge mass transit¹ train system that could help ease traffic congestion².

The project was delayed for five years. During that time, officials worked to persuade landowners and businesses to make short-term sacrifices to prevent even more gridlock.

Dono Boestami is president of MRT Jakarta, the city-owned company responsible for building the train system. He says the city does not have a choice. The people of Jakarta, he says, must make sacrifices for a period of time for the future of their city.

"If nothing is in it for me then why should I do it, right? That kind of mindset that we've got to change. This is not a decision that, should we do it or? It's not a choice."

Part one of this project is a 16-kilometer train line running south to north. This line will have 13 stations, with some underground, and others above ground. The city was able to get a $1.5 billion loan from Japan to finance this part of the project. The work is set to be completed by 2018.

Part two will extend farther north. This phase is expected to cost another $1.5 billion. Another train line is under consideration. It would stretch 87 kilometers, from east to west.

Work on the project is causing additional traffic problems. But many Jakartans like Niken Budi Asuti are more hopeful about the city’s future.

"I believe in my government. I believe they use the tax to make the residents live better lives in Jakarta. So yeah, I believe in that."

Sofjan Wanandi is an adviser³ to Indonesian Vice⁴ President Jusuf Kalla. He says for Jakarta to develop and modernize⁵, both the people and the government need to change their way of thinking. If the government does a good job on this huge project, he says,  the people will feel better about the city.

For now, Jakarta residents are still stuck in traffic. But this mass transportation project could put the city on the road to a more sustainable future.

Words in This Story

mass transit – n. a system of large-scale public transportation in a given metropolitan⁶ area, typically made up of buses, subways, and elevated trains

congestion – n. a condition on roads that occurs as use increases and is characterized by slower speeds and longer trip times

sacrifice – n. the act of giving up something that you want to keep especially in order to get or do something else or to help someone

gridlock – n. a situation in which streets are so full that vehicles cannot move

sustainable – adj. able to last or continue for a long time

1 transit   

n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过

参考例句：

• His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
• The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。

2 congestion   

n.阻塞，消化不良

参考例句：

• The congestion in the city gets even worse during the summer.夏天城市交通阻塞尤为严重。
• Parking near the school causes severe traffic congestion.在学校附近泊车会引起严重的交通堵塞。

3 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

4 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

5 modernize   

vt.使现代化，使适应现代的需要

参考例句：

• It was their manifest failure to modernize the country's industries.他们使国家进行工业现代化，明显失败了。
• There is a pressing need to modernise our electoral system.我们的选举制度迫切需要现代化。

6 metropolitan   

adj.大城市的，大都会的

参考例句：

• Metropolitan buildings become taller than ever.大城市的建筑变得比以前更高。
• Metropolitan residents are used to fast rhythm.大都市的居民习惯于快节奏。