VOA标准英语2010年-Indonesia Considers Moving Capital to

With a population of nearly 10 million people, the Indonesian capital Jakarta is bursting through its seams. To solve the overcrowding, politicians are reconsidering an old idea – moving the capital to another part of the country.

The rainy season is under way in Indonesia, and that signals trouble ahead. In normal times, the average car on Jakarta's streets crawls at a meager¹ 8.3 kilometers an hour. But when it rains, traffic can stand still for hours as young men wade² knee deep in water trying budge³ cars and buses.

Congestion⁴ costs

By some estimates the congestion on Jakarta's streets cost as much as $1.4 billion a year in idle hours wasted away.

There are other problems with crowding – the city is badly polluted, it has trouble finding clean water and because it is on swampy⁵ land near the ocean, it is vulnerable to rising ocean levels.

So President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono last year called for a study on moving the capital away from the congestion.

Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo is not convinced the idea will improve conditions in the country's largest city.

"I would be happy if some of the central government premises⁶ would be moved outside Jakarta, but it doesn't mean that the problems of Jakarta would be lessened," Bowo said.

The problems do not show signs of easing any time soon. Every day, more than 500 new cars and 1,500 new motorbikes are registered in Jakarta, while the effort to build an integrated public transportation system is behind schedule. In addition to those who live in the city, every day more than a million travel in from the suburbs to work or study.

Crumbling⁷ infrastructure⁸

The city does not have enough roads to accommodate its commuters, and its crumbling infrastructure compounds to the problem. Last month, a stretch of highway collapsed⁹ for lack of maintenance, causing a traffic jam that lasted hours near the country's main harbor.

But urban planning expert Marco Kusumawijaya says moving the capital from the city is not the solution.

"At the most, there is only 350 000 public servants, and I think maybe 10 or 15 percent of them are using cars. So I think it is delusional¹⁰ in the sense that it is not based on the actual causes of traffic jam that we want to solve," said Kusumawijaya.

Solution to the problem

Indonesia's first president, Sukarno, thought of moving the capital to Palangkaraya, a city on Borneo island. That was in the 1950's, long before Jakarta had a traffic problem.

Palangkaraya was an option for several reasons: it sits in the heart of the sprawling¹¹ archipelago, away from quake-prone areas and the densely¹² populated island of Java, where most of the population and the economic and political powers are concentrated.

The government later considered another city on Java. But neither plan moved forward.

Palangkaraya is back in the running today to become Indonesia's next capital. The government, however, is weighing the cost of a move – which could top $11 billion dollars, against the cost of improving Jakarta's infrastructure.
 

1 meager   

adj.缺乏的，不足的，瘦的

参考例句：

• He could not support his family on his meager salary.他靠微薄的工资无法养家。
• The two men and the woman grouped about the fire and began their meager meal.两个男人同一个女人围着火，开始吃起少得可怜的午饭。

2 wade   

v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉

参考例句：

• We had to wade through the river to the opposite bank.我们只好涉水过河到对岸。
• We cannot but wade across the river.我们只好趟水过去。

3 budge   

v.移动一点儿；改变立场

参考例句：

• We tried to lift the rock but it wouldn't budge.我们试图把大石头抬起来，但它连动都没动一下。
• She wouldn't budge on the issue.她在这个问题上不肯让步。

4 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。

5 swampy   

adj.沼泽的，湿地的

参考例句：

• Malaria is still rampant in some swampy regions.疟疾在一些沼泽地区仍很猖獗。
• An ox as grazing in a swampy meadow.一头牛在一块泥泞的草地上吃草。

6 premises   

n.建筑物，房屋

参考例句：

• According to the rules,no alcohol can be consumed on the premises.按照规定，场内不准饮酒。
• All repairs are done on the premises and not put out.全部修缮都在家里进行，不用送到外面去做。

7 crumbling   

adj.摇摇欲坠的

参考例句：

• an old house with crumbling plaster and a leaking roof 一所灰泥剥落、屋顶漏水的老房子
• The boat was tied up alongside a crumbling limestone jetty. 这条船停泊在一个摇摇欲坠的石灰岩码头边。

8 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

9 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

10 delusional   

妄想的

参考例句：

• You became delusional and attacked several people trying to escape. 你产生了错觉并攻击了许多人还试图逃走。 来自电影对白
• He is incoherent, delusional, suffering auditory hallucinations. 他出现无逻辑的，妄想的，幻听的症状。 来自电影对白

11 sprawling   

adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着）

参考例句：

• He was sprawling in an armchair in front of the TV. 他伸开手脚坐在电视机前的一张扶手椅上。
• a modern sprawling town 一座杂乱无序拓展的现代城镇

12 densely   

ad.密集地；浓厚地

参考例句：

• A grove of trees shadowed the house densely. 树丛把这幢房子遮蔽得很密实。
• We passed through miles of densely wooded country. 我们穿过好几英里茂密的林地。