经济学人:种族隔离 被阻断的高速公路(2)

 　　Space in Cape¹ Town's downtown core and seaboard is limited, and homes are expensive. 在开普敦市中心和海滨的空间是有限的，而住房又是昂贵的。

　　So the poor have to travel long distances on increasingly clogged² roads. 因此，穷人不得不搬到很远的交通不便的地方。

　　Brett Herron, a city councillor on the mayoral committee for transport, says that hard-up households in Cape Town spend on average 40% of their income on transport. 至于交通问题，在市长委员会上，一位市议员布莱特·赫伦(Brett Herron)表示，在开普敦生活拮据的家庭光在交通上的支出就占了他们收入的40%.

　　There are various tales as to why the highway was never finished. 关于公路为什么没建完的说法有许多。

　　Mr Herron says the city was simply waiting for future traffic volumes to require it. 赫伦(Herron)先生表示，他们只是等着今后交通流量需求。

　　That time came long ago; but now the city says it cannot afford it. 虽然很早就提出要完成这条公路，但到现在市政府依然没有经费。

　　Instead, it is turning to private developers. 于是政府将这个问题转交给了私人开发商。

　　To sweeten the deal, the city will give the winning developer six hectares of prime land alongside the road. 为了更好的解决这个问题，市政府会给建成这条公路的开发商6公顷公路旁的黄金地段。

　　The unfinished highway can be completed, knocked down or turned into something else entirely—a park, perhaps. 没有完工的公路可以选择完工、拆掉或者转变成公园等场所。

　　But proposals must help reduce congestion³, while incorporating cheap housing. 然而这些归根结底都是为了解决交通阻塞问题，这其中也包含廉价住房问题。

　　Three-dimensional models of six designs—featuring urban gardens, cycle lanes and a promenade—went on display last month for public comment. 这六个三维模型的设计方案中——包含有城市花园，自行车道，散步小路——都在上月的公众评论中进行了展示。

　　The city wants construction to begin within the next few years. 该城市想要在接下来的几年中开始建造。

　　This is the first of five big projects being undertaken to improve public housing and transport. 这是五个用来提高公共住房和交通问题项目中的第一个项目。

　　Patricia de Lille, Cape Town's mayor, thinks finishing the highway is what people will remember her for. 凯普敦的市长德里尔，认为公路的完工能让人们记住她的功绩。

　　Film-makers may have to find a new apocalyptic⁴ location. 而制片人也许得找一个新的启发性拍摄地点了。

1 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

2 clogged   

（使）阻碍( clog的过去式和过去分词 )； 淤滞

参考例句：

• The narrow streets were clogged with traffic. 狭窄的街道上交通堵塞。
• The intake of gasoline was stopped by a clogged fuel line. 汽油的注入由于管道阻塞而停止了。

3 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。

4 apocalyptic   

adj.预示灾祸的，启示的

参考例句：

• The air is chill and stagnant,the language apocalyptic.空气寒冷而污浊，语言则是《启示录》式的。
• Parts of the ocean there look just absolutely apocalyptic.海洋的很多区域看上去完全像是世界末日。