德里试图开展无车日减少交通、净化空气

AS IT IS 2015-09-23 Delhi Tries to Clear Traffic, Air with Car-Free Day 德里试图开展无车日减少交通、净化空气

September 22 is known on the Internet as World Car Free Day. People were urged to leave their motorized vehicles at home and take public transportation to work.

World Car-Free Day was observed in a number of areas, including India’s financial center: the city of Gurgaon. The event was not entirely¹ successful there. But many people considered the effort a much needed initiative² to reduce pollution levels and traffic problems in Indian cities.

Business leaders and police officers were among those who went out in the heat and sticky weather to take public transportation or ride a bicycle to work. Officials put more buses on the road, and they operated additional shuttle services from metro³ train stations. 

However, some say India’s business capital does not have enough public transportation. And on World Car-Free Day, not everyone left their vehicles at home. There was heavy traffic and traffic delays in several areas.  

Gurgaon is home to many companies. It also has pricey apartment homes and high-end shopping malls. The city has grown a lot over the last 10 years as India’s economy has expanded. But its wealth has come at a price: Its roads are filled with cars and its traffic jams are legendary⁴.  

It is a story that has been repeated in some measure across India’s cities. The fast growth in motorized vehicles has creates traffic jams and worsens air pollution.  

The capital, Delhi, is the worst hit. A World Health Organization report said Delhi has the world’s dirtiest air and that is threatening people’s health.   

The success of the car-free day in Gurgaon was debatable, but Anumita Roy Choudhury said it was an important first step. She works at New Delhi’s Center of Science and Environment. She hopes the event will put public pressure on policy makers⁵ to enact⁶ measures in place to limit the number of cars in Indian cities. She would like Indian cities to do what cities like Beijing, Singapore and Hong Kong have done.  

“The cities will really have to work with restraint measures. The current practice of giving them free parking, not taxing them, allowing multiple car ownership, all these are now fanning motorization and taking it beyond what is sustainable. Today, if all our cities are getting polluted, it's because those decisions are not getting implemented⁷.”  

Gurgaon officials hope to make an example with the initiative. Police Commissioner⁸ Navdeep Singh Virk rode a bicycle to work Tuesday. He wants to make every Tuesday a car-free day.  

“The idea is not to stop there, the idea is to actually take it to a weekly basis. Because, we are in a state where we actually require it.”  

Those who live through the traffic problems of Gurgaon, such as Deepak Rajput, could not agree more.   

“Lot of traffic, lot of pollution, we do need less cars, it is a no brainer.” 

Words in This Story

encouraged – adj. to be more determined⁹, hopeful or confident

initiative – n. the power or opportunity to do something before other do

legendary – adj. told about in legend; very famous or well-known

1 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

2 initiative   

n.主动性，首创精神，主动权（的行动），倡议

参考例句：

• He went to see the headmaster on his own initiative.他主动去看望校长。
• His employer had described him as lacking in initiative and drive.雇主说他缺乏进取心和干劲。

3 metro   

n.地铁；adj.大都市的；(METRO)麦德隆(财富500强公司之一总部所在地德国，主要经营零售)

参考例句：

• Can you reach the park by metro?你可以乘地铁到达那个公园吗？
• The metro flood gate system is a disaster prevention equipment.地铁防淹门系统是一种防灾设备。

4 legendary   

adj.传奇（中）的，闻名遐迩的；n.传奇（文学）

参考例句：

• Legendary stories are passed down from parents to children.传奇故事是由父母传给孩子们的。
• Odysseus was a legendary Greek hero.奥狄修斯是传说中的希腊英雄。

5 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 enact   

vt.制定(法律)；上演，扮演

参考例句：

• The U.S. Congress has exclusive authority to enact federal legislation.美国国会是唯一有权颁布联邦法律的。
• For example,a country can enact laws and economic policies to attract foreign investment fairly quickly.例如一个国家可以很快颁布吸引外资的法令和经济政策。

7 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

8 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

9 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。