VOA标准英语2009-Cars in Russia Measured by People Power, Not

The Russian Parliament recently made a rare legislative¹ reversal -- withdrawing a tax increase on cars just days after approving it.

Peter Fedynsky | Moscow 25 November 2009

 
A big increase in the number of new drivers in Russia has led to traffic jams in major cities

The Russian Parliament recently made a rare legislative reversal -- withdrawing a tax increase on cars just days after approving the tax. 

Lawmakers passed legislation on November 13 to double the country's transportation tax.  Five days later, they changed their minds, following what Speaker Boris Gryzlov says were consultations² with regional leaders and civic³ organizations.

Such talks should have come beforehand says Alexander Kotov, the head of Russia's Professional Drivers' Union.  But lawmakers ignored his request for a meeting and also a threat to close Moscow's heavily used Outer Ring Road.  Union drivers carried out the threat on the day of the vote.

"Nobody invited me anywhere to discuss the matter with the powers-that-be so they could at least ask, 'What do you guys want?  What do you need in this country?'  We in this country need to work peacefully.  We want to pay taxes, but only those we can afford to pay," Kotov said.

A big increase in the number of new drivers in Russia has led to traffic jams in major cities.  Oleg Datskiv, director of the Internet car publication Autodealer.ru, tells VOA cars are status symbols for many drivers. "Cars [in Russia] have always been the prerogative⁴ of either the very wealthy or those close to power.  But times have changed," he said. "We now have a market and are building a democratic society.  But the automobile⁵, as before, remains⁶ not so much a form of transportation, but a way to display one's level of prosperity."

Datskiv notes that the powerful in Russia do not experience the frustrations⁷ of traffic jams.  Ordinary citizens often get stuck in traffic along eight-lane Kutuzovsky Prospect⁸ in Moscow.  But ministers and senior officials speed past in lanes reserved for them, and the entire road is routinely closed for the prime minister or president.  Such closures force not only drivers to wait, but businesses waiting for a delivery or a child anxious for a parent to come home in the evening.

Datskiv sees the attempt to double the transportation tax as a sneaky way to reduce the number of cars in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. He says people want more and better roads, not special privileges for government officials. "If they needed to travel in cars without escorts to areas beyond the city to their relatives or friends out of town, then they would more likely think about the quality of roads," he asserted.

In January, a government plan to raise tariffs⁹ on imported cars led to street protests in the Russian Far East, where most of the cars are right-hand drive imports from Japan.  Among the protesters was Galina Vostrikova.

"We decided¹⁰ to come here in order to express our opposition¹¹ to the increase in tariffs on imported cars, as well as in what's happening in our country, and the fact that it's becoming a police state," she stated.

Drivers union chairman Alexander Kotov says cars give Russians a growing sense of entitlement.  Increased mobility¹², he says, is not only generating demand for more and better roads, but for liberty as well.

"Roads offer an opportunity for an exchange of opinion.  Drivers who travel around the country, who stop to pick up a load or to refuel, talk with one another.  They discuss what is happening in any given region.  They observe; they see Russia's condition," Kotov said. "This creates a thirst for freedom."

Kotov says drivers also see the villas¹³, fancy cars and yachts owned by elites¹⁴ suspected of corruption¹⁵.  They also wonder if taxes aren't being used by the powers-that-be to enrich themselves instead of improving roads throughout Russia.   Kotov and Datskiv say better roads would take pressure off the cities and allow the entire country to develop - rich and poor alike.

1 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

2 consultations   

n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找

参考例句：

• Consultations can be arranged at other times by appointment. 磋商可以通过预约安排在其他时间。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Consultations are under way. 正在进行磋商。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

4 prerogative   

n.特权

参考例句：

• It is within his prerogative to do so.他是有权这样做的。
• Making such decisions is not the sole prerogative of managers.作这类决定并不是管理者的专有特权。

5 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

6 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

7 frustrations   

挫折( frustration的名词复数 )； 失败； 挫败； 失意

参考例句：

• The temptation would grow to take out our frustrations on Saigon. 由于我们遭到挫折而要同西贡算帐的引诱力会增加。
• Aspirations will be raised, but so will frustrations. 人们会产生种种憧憬，但是种种挫折也会随之而来。

8 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

9 tariffs   

关税制度； 关税( tariff的名词复数 )； 关税表； （旅馆或饭店等的）收费表； 量刑标准

参考例句：

• British industry was sheltered from foreign competition by protective tariffs. 保护性关税使英国工业免受国际竞争影响。
• The new tariffs have put a stranglehold on trade. 新的关税制对开展贸易极为不利。

10 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

11 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

12 mobility   

n.可动性，变动性，情感不定

参考例句：

• The difference in regional house prices acts as an obstacle to mobility of labour.不同地区房价的差异阻碍了劳动力的流动。
• Mobility is very important in guerrilla warfare.机动性在游击战中至关重要。

13 villas   

别墅，公馆( villa的名词复数 )； （城郊）住宅

参考例句：

• Magnificent villas are found throughout Italy. 在意大利到处可看到豪华的别墅。
• Rich men came down from wealthy Rome to build sea-side villas. 有钱人从富有的罗马来到这儿建造海滨别墅。

14 elites   

精华( elite的名词复数 )； 精锐； 上层集团； （统称）掌权人物

参考例句：

• The elites are by their nature a factor contributing to underdevelopment. 这些上层人物天生是助长欠发达的因素。
• Elites always detest gifted and nimble outsiders. 社会名流对天赋聪明、多才多艺的局外人一向嫌恶。

15 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。