VOA标准英语2014--America’s Mass Transit Ridership at Its Highest in Decades美国的公共交通客流量达到几十年来的最高点

 

America’s Mass Transit¹ Ridership at Its Highest in Decades美国的公共交通客流量达到几十年来的最高点

NEW YORK — A record number of Americans are moving into cities and, at the same time, are curbing² their driving habits.  No better example than New York City.

Three-point-four billion riders on New York City subways and buses a year.   This amazing number equals one-third of all mass transit trips in the United States.  Ridership is at its highest in almost 60 years in almost every American city.

A commuter³ advocacy group, “Straphangers Campaign,” attributes it to younger Americans, said Gene⁴ Russianoff.  

“Millenials, those people born around the turn of the past century are much less car-oriented," he said. "They are urban.  They like not owning cars, they like less responsibility and there are a lot of them."

In addition to millenials, many people believe public transit is economical and eco-friendly. In 2012 across America, people took 10.7 billion trips.  

“When we talk about insurance rates going up, price of automobiles⁵ going up, then people are waking up and realizing: wait, here’s this huge asset that has been underutilized," said said Richard Rudolph, chairman of the Rail Users Network. "Why not take advantage of this particular opportunity.  It certainly makes more sense to get people out of automobiles into subways and into commuter and passenger railroads.”

New York is not standing⁶ still -- as passenger demand requires several major expansion projects.  A new $4.5 billion subway line on New York’s Second Avenue -- which was recently excavated⁷ underneath⁸ businesses and apartment houses -- will take an overload⁹ of passengers off of other subway lines.  Its first phase completion is scheduled in 2016.

People who work in New York’s financial district will soon be using a new transit subway transfer center.  Almost all lines converge¹⁰ in lower Manhattan and the new center will give riders an easier way to get around the city and into New Jersey¹¹.   

And, probably the most controversial and costly¹² project is a $7 billion tunnel connection from Long Island into Manhattan’s Grand Central Terminal.  Trains from there will have access to New York’s midtown business district.  

Andrew Albert, a board member of the Metropolitan¹³ Transit Authority, said there were many other reasons the public was riding in increasing numbers.

“The system has gotten a lot more dependable. We have new cars. We have countdown clocks to tell you when the next train is coming.  We have expanded facilities in places," he said.

 

New York’s  24-hour, 7-day-a-week, transit system costs a $1.5 billion a year to maintain.  It is one of the world’s oldest, with its first subway line having opened in 1904.

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 curbing   

n.边石，边石的材料v.限制，克制，抑制( curb的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Progress has been made in curbing inflation. 在控制通货膨胀方面已取得了进展。
• A range of policies have been introduced aimed at curbing inflation. 为了抑制通货膨胀实施了一系列的政策。

3 commuter   

n.(尤指市郊之间)乘公交车辆上下班者

参考例句：

• Police cordoned off the road and diverted commuter traffic. 警察封锁了道路并分流交通。
• She accidentally stepped on his foot on a crowded commuter train. 她在拥挤的通勤列车上不小心踩到了他的脚。

4 gene   

n.遗传因子，基因

参考例句：

• A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
• The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。

5 automobiles   

n.汽车( automobile的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• When automobiles become popular,the use of the horse and buggy passed away. 汽车普及后，就不再使用马和马车了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Automobiles speed in an endless stream along the boulevard. 宽阔的林荫道上，汽车川流不息。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

7 excavated   

v.挖掘( excavate的过去式和过去分词 )；开凿；挖出；发掘

参考例句：

• The site has been excavated by archaeologists. 这个遗址已被考古学家发掘出来。
• The archaeologists excavated an ancient fortress. 考古学家们发掘出一个古堡。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 underneath   

adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面

参考例句：

• Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
• She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。

9 overload   

vt.使超载；n.超载

参考例句：

• Don't overload the boat or it will sink.别超载，否则船会沉。
• Large meals overload the digestive system.吃得太饱会加重消化系统的负担。

10 converge   

vi.会合；聚集，集中；(思想、观点等)趋近

参考例句：

• The results converge towards this truth.其结果趋近于这个真理。
• Parallel lines converge at infinity.平行线永不相交。

11 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

12 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

13 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。