VOA标准英语2015--交通拥堵威胁雅加达的未来

Jakarta Sees Future End to Gridlock Woes 交通拥堵威胁雅加达的未来

JAKARTA—

Jakarta, Indonesia's capital, has long been held up as a prime example of a sprawling¹ mega city that cannot stop nor sustain its continued growth. After years of delays the city is taking action to address perhaps its most pressing problem: traffic gridlock, recently designated the worst in the world.

Jakarta's already crippling traffic jams are getting worse. With a growing population of nearly 30 million, more than 1,000 additional vehicles crowd onto the road every day.

Commuters like Mira Aryas are frustrated². “If I travel for what should take minutes, if there is a traffic jam going to work, it would take around two hours,” she said.

But now work is underway on a huge mass transit³ train system that could help ease congestion⁴.

Construction was delayed for five years as officials worked to persuade landowners and business to make short term sacrifices to prevent further gridlock.

Dono Boestami, president of MRT Jakarta, the city-owned company in charge of construction, said it is the city's only option. “If nothing in it for me then why should I do it, right?" he asked. "That kind of mind set that we’ve got to change. This is not a decision that, should we do it or? It’s not a choice."

Phase one of this project is a 16-kilometer line running south to north with 13 stations, some underground, some elevated. The city secured a $1.5 billion loan from Japan for this part of the project, scheduled to be completed by 2018. Phase two running further north will cost another $1.5 billion and an 87- kilometer line running east to west is being studied.

While construction efforts are further disrupting traffic, many residents like Niken Budi Asuti are more optimistic about the city's future. “I believe in my government. I believe they use the tax to make the residents live better lives in Jakarta. So yeah I believe in that,” she added.

Sofjan Wanandi, an adviser⁵ to Indonesia’s Vice⁶ President Jusuf Kalla, hopes the major infrastructure⁷ project can be a catalyst⁸ for other development and modernization⁹ efforts. “Once you do some good and big projects, like India when they opened the airport, the confidence is coming back. We have to see that, that the government has to speed it up, all [these] things," he explained. "And the mentalities¹⁰ of bureaucracies have to change too.”

While in the short term Jakarta residents are stuck in traffic, this mass transit project could put the city on the road to a more sustainable future.

1 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

2 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 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。

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 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

6 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

7 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。

8 catalyst   

n.催化剂，造成变化的人或事

参考例句：

• A catalyst is a substance which speeds up a chemical reaction.催化剂是一种能加速化学反应的物质。
• The workers'demand for better conditions was a catalyst for social change.工人们要求改善工作条件促进了社会变革。

9 modernization   

n.现代化，现代化的事物

参考例句：

• This will help us achieve modernization.这有助于我们实现现代化。
• The Chinese people are sure to realize the modernization of their country.中国人民必将实现国家现代化。

10 mentalities   

n.心态( mentality的名词复数 )；思想方法；智力；智能

参考例句：

• Paterfamilias mentalities are important factors to affect childrens rehabilitation. 家长心理是影响聋儿康复效果的重要因素。 来自互联网
• All of us, genius included, think on the base of the mentalities are already known. 我们大家，包括的天才，在已经被知道的脑力的底上想。 来自互联网