12306购票验证码遭吐槽

 With the Spring Festival Holiday right around the corner, huge numbers of people are already going online, booking train tickets for the most important vacation of the year. However, the recently updated image Captcha system on 12306.com, china's one and only official online ticket selling platform - seems to be giving everybody a hard time, as the questions are too difficult.

It's been reported that only 8 percent of users pass the test on their first try and 27 percent get it right on the second time.

The image recognition¹ test is required both when logging in and when buying the tickets. Most users say they've lost their desired ticket after taking too long to pass the test while others complain it is annoying how difficult the questions are.

"I've got it wrong so many times. After I finally pass the test, the ticket I want is sold out."

"The picture looks like neither turtle nor trionyx. It is a waste of time for me to try figuring out which pictures are what!"

The test requests users to find certain item, sometimes more than one, from listed photos. What makes it difficult is that it usually requires users to distinguish² between very similar items, such as oranges and tangerines or between a bus card and a credit card.

Also, some of the pictures contain objects that simply aren't common anymore - kerosene³ lamps, sewing machines, and typewriters - and many users, especially younger ones, are not at all familiar with these antiques⁴.

While the website allows users to keep trying until they pass, if one fails too many times, the system will automatically⁵ upgrade⁷ into harder mode.

According to a customer service telephone operator of China Railway, the new system is designed to prevent auto⁶ logins or malicious⁸ purchasing by machines.

"We've been using a picture recognition system since early this year, as it is a very effective tool to stop ticket scalpers and software from purchasing large number of tickets and reselling them at a higher price to make a profit."

He adds that some software can identify simple verification, which they used before, 1,000 times per second while the new system has no such problem so far.

It is estimated that people will make 2 billion or more trips during the Spring Festival period, and predicting that around 30 million of those trips will be made by train.

For CRI, I'm Niu Honglin.

1 recognition   

n.承认，认可，认出，认识

参考例句：

• The place has changed beyond recognition.这地方变得认不出来了。
• A sudden smile of recognition flashed across his face.他脸上掠过一丝笑意，表示认识对方。

2 distinguish   

vt.区别，辩明，识别，辨认出；vi.区别，辨别，识别

参考例句：

• It is not easy to distinguish cultured pearls from genuine pearls.辨别真正的珍珠与养殖的珍珠不容易。
• Some people find it difficult to distinguish right from wrong.一些人认为很难辨对与错。

3 kerosene   

n.(kerosine)煤油，火油

参考例句：

• It is like putting out a fire with kerosene.这就像用煤油灭火。
• Instead of electricity,there were kerosene lanterns.没有电，有煤油灯。

4 antiques   

n.古玩，古董，古物( antique的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The room was furnished with antiques. 房间里摆放了古董。
• a priceless collection of antiques 价值连城的古文物收藏

5 automatically   

adv.不加思索地，无意识地，自动地

参考例句：

• The machine cycles automatically.这台机器自动循环运转。
• She had automatically labelled the boys as troublemakers.她不假思索地认定这些男孩子是捣蛋鬼。

6 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

7 upgrade   

vt.提高，加强，改善；n.提高，改善

参考例句：

• We need to upgrade the status of teachers.我们需要提升老师的地位。
• To upgrade a clerk to manager.将办事员提升为经理。

8 malicious   

adj.有恶意的，心怀恶意的

参考例句：

• You ought to kick back at such malicious slander. 你应当反击这种恶毒的污蔑。
• Their talk was slightly malicious.他们的谈话有点儿心怀不轨。