介绍:
Luxembourg is the First Country to Make Public Transport Free
With a population of 602,000, Luxembourg is one of Europe's smallest countries — yet it suffers from major traffic jams. But that could be about to change. As of March 1, 2020 all public transport — trains, trams and buses — in the country is now free.
卢森堡有60.2万人口，是欧洲最小的国家之一，但却面临严重的交通堵塞。而这种情况可能即将改变。从2020年3月1日起，卢森堡所有公共交通——火车、电车和公共汽车——马上会免费运营。
The government hopes the move will alleviate heavy congestion and bring environmental benefits, according to Dany Frank, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Mobility and Public Works.
交通与公共工程部发言人丹尼·弗兰克表示，政府希望此举能缓解严重的交通拥堵，并有益于环保。
“The government is putting up the cost of making it free,”Frank says, "The country at this very moment is in really good shape. We, the government, want the people to benefit from the good economy."
弗兰克说，政府会承担公共交通免费的成本。“卢森堡目前经济运行良好。政府希望人民能从中受益。”
Caruso is concerned that making transport free may unintentionally deter people who would normally walk or cycle in urban areas. "Rather than walking 500 meters, you see a bus coming and you say ‘I can get on and travel 500 meters because it's free,'" he says.
卡鲁索担心，免费的公共交通可能会无意中让那些通常在城区步行或骑车的人放弃之前的习惯。他说：“平时可以步行500米，现在看到一辆公交车开过来，你会说，‘这段路我可以搭公交，因为公交免费。’”
He adds, however, that the new scheme can signal important changes ahead when it comes to Luxembourg's reliance on driving. " The government might say, 'It's important that you ditch your car, and look, we made public transport free' -- and maybe this is helpful given the immense cultural shift we need."
但他补充说，就卢森堡对开车出行的依赖而言，新计划可能预示着将来会发生重大变化。 “政府可能会说，‘弃车出行很重要，看，我们让公共交通免费了’。考虑到我们必需的巨大文化转变，这或许是有帮助的。”
be about to 即将做……
alleviate 缓解
congestion 拥塞
benefits 益处
unintentionally 无意中
scheme 计划
reliance 依赖
immense 巨大的
putting up 支付，提供（资金）
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