2023考研英語閱讀美國高速公路
American highways
美國高速公路
A combination of less driving and more fuel-efficient vehicles is imperilling Americas highwaysystem
駕車出行的減少和節能車的增多正在危及美國的高速公路系統
AMERICANS pay a federal fuel tax of 18.4 cents pergallon. That amount was set in 1993, when the average new passenger car on American roadsgot 28.4 miles per gallon , and the best-selling American car got 18mpg in the city and27 on highways. In 2010 the average new passenger car got 33.7mpg. The best-selling car got22mpg in the city and 33 on highways.
美國人支付每加侖18.4美分的聯邦燃油稅。這一金額是在1993年定下的，那時新的乘用車每加侖油可以在美國道路上平均行駛28.4英里，最暢銷的國產車在城里可以行駛18英里，在高速公路上可以行駛27英里。2010年時新乘用車每加侖油平均可以行駛33.7英里，而最暢銷車在城里可行駛22英里，在高速公路上可以行駛33英里。
And just as cars are growing more fuel-efficient, Americans are driving less. In 2010 theydrove just under three trillion milesless than they did in 2006. While better fuel-efficiency isgood news for Americans wallets and less driving good for the countrys air, for its highwaysand mass-transit systems, it is something of a disaster.
隨著汽車越來越省油，美國人也越來越少駕車出行。在2010年，他們行駛了不到三萬億英里，少于2006年的路程。雖然，更高的燃油效率能節省美國人的經濟支出，少駕車也有利于改善美國的空氣質量，但這對美國的高速公路和公共交通系統卻可以說是一種災難。
That is because federal funds, mostly derived from fuel-tax revenue, account for 22% of allhighway funding and 17% of mass-transit funding nationally . Fuel taxes go into the Highway Trust Fund , which was created in1956 to finance highway construction nationally. The HTF still spends most of its funds onhighway and bridge maintenance and construction, but in 1982 Congress created a MassTransit account within the HTF. Today 15.44 of every 18.4 cents in fuel-tax per gallon fundshighways, while 2.86 funds mass transit and 0.1 cents funds clean-up of leaking undergroundstorage tanks. And the HTF receives some revenue from taxes on truck tyres, diesel, and otherdriving-related sources, but most of its money comes from petrol taxes.
這是因為，大部分來源于燃油稅收入的聯邦基金支付22%的公路經費，和17%的全國公共運輸經費。公路信托基金成立于1956年，通過征燃油稅負擔全國的公路建設。雖然公路信托基金現在大部份經費仍然花在高速公路和橋梁的養護和建設上，但是在1982年國會在其中新增了一項公共運輸開支。如今，每加侖18.4美分的汽油稅中就有15.44美分資助高速公路，2.86美分資助公共運輸，還有0.1美分資助地下貯槽泄漏的清潔工作。同時公路信托基金還會通過對輪胎，柴油和其他相關資源征稅來增加部分收入，但大部分資金還是來源于汽油稅。
As the HTF pays for long-term, large-scale construction projects, it has never been requiredto have the full funding a project will require on hand when that project is authorised;consequently, it has long paid out more than it took in each year. As long as Americans drovemore each year, that arrangement worked, and for much of the HTFs existence, that isexactly what happened. Americas workforce grew. Its workers abandoned tight-knit cities forever more far-flung suburbs, requiring longer commutes.
由于公路信托基金需要資助長期大規模的建設項目，批準建設項目時并不要求基金要備齊該項目將會需要的所有資金，這就造成了它每年入不敷出。只要美國人每年駕車量都有增加，這種方法就可以運行，而在公路信托基金創建以來的大多數時間內，美國人的駕車量確實逐年增加。美國的勞動力增多，工人們拋棄了擁擠的城市投向遙遠的郊區，這正需要長途通勤。
But as that trend has slowed, the HTF has suffered: monies paid into the HTF fell by aroundone-seventh from 2007 to 2010. From 2005 to 2009 every state received more from the fundthan they paid in. Between 2008 and 2010 Congress transferred $34.5 billion in generalrevenues into the HTFthe first time it had ever received such an infusion. Earlier this year theCongressional Budget Office forecast that the HTF will be unable to fund highway maintenanceby 2023.
但是隨著上述趨勢減弱，公路信托基金受到損害：從2007年到2010年，公路信托基金收到的資金減少了七分之一。各州在2005年至2009年間從該基金得到的比支付的多。2008年到2010年間，國會將政府一般收入中的345億美元投入到公路信托基金，這是公路信托基金第一次收到聯邦政府用其它收入對其補貼。今年早些時候國會預算局預計公路信托基金到2023年時將不能再資助高速公路維修與養護。
That money will be difficult to find elsewhere. Around half of all surface-transportation fundingand 20% of mass-transit funding comes from the states, many of which face budgetary woesof their own. Both Barack Obama and his transportation secretary, Ray LaHood, opposeraising the gas tax; a tax on miles travelled is probably a political impossibility.
很難從其他地方籌集到這筆錢。一半左右的地上交通經費和20%的公共交通經費都來自各州，而很多州都面臨預算災難。巴拉克?奧巴馬及其運輸部長萊胡德都反對提高汽油稅，根據行駛公里數來征稅從政治上說是不可能的。
There has been some movement in Congressin November a Senate committee approvedlegislation maintaining highway funding at its current levels for two years, while HouseRepublicans plan to introduce a six-year transportation bill this monthbut it is little and late.Americas transportation infrastructure can ill afford to wait. The American Society of CivilEngineers estimated in 2009 that 36% of Americas major urban highways are congested,costing $78.2 billion each year in wasted time and fuel costs. According to Transportation forAmerica, an advocacy group, one in nine highway bridges are structurally deficientaquality they seem to share with Americas Congress.
國會已經有所行動，參議員委員會在11月批準了一項法律用以維持高速公路現在的經費水平兩年;同時眾議院共和黨計劃本月引入一項六年期的交通法案，但改善措施不足而且晚了。美國的運輸基本設施幾乎等不及了。美國土木工程師協會2009年估計36%的美國主要城市高速公路是超負荷的，每年在浪費時間和燃料成本上花費782億美元。根據利益團體美國運輸團體，每九個公路橋就有一個是結構缺陷，在這點上，這些公路橋倒是和美國國會相同。
American highways
美國高速公路
A combination of less driving and more fuel-efficient vehicles is imperilling Americas highwaysystem
駕車出行的減少和節能車的增多正在危及美國的高速公路系統
AMERICANS pay a federal fuel tax of 18.4 cents pergallon. That amount was set in 1993, when the average new passenger car on American roadsgot 28.4 miles per gallon , and the best-selling American car got 18mpg in the city and27 on highways. In 2010 the average new passenger car got 33.7mpg. The best-selling car got22mpg in the city and 33 on highways.
美國人支付每加侖18.4美分的聯邦燃油稅。這一金額是在1993年定下的，那時新的乘用車每加侖油可以在美國道路上平均行駛28.4英里，最暢銷的國產車在城里可以行駛18英里，在高速公路上可以行駛27英里。2010年時新乘用車每加侖油平均可以行駛33.7英里，而最暢銷車在城里可行駛22英里，在高速公路上可以行駛33英里。
And just as cars are growing more fuel-efficient, Americans are driving less. In 2010 theydrove just under three trillion milesless than they did in 2006. While better fuel-efficiency isgood news for Americans wallets and less driving good for the countrys air, for its highwaysand mass-transit systems, it is something of a disaster.
隨著汽車越來越省油，美國人也越來越少駕車出行。在2010年，他們行駛了不到三萬億英里，少于2006年的路程。雖然，更高的燃油效率能節省美國人的經濟支出，少駕車也有利于改善美國的空氣質量，但這對美國的高速公路和公共交通系統卻可以說是一種災難。
That is because federal funds, mostly derived from fuel-tax revenue, account for 22% of allhighway funding and 17% of mass-transit funding nationally . Fuel taxes go into the Highway Trust Fund , which was created in1956 to finance highway construction nationally. The HTF still spends most of its funds onhighway and bridge maintenance and construction, but in 1982 Congress created a MassTransit account within the HTF. Today 15.44 of every 18.4 cents in fuel-tax per gallon fundshighways, while 2.86 funds mass transit and 0.1 cents funds clean-up of leaking undergroundstorage tanks. And the HTF receives some revenue from taxes on truck tyres, diesel, and otherdriving-related sources, but most of its money comes from petrol taxes.
這是因為，大部分來源于燃油稅收入的聯邦基金支付22%的公路經費，和17%的全國公共運輸經費。公路信托基金成立于1956年，通過征燃油稅負擔全國的公路建設。雖然公路信托基金現在大部份經費仍然花在高速公路和橋梁的養護和建設上，但是在1982年國會在其中新增了一項公共運輸開支。如今，每加侖18.4美分的汽油稅中就有15.44美分資助高速公路，2.86美分資助公共運輸，還有0.1美分資助地下貯槽泄漏的清潔工作。同時公路信托基金還會通過對輪胎，柴油和其他相關資源征稅來增加部分收入，但大部分資金還是來源于汽油稅。
As the HTF pays for long-term, large-scale construction projects, it has never been requiredto have the full funding a project will require on hand when that project is authorised;consequently, it has long paid out more than it took in each year. As long as Americans drovemore each year, that arrangement worked, and for much of the HTFs existence, that isexactly what happened. Americas workforce grew. Its workers abandoned tight-knit cities forever more far-flung suburbs, requiring longer commutes.
由于公路信托基金需要資助長期大規模的建設項目，批準建設項目時并不要求基金要備齊該項目將會需要的所有資金，這就造成了它每年入不敷出。只要美國人每年駕車量都有增加，這種方法就可以運行，而在公路信托基金創建以來的大多數時間內，美國人的駕車量確實逐年增加。美國的勞動力增多，工人們拋棄了擁擠的城市投向遙遠的郊區，這正需要長途通勤。
But as that trend has slowed, the HTF has suffered: monies paid into the HTF fell by aroundone-seventh from 2007 to 2010. From 2005 to 2009 every state received more from the fundthan they paid in. Between 2008 and 2010 Congress transferred $34.5 billion in generalrevenues into the HTFthe first time it had ever received such an infusion. Earlier this year theCongressional Budget Office forecast that the HTF will be unable to fund highway maintenanceby 2023.
但是隨著上述趨勢減弱，公路信托基金受到損害：從2007年到2010年，公路信托基金收到的資金減少了七分之一。各州在2005年至2009年間從該基金得到的比支付的多。2008年到2010年間，國會將政府一般收入中的345億美元投入到公路信托基金，這是公路信托基金第一次收到聯邦政府用其它收入對其補貼。今年早些時候國會預算局預計公路信托基金到2023年時將不能再資助高速公路維修與養護。
That money will be difficult to find elsewhere. Around half of all surface-transportation fundingand 20% of mass-transit funding comes from the states, many of which face budgetary woesof their own. Both Barack Obama and his transportation secretary, Ray LaHood, opposeraising the gas tax; a tax on miles travelled is probably a political impossibility.
很難從其他地方籌集到這筆錢。一半左右的地上交通經費和20%的公共交通經費都來自各州，而很多州都面臨預算災難。巴拉克?奧巴馬及其運輸部長萊胡德都反對提高汽油稅，根據行駛公里數來征稅從政治上說是不可能的。
There has been some movement in Congressin November a Senate committee approvedlegislation maintaining highway funding at its current levels for two years, while HouseRepublicans plan to introduce a six-year transportation bill this monthbut it is little and late.Americas transportation infrastructure can ill afford to wait. The American Society of CivilEngineers estimated in 2009 that 36% of Americas major urban highways are congested,costing $78.2 billion each year in wasted time and fuel costs. According to Transportation forAmerica, an advocacy group, one in nine highway bridges are structurally deficientaquality they seem to share with Americas Congress.
國會已經有所行動，參議員委員會在11月批準了一項法律用以維持高速公路現在的經費水平兩年;同時眾議院共和黨計劃本月引入一項六年期的交通法案，但改善措施不足而且晚了。美國的運輸基本設施幾乎等不及了。美國土木工程師協會2009年估計36%的美國主要城市高速公路是超負荷的，每年在浪費時間和燃料成本上花費782億美元。根據利益團體美國運輸團體，每九個公路橋就有一個是結構缺陷，在這點上，這些公路橋倒是和美國國會相同。
