2007年VOA标准英语-US Lawmakers Looking for Ways to Improve Bridge

By Mil Arcega
Washington
11 September 2007
 

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Vehicles are scattered along the broken remains of the Interstate 35W bridge, 01 Aug 2007

A new U.S. Transportation Department report shows that more than 12 percent of the nation's bridges are structurally³ deficient⁴.  The findings have prompted some lawmakers to demand increased funding from the federal government to repair the bridges. But government officials say there are other ways to improve the nation's aging transportation infrastructure⁵. VOA's Mil Arcega reports.

The deadly collapse⁶ of a major highway bridge in the midwestern U.S. state of Minnesota last month has focused attention on the nation's 600,000 bridges.  A Department of Transportation (D.O.T.) report shows that more than 70,000 bridges are structurally deficient. 

Democratic Congressman⁷ James Oberstar of Minnesota wants to hike gasoline taxes by 4.5 percent to ensure the safety of all U.S. bridges. "Addressing the needs of bridges is critical to public safety, regional mobility⁸, to national mobility to economic competitiveness.  It demands a national response."

Mary Peters, Secretary, Department of Transportation

But Transportation Secretary Mary Peters says more money is not the answer.  Federal dollars for maintaining the nations transportation infrastructure has doubled since 1991. "Increasing federal taxes and spending would do little, if anything, to address either the quality or the performance of our roads.  Instead we need a more basic change in how we analyze⁹ spending options and manage existing resources more efficiently¹⁰."

Peters says part of the problem is increased traffic congestion¹¹ that keeps many of the nation's bridges operating at full capacity.  Peters cited a D.O.T. survey which reports that half of the motorists during peak traffic times are not commuting¹² to work.

The suggestion prompted a heated exchange with Democratic Congressman Peter DeFazio: "OK," began the congressman, "so the bottom line is you think we don't need more federal investment, we need congestion pricing.  We force people off the road and we need more private, public partnerships¹³.  That's your alternate financing that you've talked about?

Peters: "I wouldn't say it exactly like you did."

Defazio: "Would you agree that there's any need for more federal investment, just a smidgen [small amount]?"

Peters: "Sir, there may well be, but, first, our first obligation to the American taxpayer¹⁴ is to spend the dollars we have at the highest priority level."

Thirteen people died in the bridge collapse in Minnesota. The bridge had been rated as structurally deficient since 1990. Secretary Peters denies there is a safety crisis.  She says the number of structurally deficient bridges has declined seven percent since 1994.

1 scattered   

adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的

参考例句：

• Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

2 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

3 structurally   

在结构上

参考例句：

• The house roof was (structurally) unsound. 这屋顶（结构）不牢固。
• Pinhole on shot-hole damage is never structurally significant. 针孔和蛀洞所造成的危害对结构的影响不大。

4 deficient   

adj.不足的，不充份的，有缺陷的

参考例句：

• The crops are suffering from deficient rain.庄稼因雨量不足而遭受损害。
• I always have been deficient in selfconfidence and decision.我向来缺乏自信和果断。

5 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。

6 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

7 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

8 mobility   

n.可动性，变动性，情感不定

参考例句：

• The difference in regional house prices acts as an obstacle to mobility of labour.不同地区房价的差异阻碍了劳动力的流动。
• Mobility is very important in guerrilla warfare.机动性在游击战中至关重要。

9 analyze   

vt.分析，解析 (=analyse)

参考例句：

• We should analyze the cause and effect of this event.我们应该分析这场事变的因果。
• The teacher tried to analyze the cause of our failure.老师设法分析我们失败的原因。

10 efficiently   

adv.高效率地，有能力地

参考例句：

• The worker oils the machine to operate it more efficiently.工人给机器上油以使机器运转更有效。
• Local authorities have to learn to allocate resources efficiently.地方政府必须学会有效地分配资源。

11 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。

12 commuting   

交换（的）

参考例句：

• I used the commuting time to read and answer my mail. 我利用上下班在汽车中的时间来阅读和答复给我的函电。
• Noncommuting objects are as real to the mathematicians as commuting objects. 对于数学家来说，不可交换的对象与可交换的对象是一样真实的。

13 partnerships   

n.伙伴关系( partnership的名词复数 )；合伙人身份；合作关系

参考例句：

• Partnerships suffer another major disadvantage: decision-making is shared. 合伙企业的另一主要缺点是决定要由大家来作。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• It involved selling off limited partnerships. 它涉及到售出有限的合伙权。 来自辞典例句

14 taxpayer   

n.纳税人

参考例句：

• The new scheme will run off with a lot of the taxpayer's money.这项新计划将用去纳税人许多钱。
• The taxpayer are unfavourably disposed towards the recent tax increase.纳税者对最近的增加税收十分反感。