VOA标准英语2008年-Rising Fuel Prices Cause Global Change in Trans

People around the world are feeling the effects of the rising oil prices. More expensive fuel means changes in transportation habits, as well as hard times in places where the cost of basic goods is also rising. It also means an uncertain future for transportation-related industries. In this report, VOA's Kent Klein examines how the higher cost of transportation is affecting the way we live and work, and our quality of life. (Part 1 of 5)
　
Assan Faye also commutes¹ by bus in Dakar, Senegal (19 May 2008)

Families and workers in the West African country of Senegal are struggling to find ways to make ends meet. It is a familiar and painful situation felt throughout the world. Transportation and food costs are rising. Salaries are not.

People in Senegal use buses to go to work, school, market, mosque² or family gatherings³. But the price of a trip has recently gone from 25 to 40 cents. That is a huge increase for people with salaries of about one dollar a day.

Mohammed Pape takes four bus trips a day, between different jobs and his home in a poor suburb. He says he has no choice but to pay for the costly⁴ bus trips. He says salaries are not moving at all.
　
Mohammed Pape

Worldwide, the rising cost of fuel is forcing many people to find new ways to get from one place to another. In developing nations, some people are giving up public transportation and walking to work. In richer, industrial countries, expensive gasoline has led many people to leave their cars behind and take mass transit⁵. Public transport ridership in America's big cities is up five to 15 percent over last year.

Higher fuel prices are driving up the costs of many other goods and services, including food. Soaring food prices have led to riots in 30 countries in recent months, leading to concerns about political stability.

Mauricio Lopez drives a taxi in Miami, Florida. He came to the United States from Colombia. He says the price of fuel is threatening his livelihood⁶. "This year we have really been pinched by gasoline prices because basically all of our income goes to buy gas," he said. "We recently raised our fares to help offset⁷ fuel costs, but that has just driven away some customers."

Spiraling oil prices are also having a profound effect on airlines, especially in the United States. American Airlines and Delta⁸ Airlines have each lost more than $1 billion so far this year. Industry spokesman Jim May expects more trouble. "We are deeply, deeply concerned about the future of this industry, given the impact that high oil prices are having on every walk of life," says May.

Airline expert Rick Seaney says fare increases will hurt business. "At some point, with the continued price increases, the prices will be going up to the point where people will just not fly any more," said Seaney.

Industry analyst⁹ David Field says some airlines may not survive. "We are going to see, probably, another airline bankruptcy¹⁰ or two," he predicted.

Expensive fuel also means big changes for automobile¹² makers¹³. America's two largest car companies, General Motors and Ford¹⁴, have posted huge losses from slumping¹⁵ U.S. sales.

GM chairman Rick Wagoner says his company, like Ford, will close some factories where its least fuel-efficient vehicles are made. "We cannot sit back and wait for U.S. conditions to improve," said Wagoner. "We need to be proactive and even take some very tough actions to ensure our survival and success."

Terry Schachstschneider will lose his job when GM closes the truck plant where he works.
"Well, they have three plants making these big things, the gas mileage¹⁶ is terrible on them," said Schachstschneider. "So you know, you probably only need one plant."

The auto¹¹ industry is shifting its focus to smaller, more fuel-efficient cars, and developing vehicles that run on other sources of energy, like hydrogen, electricity and biofuels.

Meanwhile, some people are looking for alternatives to motorized transport. In Los Angeles, Ramona Marks avoids the crowded freeways and rides her bicycle to work. "I'm hopeful for the city and for the people who live here," she said. "Some people are making a change for the better."

In Washington, Chuck Wilsker leads an organization of people who work at home, via the telephone and computer. "I have never had more calls, I have never seen more buzz, there has not been more press than once gasoline hit [abut one dollar a liter]," he said.

It is clear that such a wide-ranging problem will require a broad variety of solutions

1 commutes   

上下班路程( commute的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She commutes from Oxford to London every day. 她每天上下班往返于牛津与伦敦之间。
• Barbara lives in Oxford and commutes. 芭芭拉住在牛津，通勤往来。

2 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

3 gatherings   

聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集

参考例句：

• His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
• During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。

4 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

5 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。

6 livelihood   

n.生计，谋生之道

参考例句：

• Appropriate arrangements will be made for their work and livelihood.他们的工作和生活会得到妥善安排。
• My father gained a bare livelihood of family by his own hands.父亲靠自己的双手勉强维持家计。

7 offset   

n.分支，补偿；v.抵消，补偿

参考例句：

• Their wage increases would be offset by higher prices.他们增加的工资会被物价上涨所抵消。
• He put up his prices to offset the increased cost of materials.他提高了售价以补偿材料成本的增加。

8 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

9 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

10 bankruptcy   

n.破产；无偿付能力

参考例句：

• You will have to pull in if you want to escape bankruptcy.如果你想避免破产，就必须节省开支。
• His firm is just on thin ice of bankruptcy.他的商号正面临破产的危险。

11 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。

12 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

13 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

15 slumping   

大幅度下降，暴跌( slump的现在分词 )； 沉重或突然地落下[倒下]

参考例句：

• Hong Kong's slumping economy also caused a rise in bankruptcy applications. 香港经济低迷，破产申请个案随之上升。
• And as with slumping, over-arching can also be a simple postural habit. 就像弯腰驼背，过度挺直也可能只是一种习惯性姿势。

16 mileage   

n.里程，英里数；好处，利润

参考例句：

• He doesn't think there's any mileage in that type of advertising.他认为做那种广告毫无效益。
• What mileage has your car done?你的汽车跑了多少英里？