2021年考研英语一阅读 Text 1 原文翻译及答案解析

How can the train operators possibly justify yet another increase to rail passenger fares? It has become a grimly reliable annual ritual every January the cost of travelling by train rises, imposing a significant extra burden on those who have no option but to use the rail network to get to work or otherwise.This year's rise,an average of 2.7 per cent, may be a fraction lower than last year's, but it is sill well above the official Consumer Price Index (CPI) measure of inflation. Successive governments have permitted such increases on the grounds that the cost of investing in and running the rail network should be borne by those who use it, rather than the general taxpayer. Why, the argument goes,should a car-driving pensioner from Lincolnshire have to subsidise the daily commute of a stockbroker from Surrey? Equally, there is asense that the travails of commuters in the South East, many of whom will face among the biggest rises,have received too much attention compared to those who must endure the relatively poor infrastructure of the Midlands and the North. However, over the past 12 months, those commuters have also experienced some of the worst rail strikes in years. It is all very well train operators trumpeting the improvements they are making to the network,but passengers should be able to expect a basic level of service for the substantial sums they are now paying to travel. The responsibility for the latest wave of strikes rests on the unions. However, there is a strong case that those who have been worst affected by industrial action should receive compensation for the disruption they have suffered. The Government has pledged to change the law to introduce a minimum service requirement so that,even when strikes occur, services can continue to operate.This should form part of a wider package of measures to address the long-ruming problems on Britain's railways.Yes,more investment is needed,but passengers will ot be willing to pay more indefinitely if they must also endure cramped,unreliable services, punctuated by regular chaos when tinetables are changed, or planned maintenance is managed incompetently.The threat of nationalisation may have been sen of for now, but it will retum with a vengeance if the justified anger of pssengers is notadresed in short order.

铁路运营商如何可能为铁路客运票价的再次上涨辩护？每年一月，乘坐火车的成本都会上涨，这已成为一个残酷而可靠的年度惯例，给那些别无选择只能使用铁路网络上班或出行的人带来沉重的额外负担。今年的涨幅平均为2.7%，可能比去年略低，但仍远高于官方消费者价格指数(CPI)的通胀率。历届政府一直允许这种涨价，理由是投资和运营铁路网络的成本应由使用者承担，而非一般纳税人。论证称，为什么一位来自林肯郡、驾驶汽车的退休老人要补贴来自萨里郡的股票经纪人的日常通勤？同样，有一种感觉是，东南部通勤者的困境——其中许多人将面临最大的涨幅——与那些必须忍受中部和北部相对薄弱基础设施的人相比，受到了过多关注。然而，在过去12个月里，这些通勤者也经历了多年来最严重的铁路罢工。铁路运营商吹嘘他们对网络进行的改进固然好，但乘客支付了大量旅行费用，应该能够期待基本的服务水平。最新一波罢工的责任在于工会。然而，有充分理由认为，那些受工业行动影响最严重的人应该因所遭受的中断而获得补偿。政府已承诺修改法律，引入最低服务要求，以便即使发生罢工，服务也能继续运行。这应成为解决英国铁路长期运行问题的更广泛措施的一部分。是的，需要更多投资，但如果乘客还必须忍受拥挤、不可靠的服务，以及列车时刻表变更或计划维修管理不善时经常出现的混乱，他们将不愿无限期地支付更多费用。国有化的威胁可能暂时被挡开，但如果乘客的正当愤怒不尽快得到解决，它将猛烈回归。