VOA标准英语2009年-Mekong River Raises Cost of Trans-Asia Rai
时间：2019-01-14 作者：英语课 分类：VOA标准英语2009年(八月)
Plans to finally finish the massive Trans-Asia Railway have hit cost hurdles 1 in Cambodia. The initial findings in a Chinese feasibility study shows the need to build several bridges in the Mekong River Delta 2 will raise the final cost of linking Phnom Penh with the Vietnamese border by rail. New estimates put the cost at $600 million for the Phnom Penh to Vietnam leg.
A preliminary technical study report says that two big bridges - a thousand meter span over the Mekong River and 1,500 meter bridge over the Tonle Sap - will be the big ticket items. The Chinese-funded study, which will be published soon, estimates they will have a combined price tag of $262 million.
More than $100 million will also be spent on smaller bridges to enable safe passage across the Mekong Delta.
Cambodia has divided its railway system in two. The China Railway Group will build an entirely 3 new 255 kilometer line in the east while Australia's Toll 4 Holdings will take control and reconstruct old French-built lines in the west.
Derek Mayes is a board member of the Australian Business Association of Cambodia. He says the economic benefits will be enormous for the Southeast Asian economy, with rail offering a cheaper and safer alternative to road.
"I think it will be very large, it certainly will increase traffic on the rails because road transport as we know is very expensive and considerably 5 dangerous, considering the safety aspects on the roads here," Mayes said.
The problem, though, is the initial costs. Touch Chankosal is Cambodia's undersecretary of state for the Ministry 6 of Public Works and Transport. He says that the $600 million needed to connect Phnom Penh to Vietnam represents a huge sum for the Cambodians. The government probably will have to seek additional capital from outside the country, possibly the Asian Development Bank, if it is to be completed.
The Trans-Asian Railway project intends to use existing and new rail lines to connect all of Asia to Central Asia, South Asia and Western Europe. In all, tracks will link 28 countries, although only less than half that number has ratified 7 the agreement with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.
In Southeast Asia, the line will connect Singapore to Turkey, with tracks running through Burma, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam.
- In starting a new company, many hurdles must be crossed. 刚开办一个公司时，必须克服许多障碍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- There are several hurdles to be got over in this project. 在这项工程中有一些困难要克服。 来自辞典例句
- 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。
- The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
- His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。
- The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
- The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。
- The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。
- The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。
- They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
- We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。