英闻天下——595 Official: Strict Road Rules to Promote Driving Etiquette
英语课
Chinese drivers are facing harsher penalties after a revised regulation came into effect on Tuesday, with many motorists being caught out.
According to the Ministry 1 of Public Security, many cities reported a sharp decrease in urban traffic violations 2 on the first day the new regulation took effect.
Under the revision, ignoring traffic lights will result in six penalty points, double the previous punishment. The penalty for improper 3 license 4 plate display is now 12 points.
If a driver receives 12 points in a year, he or she is required to attend a training session and take a written exam before getting back behind the wheel.
Moreover, 52 kinds of violations can result in penalties, up from 38 under the previous regulation.
The new rules have been dubbed 5 "the strictest traffic regulations ever" on the Internet.
This truck driver in Beijing reckons the new traffic light rule is too strict for him:
"As a professional driver, I have to drive all the year round and many violations of rules are unavoidable. The heavy penalty makes it easy to strip off my 12 points. Sometimes I have good reasons for running red lights. Instead of heavier penalties, I think education is a better solution."
Cui Jian, a traffic official from the Ministry of Public Security, says strictly 6 enforcing the rule will help make Chinese driving more "civilized 7."
"China is at the early stages of the automobile 8 age, and most drivers do not have enough psychological preparation to drive safely. Strict law enforcement is an important step towards building a safer driving environment."
Traffic accidents on Tuesday in five major cities, including Beijing and Tianjin, decreased by 9.3 to 29.8 percent from the previous day.
Meanwhile, in a poll on Sina.com, 67-percent of more than 1-thousand participants supported the revised traffic rules.
1 ministry
n.(政府的)部；牧师
- 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。
2 violations
违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸
- This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
- These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。
3 improper
adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的
- Short trousers are improper at a dance.舞会上穿短裤不成体统。
- Laughing and joking are improper at a funeral.葬礼时大笑和开玩笑是不合适的。
4 license
n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许
- The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
- The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。
5 dubbed
v.给…起绰号( dub的过去式和过去分词 )；把…称为；配音；复制
- Mathematics was once dubbed the handmaiden of the sciences. 数学曾一度被视为各门科学的基础。
- Is the movie dubbed or does it have subtitles? 这部电影是配音的还是打字幕的？ 来自《简明英汉词典》
6 strictly
adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地
- His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
- The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。
7 civilized
a.有教养的，文雅的
- Racism is abhorrent to a civilized society. 文明社会憎恶种族主义。
- rising crime in our so-called civilized societies 在我们所谓文明社会中日益增多的犯罪行为
8 automobile
n.汽车，机动车
- 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。