小国家大表率：卢森堡将成为世界首个公交全免费的国家

在欧洲，有一个袖珍公国，国土面积仅2500多平方公里，它就是卢森堡。但就是这个小国，将成为世界上首个公共交通全免费的国家，明年夏天起，乘坐火车、电车和巴士统统免费。

Luxembourg is set to become the first country in the world to make all its public transport free.

卢森堡将成为世界首个公共交通全免费的国家。

Fares on trains, trams and buses will be lifted next summer under the plans of the re-elected coalition government led by Xavier Bettel, who was sworn in for a second term as prime minister on Wednesday.

再度当选的格扎维埃·贝泰尔领导下的联合政府推出计划，从明年夏天起，火车、电车和巴士的车费全免。贝泰尔5日刚宣誓就职首相，开始他的第二任期。

Bettel, whose Democratic party will form a government with the leftwing Socialist Workers’ party and the Greens, had vowed to prioritize the environment during the recent election campaign.

贝泰尔在竞选活动中曾经承诺，将把环境保护放在优先地位。贝泰尔所属的民主党将和左翼社会主义工人党、绿党一起组建联合政府。

On top of the transport pledge, the new government is also considering legalizing cannabis, and introducing two new public holidays.

除了交通免费的承诺外，新政府还考虑将大麻合法化，并增加两个公共节假日。

Luxembourg City, the capital of the small Grand Duchy, suffers from some of the worst traffic congestion in the world.

卢森堡大公国的首都卢森堡市是全世界交通最拥堵的国家之一。

It is home to about 110,000 people, but a further 400,000 commute into the city to work. A study suggested that drivers in the capital spent an average of 33 hours in traffic jams in 2016.

卢森堡市的人口约11万，但还有40万人每日通勤进城上班。研究显示，2016年卢森堡的司机浪费在交通堵塞上的时间平均为33个小时。

While the country as a whole has 600,000 inhabitants, nearly 200,000 people living in France, Belgium and Germany cross the border every day to work in Luxembourg.

尽管这个国家的居民总数为60万，但是每天有近20万居住在法国、比利时和德国的人跨境到卢森堡来上班。

Luxembourg has increasingly shown a progressive attitude to transport. This summer, the government brought in free transport for every child and young person under the age of 20. Secondary school students can use free shuttles between their institution and their home. Commuters need only pay €2 for up to two hours of travel, which in a country of just 999 sq miles (2,590 sq km) covers almost all journeys.

卢森堡对交通问题的态度与时俱进。今年夏天，政府出台政策，免除儿童和20岁以下青少年的公交费。中学生每天往返学校和家可以乘坐免费班车。通勤族乘坐公交两个小时只需支付2欧元（15.6元人民币），而对于一个领土面积只有999平方英里（2590平方公里）的国家来说，去国内的任何地方都可以在两个小时的车程内搞定。

Now, from the start of 2020 all tickets will be abolished, saving on the collection of fares and the policing of ticket purchases.

从2020年起，卢森堡所有的车票都将被废除，检票、售票监控手续也将免除。

The policy is yet to be fully thought through, however. A decision has yet to be taken on what to do about first- and second-class compartments on trains.

不过，该政策还需要经过充分的斟酌。关于火车一等座和二等座的车费问题还悬而未决。

Bettel only just scraped back into government in the recent election. Opinion polls before October’s poll had indicated that the Christian Social People’s party (CSV) – led for 19 years by the European commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker – would end Bettel’s five years as prime minister.

在最近的大选中，贝泰尔险些未能重新当选。10月大选投票前的民意调查显示，基督教社会人民党的领导人让-克洛德·容克可能会给贝泰尔五年的首相生涯画上句号。容克是欧盟委员会主席，领导基督教社会人民党已有19年。

The CSV, however, lost seats, while the Greens gained three seats. The result gave the coalition 31 seats in the 60-seat chamber.

然而，最终基督教社会人民党损失三个席位，而绿党增得三个席位。结果联合政府在议会全部60个席位中占据了31个席位。

The policy of the new government that has caused the most debate, however, has been that of legalizing the purchase, possession and consumption of cannabis for recreational use.

新政府的政策中引发最多争议的是将购买、持有和消费娱乐性质的大麻合法化。