With a population of 602,000, Luxembourg is one of Europe's smallest countries -- yet it suffers from major traffic jams.
卢森堡有60.2万人口，是欧洲最小的国家之一，但也面对严峻的交通堵塞。
But that could be about to change. As of March 1, 2020 all public transport -- trains, trams and buses -- in the country is now free.
但这样的一种状况或许行将改动。从2020年3月1日起，卢森堡一切公共交通——火车、电车和公共轿车——会免费运营。
The government hopes the move will alleviate heavy congestion and bring environmental benefits, according to Dany Frank, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Mobility and Public Works.
交通与公共工程部发言人丹尼·弗兰克表明，政府期望此举能缓解严峻的交通拥堵，并有益于环保。
国家虽小，拥堵严峻
Landlocked Luxembourg is one of the richest countries in Europe, with the highest per capita GDP in the European Union.
地处内陆的卢森堡是欧洲最殷实的国家之一，人均GDP居欧盟之首。
Taking up 2,586 square kilometers, Luxembourg is roughly the size of Rhode Island. From the capital of Luxembourg City, Belgium, France and Germany can all be reached by car in half an hour.
卢森堡占地2586平方公里，面积和美国罗德岛差不多大。卢森堡的首都卢森堡市间隔比利时、法国和德国车程都在半小时内。
High housing costs, especially in Luxembourg City, mean more than 180,000 of its workforce commute from those neighboring countries every day.
该国，尤其是卢森堡市，昂扬的住宅本钱意味着每天有超越18万职工从这些邦邻通勤上班。
"Luxembourg is a very attractive place for jobs," explains Geoffrey Caruso, a professor at the University of Luxembourg and the Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research specializing in land use and transportation.
卢森堡大学和卢森堡社会经济研讨所专门从事土地利用和交通研讨的教授杰弗里·卡鲁索解说说：“卢森堡是一个十分有吸引力的工作目的地。”
But its "booming economy" and high concentration of jobs have led to congestion issues, he says.
但他表明，卢森堡“蓬勃发展的经济”和工作的高度集中导致了交通拥堵问题。
In 2016, Luxembourg had 662 cars per 1,000 people, and driving is a "primary means of transportation" for commuters, according to a 2017 report by the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Infrastructure.
依据可持续发展和基础设施部2017年的一份陈述，2016年，卢森堡每1000人具有662辆轿车，驾驭是通勤者的“首要交通方法”。
That year, drivers in Luxembourg City spent an average of 33 hours in traffic jams. It fared worse than European cities Copenhagen and Helsinki, which have comparable population sizes to all of Luxembourg -- yet drivers in both only spent an average of 24 hours in traffic.
当年，卢森堡市的司机均匀在交通堵塞中花费33个小时。卢森堡市的拥堵状况比哥本哈根和赫尔辛基等欧洲城市更糟，这两个城市的人口规划相当于整个卢森堡，但司机堵在路上的时刻均匀仅为24小时。
免费公共交通
Luxembourg's public transport system covers the whole country and costs $562 million per year to run. Each year, it generates around $46 million in ticket sales, according to the ministry.
卢森堡的公共交通系统掩盖全国，每年的运营费用为5.62亿美元（约合公民币39.2亿美元）。据交通与公共工程部计算，每年的公共交通售票收入约为4600万美元。
The government is putting up the cost of making it free, Frank says. "The country at this very moment is in really good shape. We, the government, want the people to benefit from the good economy."
弗兰克说，政府会承当公共交通免费的本钱。“卢森堡现在经济运转杰出。政府期望公民从中获益。”
Caruso is concerned that making transport free may unintentionally deter people who would normally walk or cycle in urban areas. "Rather than walking 500 meters, you see a bus coming and you say, 'I (can) get on and travel 500 meters because it's free,'" he says.
卡鲁索忧虑，免费的公共交通或许会无意中让那些通常在城区步行或骑车的人抛弃之前的习气。他说：“平常走500米的路，现在看到一辆公交车开过来，你会说，‘这段路我能够搭公交，由于公交免费。’”
He adds, however, that the new scheme can signal important changes ahead when it comes to Luxembourg's reliance on driving.
但他弥补说，就卢森堡对驾驭的依靠而言，新方案或许预示着将来会呈现严重改变。
"(The government) might say, 'It's important that you ditch your car, and look, we made public transport free' -- and maybe this is helpful given the immense cultural shift we need."
“（政府）或许会说，‘弃车出行很重要，看，咱们让公共交通免费了’。考虑到咱们应该的巨大文明改变，这或许是有协助的。”
