• 2018.09.24
    星期一

Road to 5**﹕Traffic congestion on National Day

[2018.09.24] 發表
Source: a cartoon by 尊子 published in Ming Pao on 2017.10.03

【明報專訊】◆Source A

Comrades, there would be no new China without the Communist Party, and there would be no traffic congestion as severe as that without new China! There would be no "Road and Cars initiative" without the congestion…

◆Source B

There is a simple reason for the severe congestion on National Day: there were too many cars. There are more than 10 million registered cars in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Foshan, and Dongguan altogether. Despite the purchase restrictions, 80,000 new cars are registered every month in these four cities. Cars in such large numbers are ticking bombs. When triggered by outside circumstances, they cause uncontrollable severe congestion.

-an abridged translation of an article written by Cheung Chi-kong and published in Ming Pao on 2017.10.12

◆Interpretation of the cartoon

1. Topic sentence:

The cartoon depicts the severe traffic congestion at Guangshen Expressway during the ''Golden Week Holiday'' in 2017. The cartoonist satirises the situation by linking the problem of traffic congestion to the central government's governance and policies.

2. Description of the cartoon:

The cartoon shows a road filled with cars unable to move. The background is black, implying that the congestion lasts all day.

3. Interpretation of the cartoon:

The words "there would be no new China without the Communist Party, and there would be no traffic congestion as severe as such without new China!" convey the cartoonist's view that the Chinese government is to blame for issues such as traffic congestion. He thinks that the central government fails to pay attention to domestic issues and planning, and the people's daily lives suffer as a result.

■Question and answering guidelines

How is the traffic congestion at Guangshen Expressway during the National Day holiday related to China's development?

.Too much emphasis on diplomacy at the expense of the handling of domestic issues

The Communist Party of China(CPC) has been determined to build foreign relations to enhance its global influence and explore new markets. The Belt and Road Initiative is, for example, intended to open up new markets overseas and establish China's leadership abroad. The CPC might have overlooked domestic issues (such as transportation infrastructure), resulting in traffic congestion during holidays such as the National Day.

.Failure of infrastructure to catch up with development

The income and living standards of people in China have improved. However, its infrastructure has failed to catch up with development, which has resulted in many problems. For example, the number of car owners has continued to increase in recent years, but the country's road network is unable to cope with the growth.

.Close ties between Hong Kong and mainland causing strain on roads

An important aspect of ''reform and opening up'' and the development of China is the connection between the mainland and Hong Kong. In recent years, the ''Individual Visit Scheme'' has made it easy for mainlanders to visit Hong Kong. Hong Kong people also go to the mainland frequently. The frequent interactions between people in the two regions are causing an extra strain on the roads, resulting in traffic congestion during holidays such as the ''Golden Week''.

Text: 唐金輝, liberal studies teacher at ST. Joan of Arc Secondary School

Translation: Terence Yip

[通通識 第531期]

更多教育
時事你點睇﹕發達國家拒收難民是對是錯?
【明報專訊】事件背景 聯合國難民署2018年6月發表的《全球趨勢報告》指出,截至2017年底,全球有6850萬人被迫流離失所,因逃避衝... 詳情
焦點新聞﹕一周焦點通識新聞
【明報專訊】■9月11日(全、衛) 印度爆發疑似恙蟲病 尼泊爾早前3名少年疑感染恙蟲病(scrub typhus,又稱叢林斑疹傷... 詳情
新鈔票面世
【明報專訊】我最喜歡可以自己設計鈔票,還有自己的樣子呢!為什麼香港要換新鈔票?舊的不可用嗎? 你們知道原因嗎? ——溫匡悠 ... 詳情
尋找STEAM蹤[:直幅設計 頂尖防偽
【明報專訊】還有數個月,就有新鈔票出現了!配合新鈔票推出,金管局資訊中心的「貨幣」展區於8月完成翻新工程,當中有新鈔票的資訊,還有相關有趣知... 詳情
【明報專訊】1. F 2. A、B、E 3. 100萬 4. B [常識學堂 第124期] 詳情

明報網站 · 版權所有 · 不得轉載
Copyright © 2016 mingpaocanada.com All rights reserved.
Ming Pao Daily News A wholly owned subsidiary of Ming Pao Enterprise Corporation Ltd.
Vancouver Chinese Newspaper

5368 Parkwood Place, Richmond B.C. V6V 2N1 | Tel.: (604) 231-8998 | Fax: (604) 231-9881/9884 | Advertising Hotline Tel.: (604) 231-8992