Just before the Chinese New Year and with COVID remaining an ominous threat might not be the best time to launch hundreds of new services in a revamped nationwide railway timetable. But what’s done is done; nevertheless, some who can keep off the trains are in for a handsome reward.
就在农历新年之前，由于新冠疫情仍然是一个不祥的威胁，可能不是在修改后的全国铁路时刻表中推出数百项新服务的最佳时机。但事情已经过去了；尽管如此，一些能够避开火车的人还是会获得丰厚的回报。
Yesterday, 20 January, saw China’s latest nationwide train timetable come into operation. In all, some 325 new passenger services have been added to the system network, taking the country’s total to a whopping 10,203.
昨天，1月20日，中国最新的全国火车时刻表开始实施。总计约 325 条新客运服务已添加到系统网络中，使全国客运服务总数达到 10,203 条之多。
Many of the new trains are concentrated in the Yangtze River Delta area, comprising the municipality of Shanghai, together with the provinces of Jiangsu, Zhenjiang and Anhui. Two new lines in particular have recently opened, completing high-speed rail links between the cities of Lianyungang and Zhenjiang in Jiangsu, as well as between Yancheng and Nantong, also in our very own Jiangsu.
许多新列车集中在长江三角洲地区，包括上海市以及江苏、镇江和安徽省。特别是最近开通了两条新线路，完成了江苏省连云港市和镇江市以及江苏省盐城和南通市之间的高铁连接。
As a result, all 13 cities of Jiangsu now have direct high-speed rail links with the nation’s capital. Until now, travellers in the cities of Nantong, Yangzhou and Taizhou could only take slower, green trains to Beijing, with journey times of more than 10 hours, reported the Yangtze Evening News.
目前，江苏13个城市均已开通直达首都的高铁。据扬子晚报报道，目前，南通、扬州、泰州等城市的旅客只能乘坐速度较慢的绿色列车前往北京，行程时间超过10个小时。
On the new line, the G882 train now takes 5 hours and 22 minutes to make the journey from Taizhou Railway Station to Being South Railway Station.
新线路上，G882次列车从台州火车站至火车南站仅需5小时22分钟。
Across the Yangtze River Delta, there are now some 1,222 pairs of passenger trains in daily operation. Among them, Nanjing is now linked for the first time with Tongcheng in Anhui Province, while services from Nanjing to Huai’an and Lianyunggan in northern Jiangsu now only take as little as 1 hour, 38 minutes, and 2 hours, 25 minutes, respectively.
目前，长三角地区日均开行旅客列车1222对。其中，南京与安徽桐城首次实现通航，南京至苏北淮安、连云干的运行时间分别缩短为1小时38分钟和2小时25分钟。
Social Distancing on Trains During Chinese New Year? Impossible!
农历新年期间火车上的社交距离？不可能的！
While this publication is in no way condoning any form of long distance travel during the upcoming Spring festival, those who do may find the experience altogether more comfortable than in any other year, despite having to wear a face mask.
虽然本出版物绝不容忍在即将到来的春节期间进行任何形式的长途旅行，但那些这样做的人可能会发现这种体验比任何其他年份都更舒适，尽管必须戴上口罩。
This is the potential upshot of various measures presently being put in place in what may turn out to be a vain effort to persuade the Chinese populace not to return to their hometown, and to keep COVID at bay during this critical juncture.
这就是目前正在采取的各种措施的潜在结果，这些措施可能只是徒劳地劝说中国民众不要返回家乡，并在这个关键时刻阻止新冠病毒的蔓延。
Already, all passengers arriving by train in Nanjing are required to show both their health and travel codes at the ticket check upon exit. That’s keeping us in Nanjing safe. And to try to do likewise for the rest of the nation, some unusual incentives have been rolled out.
目前，所有乘火车抵达南京的乘客都必须在出站检票时出示健康码和旅行码。这保证了我们在南京的安全。为了尝试为全国其他地区做同样的事情，一些不寻常的激励措施已经推出。
One particular part of Nanjing’s Jiangbei New Area is even taking to financial incentives to try to get people to stay put. The subdistrict of Taishan has adopted an official measure that will reward a company with ¥500 per non-local employee if it is able to get them to remain in Nanjing for the holiday, reports Nanjing Daily. Whether some or all of that money filters down to the actual employee is another question, of course.
南京江北新区的一个特殊地区甚至正在采取财政激励措施，试图让人们留在原地。据《南京日报》报道，台山街道已采取官方措施，对于能够让外地员工留在南京过节的企业，将给予每名外地员工500元的奖励。当然，这些钱的部分或全部是否会流向实际员工则是另一个问题。
For those who do take to the trains, they will find additional services put on, and the numbers of people on trains rigorously capped, in an attempt at social distancing. The message is clear; please stay home this year.
对于那些乘坐火车的人来说，他们会发现提供了额外的服务，并且火车上的人数受到严格限制，以试图保持社交距离。信息很明确；今年请留在家里。
But will it all be enough? With many Chinese people robbed of their new year traditions last year, isn’t this all a bit like asking a salmon not to return to its spawning grounds?
但这一切就足够了吗？去年很多中国人的新年传统被剥夺了，这不是有点像要求鲑鱼不要回到产卵地吗？
