The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China's top economic planning authority and pricing watchdog, has announced that train ticket prices for the upcoming peak Spring Festival season in 2008 will remain unchanged.
This is the second straight year that the government has ruled out any rise in ticket prices during the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday period, one of the busiest transport seasons apart from the "golden weeks" of May and October.
In the face of rising prices, NDRC will join forces with the Ministry of Railways and Ministry of Communications to work out measures for easing the pressure of fuel consumption for commuters, an NDRC official said at a press briefing Wednesday.
Local governments are required to alleviate the cost burden of transport operators by adjusting local guide prices or using subsidies from central and local budgets.
The NDRC put an end to tradition train ticket prices hike during the Spring Festival for the first time in 2007.
The Ministry of Railways initiated the rise in 2003 with the excuse of easing surging pressure on the railway system during the Spring Festival holidays. But it was later widely blamed for collecting unreasonable profits as the move increased people's expenses yet failed to improve their services amid the surge of number of passengers.
1.NDRC(National Development and Reform Commission)：国家发展和改革委员会（）
2.straight连续的eight straight days of rain一连下了八天雨
3.rule out v划去, 排除, 取消
4.Chinese Lunar New Year 农历新年
5.golden week黄金周
6.Ministry of Communications交通部
7.hike n.提高, 增加a hike in living expenses 生活费用高涨
8.“press briefing”指的是“新闻发布会”。Briefing在此指“基本情况介绍会”，如：to give reporters a briefing on the crisis（向记者介绍危机的基本情况）。提到“press briefing”（新闻发布会），不免想到“press conference”（记者招待会）。目前，国内在两者称呼上有些混用，这里稍作区别:新闻发布会”（press briefing）指发布新闻的活动，一般由发言人先发布新闻，再回答记者提问.而“记者招待会”（press conference）往往不先发布新闻，而是立足于回答记者提问，比较正规、隆重、规格较高。