VOA慢速英語:Despite Advances, South Africa Still Lags in Internet Usage

From VOA Learning English, this is the Technology Report.

這里是美國之音慢速英語科技報道。

South Africa is the richest countries in Africa, it is also one of the most modern and technologically advanced. It has some of the best rail, road and communication systems in Africa. Yet more than two-thirds of South African adults have never used the Internet.

南非是非洲最富裕的國家，也是最現(xiàn)代和技術(shù)最先進的國家之一。它擁有非洲最好的鐵路、公路和通訊系統(tǒng)。然而超過三分之二的南非人從未用過互聯(lián)網(wǎng)。

The South African Network Society recently reported that only 34% of South African adults use the Internet. That is about 12 million people.

南非網(wǎng)絡(luò)協(xié)會今日報告稱，只有34%的南非人使用互聯(lián)網(wǎng)，大概是1200萬人。

Three-quarters of the country's Internet users live in cities. Most of them use cell phones to get on the Internet. The rest go to Internet cafes or use the Internet at school or work.

該國四分之三的互聯(lián)網(wǎng)用戶居住在城市，其中多數(shù)人使用手機上網(wǎng)。其余人則在網(wǎng)吧、學(xué)校或單位上網(wǎng)。

Indra de Lanerolle is with the South African Network Society. He says there are many reasons why so few South Africans use the Internet. Cost is one of them.

Indra de Lanerolle就職于南非網(wǎng)絡(luò)協(xié)會。他表示，南非人很少使用互聯(lián)網(wǎng)有很多原因，費用是其中之一。

"We do have expensive costs and cost is a big limitation to Internet use. It stops some people (from) using the Internet at all, and the other thing it does it stops people (from) using it very much. So unless we can do much better than 1 in 3 connected, increasingly that's going to be a real disadvantage for the country."

他說，“我們上網(wǎng)的費用的確很貴，費用是一大限制條件。它完全阻止了一些人上網(wǎng)，另外也阻止了人們經(jīng)常性上網(wǎng)。所以除非我們能夠做得更好，否則僅三分之一用戶上網(wǎng)很快將成為我國的一大不足。”

Poor Internet connectivity in rural South Africa and the high prices of Internet-ready mobile phones have also kept the poor disconnected. Most schools and work places in rural South Africa, where the majority of country's people live, have no Internet connection.

南非農(nóng)村地區(qū)互聯(lián)網(wǎng)接入率不高，以及互聯(lián)網(wǎng)手機價格貴造成了窮人上不了網(wǎng)。許多農(nóng)村地區(qū)的學(xué)校和工作場所都沒有互聯(lián)網(wǎng)連接，這也是南非大多數(shù)人生活的區(qū)域。

And many areas of the country do not have Internet cafes. Sam Gina lives in Johannesburg, he has never been on the Internet.

同時該國很多地方?jīng)]有網(wǎng)吧。山姆·吉娜(Sam Gina)住在約翰內(nèi)斯堡，他從未上過網(wǎng)。

"At home I don't have it. Laptop is too expensive for me. Now I am using a phone that doesn't have Internet."

他說，“我在家上不了網(wǎng)。筆記本電腦對我來說太貴了。我現(xiàn)在用的手機也沒有互聯(lián)網(wǎng)功能。”

Wilson Ayong is a Cameroonian citizen who operates an Internet cafe in Johannesburg. He says the prices at Internet cafes are too high for many south Africans.

Wilson Ayong是喀麥隆人，他在約翰內(nèi)斯堡開了家網(wǎng)吧。他說，網(wǎng)吧價格對多數(shù)南非人來說都太貴了。

"An hour here we take for five Rand. We give three hours for 10 Rand, we give 30 minutes for three Rand, 15 minutes for two Rand. It's a bit expensive."

他說，“我們這每小時收費5蘭特(南非貨幣單位)，3小時收費10蘭特，半小時收費3蘭特，15分鐘收費2蘭特。這價格有點貴。”

So why it is so expensive to get on the Internet in Africa's richest country. One reason is South Africa has too little bandwidth for its needs. And these private providers increase the country's bandwidth, they are making users pay the cost to do so.

那為什么在非洲最富裕的南非上網(wǎng)這么貴呢?原因之一是南非帶寬不足滿足不了其需求。這些私營服務(wù)商增加該國的帶寬，他們讓用戶承擔(dān)這些費用。”

Even so the South African Network Society's Mr. de Lanerolle says Internet access in the country is improving. He says a new generation of Internet users from the country's middle class is quickly entering an area once reserved for the rich.

即使如此，南非網(wǎng)絡(luò)協(xié)會的de Lanerolle先生說，該國的互聯(lián)網(wǎng)接入率正在改善。他說，來自該國中產(chǎn)階級的新一代互聯(lián)網(wǎng)用戶正迅速進入這片富人的預(yù)留地。”

His believe is supported by reports that show Internet usage and access in South Africa has increased by more than 100% in the last five years.

他的觀點得到了印證，有報道顯示，南非的互聯(lián)網(wǎng)使用量和接入在過去5年提高了100%以上。