The Real-name Train Ticket Purchase System Launched

火车票购买实名制实施

With the largest population in the world and an underdeveloped railway system，China is notorious for making train tickets particularly hard to purchase for ordinary citizens, especially during the Spring Festival when the railway is the primary means of transportation. As a result， ticket scalpers have proliferated, monopolizing a large quantity of tickets by either hiring people to buy tickets or conspiring with the ticket sellers within the railway stations.

中国拥有世界上最多的人口，但铁路系统却欠发达，中国多年来在让普通民众极难顺利的买到车票上一直是臭名昭著； 尤其是在春节期间，火车作为人们主要的交通手段，一票难求。这样一来，票贩子们层出不穷，垄断了很大一部分票源。其做法有二：一是雇人购票，二是与火车站内的售票员狼狈为奸。

As the entire nation’s outrage over ticket scarcity keeps mounting， the Chinese government has introduced the drastic measure that citizens purchase train tickets with valid personal IDs. The system is designed primarily to crack down on ticket scalpers whose business has developed into a major industry. By allowing each individual to buy only one ticket， the system seeks to make tickets accessible to people in real need， rather than controlled by a small number of profit-seeking and illegal scalpers.

　随着全体国民对购票难的愤慨之情日趋高涨，中国政府已引入了一项重大的举措，即公民凭有效个人身份证件购票。该制度主要旨在打击倒卖车票的黄牛党，其贩票生意几已形成一个庞大的产业。由于每个人只允许购买一张车票，购票实名制似乎能使车票到达真正有需求的人的手中，而不是被控制在一小撮违法乱纪、唯利是图的黄牛党手中。

However， this reformatory measure， while somewhat easing ticket scarcity， creates new problems. Buyers find the whole buying process troublesome and time-consuming. When boarding the train， the passenger who forgets to bring his valid ID certificate will be denied access to the train. I believe the introduction of each new system is coupled with shortcomings and there must be ways to improve the system as it is enforced. Of course， we look forward to the day when China’s railway networks are so sufficiently developed that tickets are readily available to anyone at any time.

然而，这一改革性举措，对票源紧缺虽有所缓解，也带来了一些新问题。购票者们发现，整个购票过程甚为繁琐，十分耗时。此外，持票登车时，忘带有效身份证件的旅客将被禁止上车。我相信，每个新体制的引入，都会伴随着这样或那样的弊端。随着这一体制的不断实施，必将有方法来完善这一体制。当然，我们期盼着有朝一日，中国的铁路网变得如此之发达，以至于火车票对于任何人，在任何时候，都能得来不费吹灰之力。