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

From VOA Learning English, this is the Technology Report.

这里是美国之音慢速英语科技报道。

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国家，也是最现代和技术最先进的国家之一。它拥有非洲最好的铁路、公路和通讯系统。然而超过三分之二的南非人从未用过互联网。

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

南非网络协会今日报告称，只有34%的南非人使用互联网，大概是1200万人。

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.

该国四分之三的互联网用户居住在城市，其中多数人使用手机上网。其余人则在网吧、学校或单位上网。

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就职于南非网络协会。他表示，南非人很少使用互联网有很多原因，费用是其中之一。

"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."

他说，“我们上网的费用的确很贵，费用是一大限制条件。它完全阻止了一些人上网，另外也阻止了人们经常性上网。所以除非我们能够做得更好，否则仅三分之一用户上网很快将成为我国的一大不足。”

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.

南非农村地区互联网接入率不高，以及互联网手机价格贵造成了穷人上不了网。许多农村地区的学校和工作场所都没有互联网连接，这也是南非大多数人生活的区域。

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

同时该国很多地方没有网吧。山姆·吉娜(Sam Gina)住在约翰内斯堡，他从未上过网。

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

他说，“我在家上不了网。笔记本电脑对我来说太贵了。我现在用的手机也没有互联网功能。”

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是喀麦隆人，他在约翰内斯堡开了家网吧。他说，网吧价格对多数南非人来说都太贵了。

"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."

他说，“我们这每小时收费5兰特(南非货币单位)，3小时收费10兰特，半小时收费3兰特，15分钟收费2兰特。这价格有点贵。”

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.

那为什么在非洲最富裕的南非上网这么贵呢?原因之一是南非带宽不足满足不了其需求。这些私营服务商增加该国的带宽，他们让用户承担这些费用。”

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，南非网络协会的de Lanerolle先生说，该国的互联网接入率正在改善。他说，来自该国中产阶级的新一代互联网用户正迅速进入这片富人的预留地。”

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.

他的观点得到了印证，有报道显示，南非的互联网使用量和接入在过去5年提高了100%以上。