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India’s last village goes electric, but millions still see dim returns
印度最后一个村庄也通上了电，但仍有数百万人看到黑暗归来
EVERY VILLAGE IN INDIA NOW HAS ACCESS to electricity, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on April 29,
4月29日，纳伦德拉·莫迪总理宣布，印度的每个村庄现都已通上了电，
one day after a remote village in Manipur, northeast India, was added to the national grid.
就在一天前，印度东北部曼尼普尔的一个偏远村庄也接入了国家电网。
It was a symbolic victory for Modi,
这对莫迪来说堪称一次象征性的胜利，
who promised in August 2015 to electrify every Indian village within 1,000 days.
因为他曾在2015年8月承诺，要在1000天内让印度的每个村庄都通上电。
He described April 28 as a “historic day in the development journey of India”—
他说，4月28日是“印度发展进程中历史性的一天”——
but more work is needed to bring the country fully into the electric age.
然而，要使这个国家完全进入电力时代，还有很多工作要做。
(First of all)CHARGING AHEAD
(首先)向前冲
Modi was elected in 2014 on the back of pledges to modernize rural areas and improve living standards.
莫迪承诺实现农村地区的现代化，提高人们的生活水平，2014年他就是这样当选的。
At that time, roughly 270 million people in India lacked electricity—
当时，印度大约有2.7亿人用不上电——
accounting for just under a third of the global access deficit.
几乎占到了世界无电人口的三分之一。
The gap hindered economic growth, education and health care.
这一差距阻碍了经济增长、教育和医疗保健等多方面的发展。
But while Modi has hit his target,
然而，尽管莫迪的目标已经达成，
the government only requires 10% of a village’s houses and public places to be electrified to count.
但政府在统计的时候，只要求一个村庄有10%的房屋和公共场所通电就可以纳为已通电村庄。
By that standard, nearly 97% of India’s roughly 600,000 villages already met the criteria in 2014.
按照这个标准，2014年的时候，印度近60万个村庄就已经有近97%的村庄达标了。
(And then)IN THE DARK
(其次)茫茫黑夜
Millions of Indians, particularly in remote villages, still rely on dangerous kerosene lamps.
数以百万计的印度人，特别是偏远村庄的村民，现在依然要靠危险的煤油灯照明。
Just six of India’s 29 states, including Kerala and Gujarat, have all homes on the grid,
印度的29个邦中只有6个邦——包括喀拉拉邦和古吉拉特邦在内——的所有家庭都已通电，
according to recent government data.
最近的政府数据显示。
In poorer states such as Jharkhand, more than half of households have no power lines,
在恰尔肯德邦那样的贫困地区，超过一半的家庭都没有安装电线，
while those that do experience hours of blackouts every day.
即便是已经安上了的人家，每天也要经历数小时的停电困扰。
(And then)AMPING UP
(最后)
Modi has announced a $2.5 billion plan to electrify all households by the end of December 2018—
莫迪已经宣布了一项斥资25亿美元，在2018年12月底之前，也即在议会选举几个月前，
just a few months ahead of parliamentary elections.
让所有印度家庭都用上电的计划。
The challenge is steep:
然而，这一计划面临着无比巨大的挑战：
poorer Indian households struggle to afford the high cost of electricity;
一是较为贫困的印度家庭难以负担高昂的电费；
the Modi government would need to install connections at a much faster rate;
二是莫迪政府也需要大力加快安装电网的步伐；
and state-owned power companies are already saddled with debt.
三是印度的国有电力公司已经负债累累了。
But with states like Uttar Pradesh, where 44% of households lack electricity, holding the biggest representation in Parliament,
不过，在北方邦那种44%的家庭都没通电的地区在议会中占据着最大的势力的情况下，
Modi is hoping that fulilling his promise of “Power for All” will lead his party to a bright political future.
莫迪希望，履行“人人用电”的承诺这一举措能够带领他的政党走向光明的政治未来。
译文由可可原创，仅供学习交流使用，未经许可请勿转载。
