Are the ticket scalpers making a fortune off us poor folks?
DURING the Spring Festival travel rush, it is always difficult to get a train ticket home. In China, there are many different types of trains, which travel at different speeds, with almost as many as different kinds of tickets. So, what do we call them in English?
Some of the trains you can catch:
the express: 特快
Express (sometimes referred to as “fast train") only makes a few stops, instead of stopping at every single station.
direct train, through-train: 直达列车
A direct train travels a long distance without stopping from start to finish.
EMU (Electric Multiple Unit): 动车组
This refers to a train consisting of many different carriages using electricity as the motive power. An EMU, or a super express train, can hit 250 kilometers per hour in China at its top speed.
temporary passenger train: 临客
Temporary passenger trains refer to extra trains that are temporarily available because of increased passenger flow during Spring Festival.
Some tickets you can choose from:
soft-sleeper, soft-berth carriage: 软卧铺
berth carriage, sleeper: 卧铺
soft-seat with air conditioning: 空调软座
standing room only ticket (SRO) 站票
hard seat: 硬座
For example: I just bought a standing room only ticket! What a nightmare!
我只买到了站票。太恐怖了！
While common people may find it hard to get a ticket, the ticket scalpers, who have lots of tickets in their hands, are taking advantage of the travel rush to make a fortune.
Ticket scalpers (黄牛党，倒卖黑市票的人) refer to those who buy up tickets and then resell them at a higher price.
For example: Millions of Chinese have begun jamming train stations to buy tickets home for the Chinese New Year break, but many others will have to rely on scalpers to get away.
上百万中国人聚集在火车站，等待买票回家过年。但仍有许多人要依靠黄牛党才能回家。
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