On October 18, which was also the Double Ninth Festival this year, China Railway began selling tickets marked with the character jing, which means respect. Passengers aged 60 or above can buy them and enjoy a further 10 percent discount on the price they would normally pay. The offer runs until December 30 and covers many high-speed trains. Nobody held a ceremony for it; the change simply appeared on the booking page, as a small character beside the train number.
The word further matters here. Many tickets are already sold below their published price, so older passengers do not get nine tenths of the full fare. They get 90 percent of the price they would pay anyway. On one route from Bazhong to Chengdu, a second-class seat costs an adult 130.5 yuan but a passenger over 60 only 117 yuan. A veteran with a disabled serviceman certificate pays 59 yuan, because the discount is added on top of the special fare. Older frequent travellers also get extra points for tickets or seat upgrades.
It works because it removes almost every small barrier that keeps people from using a benefit. An earlier version, tested in May and June, only worked on weekdays in the quiet season, so a grandparent who wanted to visit family at the weekend could not use it. The new rule covers weekends and holidays, and applies to tickets bought on the app, at station windows, at machines and at agencies.
The timing tells its own story. The Double Ninth Festival is when Chinese families are reminded to care for their elders, and the discount began that very day. Behind the numbers lies a bigger change: China has over 300 million people above 60, and many now have both the time and the will to travel. A discount alone will not solve the problems of an ageing society, but it costs the railway little and tells millions of older citizens they are welcome on the move. Respect is sometimes best shown not in a speech, but in one character on a ticket.
Words to know:
- discount (折扣)
- fare (票价；车费)
- route (路线)
- veteran (退伍军人；老兵)
- upgrade (升级)
- barrier (障碍)
- identity document (身份证件)
- ageing (老龄化的)
长难句拆解 · 后置定语与同位语
原句：Passengers aged 60 or above can buy them and enjoy a further 10 percent discount on the price they would normally pay. 主干：Passengers can buy tickets and enjoy a discount.（乘客可以买票，并享受折扣。） 修饰一：aged 60 or above 是过去分词短语，放在名词后作后置定语，等于 who are aged 60 or above。 代词指代：句中的 them 指前一句的 tickets marked with the character jing，读长句时要先回看上一句，把代词还原成名词短语。 修饰三：they would normally pay 是省略了关系代词 that 的定语从句，修饰 the price。 直译：年满六十岁或以上的乘客可以购买这些车票，并在他们平时所付价格的基础上再享受百分之十的折扣。
原句：An earlier version, tested in May and June, only worked on weekdays in the quiet season, so a grandparent who wanted to visit family at the weekend could not use it. 主干：An earlier version only worked on weekdays, so a grandparent could not use it.（早前的版本只在工作日有效，所以一位祖辈用不了它。） 插入语：tested in May and June 是过去分词短语作插入语，补充说明版本的时间；它夹在两个逗号之间，删掉不影响句子结构。 从句：who wanted to visit family at the weekend 是定语从句，修饰 a grandparent。 语法点：so 引导结果状语从句；only 修饰状语 on weekdays，把优惠范围限制在工作日，是理解句意的关键词。 直译：一个早前的版本——在五月和六月试行过——只在淡季的工作日有效，所以一位想在周末探亲的祖辈用不了它。
同义替换 · 雅思阅读利器
下列表达在真题中常互相替换，先遮住右边自测，再回头看原句确认语感。
- enjoy a further 10 percent discount → get an extra 10% off / receive an additional tenth off（多享受一成优惠）
- aged 60 or above → over 60 years old / senior citizens over sixty（年龄门槛）
- marked with the character jing → carrying a jing label / showing the jing sign（票面标识）
- only worked on weekdays → applied on weekdays only / was limited to working days（限制条件）
- small barrier → obstacle / hurdle（阻碍及其同义改写）
- special fare → discounted rate / reduced price（优惠票价）
- The timing tells its own story → The choice of date speaks for itself / The date is far from random（时间点的用意）
阅读自测 · 3 题
- T / F / NG：The jing discount applies only to tickets bought at station windows.
- 简答：How much does a passenger over 60 pay for a second-class seat that costs a normal adult 130.5 yuan?
- 选词填空：The earlier version of the discount was limited to ______ during the quiet season. (A) weekends (B) weekdays (C) holidays
参考答案与解析
1. FALSE。 原文写明优惠适用于在手机应用、车站窗口、自助机和代售点购买的车票，题干用 only 把范围缩小到车站窗口，属于「以偏概全」。这是雅思阅读最常见的干扰套路：把原文的「都可以」偷换成「只有一个可以」。
2. 117 yuan。 原文给出巴中至成都某趟列车二等座的例子：普通成人 130.5 元，60 岁以上 117 元。注意不要答成「九折的九折」，题目问的是具体金额。
3. (B) weekdays。 原文说早前版本只在淡季的工作日有效，周末和节假日不能用。选项 A 是「偷换结论」：它恰好是新规才放开的部分，考生容易把新旧规则记混。
中文译文
10 月 18 日，也正好是今年的重阳节，中国铁路开始发售标有「敬」字的火车票，「敬」意为尊敬。年满 60 周岁的旅客可以购买这类车票，并在他们原本需要支付的价格上再享受九折优惠。优惠持续到 12 月 30 日，覆盖许多高铁车次。铁路部门没有为此举办仪式，这项变化只是出现在购票页面上，以一个不起眼的小字，标注在车次旁边。
这里的关键词是「再」。许多车票本来就以低于公布票价的价格出售，因此老年旅客拿到的并非全票价的九折，而是他们本来就要支付的那个价格的九折。在巴中至成都的一条线路上，二等座对普通成人是 130.5 元，60 岁以上旅客只需 117 元。持残疾军人证的退伍军人支付 59 元，因为这项折扣是叠加在优待票价之上的。老年常旅客还能获得三倍于普通会员的积分，日后可用来兑换车票或办理升席。
这个设计之所以有效，是因为它几乎拆掉了所有让人用不上优惠的小门槛。早前的版本在五月和六月试行，只在淡季的工作日有效，想在周末探亲的祖辈用不了。新规则把周末和节假日也包含在内，适用于在手机应用、车站窗口、自助机和代售点购买的车票，任何身份证件都可以。
时间点的选择本身就在说明问题。重阳节是提醒中国人关爱长辈的日子，而这项优惠恰恰从这一天开始。数字背后是更大的变化：中国 60 岁以上人口已超过三亿，其中许多人如今既有时间、也有愿望出门走走。单靠一张折扣票解决不了老龄化社会的种种难题，但铁路为此付出的成本很低，却让数以千万计的老年公民感到，自己在路上是受欢迎的。有时，尊重最好的表达不是一段致辞，而是车票上的一个字。