HSK 4 · Article · 384 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/why-chinese-cars-have-green-license-plates

为什么有的车牌是绿色的？

Why do Chinese cars have green license plates?

Name: ________________ Date: ________

在zài中国zhōngguó的de马路mǎlù上shàng，你nǐ会huì发现fāxiàn，汽车qìchē的de车牌chēpái有yǒu好几háojǐ种zhǒng颜色yánsè。最zuì常见chángjiàn的de是shì蓝色lánsè车牌chēpái，上面shàngmiàn是shì白色báisè的de字zì，这zhè是shì普通pǔtōng的de小汽车xiǎoqìchē。大dà卡车kǎchē和hé公共汽车gōnggòng-qìchē用yòng黄色huángsè的de车牌chēpái。那么nàme，绿色lǜsè的de车牌chēpái是shì什么shénme车chē呢ne？

答案dá’àn是shì：新能源汽车xīnnéngyuánqìchē，主要zhǔyào是shì电动汽车diàndòng-qìchē。二零一六年èrlíngyīliùnián，中国zhōngguó先xiān在zài五wǔ个gè城市chéngshì试用shìyòng绿色lǜsè车牌chēpái，后来hòulái全国quánguó都dōu开始kāishǐ使用shǐyòng。小汽车xiǎoqìchē的de绿lǜ牌pái是shì渐变jiànbiàn的de绿色lǜsè，大车dàchē的de绿lǜ牌pái是shì黄绿huánglǜ两liǎng种zhǒng颜色yánsè。

仔细zǐxì看kàn，你nǐ还hái会huì发现fāxiàn一个yígè不同bùtóng：普通pǔtōng车牌chēpái上shàng有yǒu七qī个gè字zì，绿色lǜsè车牌chēpái上shàng有yǒu八bā个gè字zì，多duō了le一个yígè。这zhè是shì因为yīnwèi新能源车xīnnéngyuánchē越来越yuèláiyuè多duō，号码hàomǎ需要xūyào更gèng多duō。

为什么wèishénme要yào用yòng不同bùtóng的de颜色yánsè？一yí个gè原因yuányīn是shì方便fāngbiàn管理guánlǐ。另lìng一yí个gè原因yuányīn是shì，一些yìxiē城市chéngshì对duì新能源车xīnnéngyuánchē有yǒu优惠yōuhuì政策zhèngcè，看kàn一眼yìyǎn颜色yánsè就jiù知道zhīdào了le。

在zài中国zhōngguó的de大城市dàchéngshì，买mǎi车chē容易róngyì，拿到nádào车牌chēpái却què很hěn难nán。在zài北京běijīng，想要xiǎngyào普通pǔtōng车牌chēpái，得děi参加cānjiā摇号yáohào，很hěn多duō人rén等děng了le好几háojǐ年nián，还是háishi没méi拿到nádào。在zài上海shànghǎi，普通pǔtōng车牌chēpái要yào拍卖pāimài，一yí块kuài车牌chēpái就jiù要yào好几háojǐ万wàn元yuán。和hé它tā比bǐ起来qǐlái，在zài上海shànghǎi给gěi新能源车xīnnéngyuánchē上shàng牌pái就jiù容易róngyì多duō了le。所以suóyǐ，很hěn多duō人rén买mǎi电动车diàndòngchē，一个yígè重要zhòngyào的de原因yuányīn就是jiùshì车牌chēpái。

这zhè几jǐ年nián，在zài中国zhōngguó的de街jiē上shàng，绿色lǜsè车牌chēpái越来越yuèláiyuè多duō。如果rúguǒ你nǐ去qù中国zhōngguó，可以kéyǐ数shǔ一yì数shǔ路边lùbiān的de十shí辆liàng车chē：有yǒu几jǐ辆liàng是shì绿lǜ牌pái？

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
马路	mǎlù	road; street
汽车	qìchē	car; automobile; motor vehicle
种	zhǒng	to plant; to grow
常见	chángjiàn	common; commonly seen
用	yòng	to use; use; usefulness
黄色	huángsè	yellow
主要	zhǔyào	main; major; mainly; mostly
先	xiān	first; in advance
城市	chéngshì	city; town
后来	hòulái	afterwards; later
不同	bùtóng	different; distinct
号码	hàomǎ	number

English (for the teacher)

On China’s roads you’ll notice that car number plates come in several colours. The most common is the blue plate with white characters on it: that’s an ordinary car. Big lorries and buses use yellow plates. So what kind of car has a green plate?

The answer: a new energy vehicle, mostly an electric car. In 2016 China first tried out green plates in five cities, and later the whole country began using them. Green plates on small cars fade from one green to another, and green plates on big vehicles are yellow and green.

Look closely and you’ll notice another difference: an ordinary plate has seven characters, and a green plate has eight, one more. That’s because there are more and more new energy cars, and more numbers are needed.

Why use different colours? One reason is that it makes them easier to manage. Another is that some cities give new energy cars special benefits, and one look at the colour tells you which is which.

In China’s big cities, buying a car is easy, but getting a plate is hard. In Beijing, if you want an ordinary plate, you have to enter a lottery, and many people wait for years and still don’t get one. In Shanghai, ordinary plates are auctioned, and one plate can cost tens of thousands of yuan. By comparison, getting a plate for a new energy car in Shanghai is much easier. So for many people, one big reason to buy an electric car is the plate.

In the last few years there have been more and more green plates on China’s streets. If you go to China, try counting ten cars by the roadside: how many have green plates?