指为创设良好的投资、生产、生活环境而建设的包括交通、通讯、水电、工业厂房等在内的基础设施和生活服务设施infrastructure; hard environment

• 从一定意义上讲，软环境建设比硬环境建设要艰巨。

  In one sense, building the "soft environment" is harder than building the "hard environment"

• 基础设施落后，投资硬环境较差，是制约西部开放开发的一个重要因素。

  Backward infrastructure and a lack of investment in the "hard environment" is a major factor limiting the opening up and development of the west.