美語情景對話 第418期:Types of Travel 旅行方式

Simon: Like many people, I like to travel and there are many ways you can travel, uh, many forms of transportation. Probably the main three that I wanna talk about now are by car, by train and by airplane. Now each of these forms of transportation have there pros and cons. Would you agree?

西蒙：和許多人一樣，我也喜歡旅遊，旅遊的方式其實有很多種，有很多種交通方式可以選擇。我會談其中三種主要的出行方式，分別是汽車、火車和飛機。每種交通方式都各有利弊。你同意嗎？

Friend: Indeed, I would.

弗蘭德：我當然同意。

Simon: So, what's your favorite form of transportation, of those three?

西蒙：這三種交通方式中你最喜歡哪一種？

Friend: I would have to say the automobile.

弗蘭德：我會選擇汽車。

Simon: Um, well, tell me some of the, the pros of traveling by car.

西蒙：嗯，跟我說說駕車旅行的優點。

Friend: That would be mainly freedom. Freedom of movement. Freedom of stop. Freedom to go. Freedom to, yeah, freedom basically.

弗蘭德：主要的優點是自由。行動時自由，停下時也自由，可以自由地去各種地方。基本來說就是自由。

Simon: OK, uh, what about a train? What are the advantages of being of a train?

西蒙：好，那火車呢？乘坐火車旅行有什麼優點？

Friend: Ah, I would say, good views of the countryside. You can move around on a train. You're not stuck in a car. You can go for a cigarette. You can get something to drink. You can go to the bathroom, which you cannot do in a car.

弗蘭德：嗯，火車旅行可以欣賞優美的鄉村風景。在火車上可以四處移動。不像在汽車裏有限制。你可以去抽根菸，可以去喝酒，也可以去浴室，這些都是在汽車裏不能做的事情。

Simon: OK, and let's talk about the airplane. Why, what are some of the advantages of flying?

西蒙：好，我們來談談飛機旅行吧。飛機旅行有什麼優點？

Friend: Speed.

弗蘭德：速度快。

Simon: That's it?

西蒙：就這樣嗎？

Friend: That's all I can say about that, speed.

弗蘭德：這就是我能說的，速度快。

Simon: OK, uh, let's talk about the disadvantages, the cons. So what, what are some things that a train has, that is not that great?

西蒙：好，那我們談談缺點吧。火車旅行有什麼不太好的地方？

Friend: There's nothing I can say bad about a train, except, yeah! Train's good.

弗蘭德：我覺得火車旅行沒什麼缺點！火車很棒。

Simon: OK!

西蒙：好吧！

Friend: Price!

弗蘭德：價格！

Simon: Yeah, price, in many countries train travel is expensive. Uh, we are traveling in Japan, so the train is very fast and efficient, however, it is expensive, and another thing is, you're confined by schedule and things like that. How about the disadvantages of a car?

西蒙：對，價格，許多國家的火車票都很昂貴。我們現在在日本旅行，這裏的火車速度很快而且很方便，但是就是票價太貴了，還有一個缺點就是會受時刻表的限制。汽車旅行有什麼缺點？

Friend: Ah, pollution, accidents, cost, yeah, cars can be expensive, too, maintenance, gas.

弗蘭德：啊，污染，事故，花費，駕車旅行也很貴，要考慮維修費還有油費。

Simon: And how about the plane?

西蒙：飛機旅行的缺點呢？

Friend: The disadvantages of a plane. The lack of view,and yeah, that stale, stale air.

弗蘭德：飛機旅行的缺點是不能欣賞風景，還有空氣不新鮮。

Simon: Oh, yeah, also, I could sort of say the fear factor, yeah, and being confined to a small space. Yeah that's it.

西蒙：對，而且我認爲還有恐懼因素，會被限制在一個狹小的空間裏。就是這樣。

重點講解：
1. pros and cons
利弊；優缺點；
eg. They sat for hours debating the pros and cons of setting up their own firm...
他們在一起坐了數小時，討論自己創辦公司的利弊。
eg. Motherhood has both its pros and cons.
當媽媽既有好的一面，也有不好的一面。
2. lack of
缺乏；不足；沒有；
eg. There is a lack of people wanting to start up new businesses.
有創業意願的人非常匱乏。
eg. He felt tired for lack of sleep.
他因缺少睡眠而感到疲勞。
3. confine to
限制，限定；
eg. Judges may be trained to confine themselves to the legally relevant facts before them.
法官接受的訓練是將自己限制在面前的法律事實範圍內。
eg. Wild animals are confined to cages.
野生動物被關在籠子裏。