美語情景對話 第399期:Travel Tips 旅行小貼士

Todd: So, Greg, you are quite the world traveler I hear.

託德：格雷格，我聽說你是位環球旅行家。

Greg: Um, yeah, I love traveling. I've been to probably around, I don't know, 20 different countries. I've lived in Thailand and South Korea and United Arab Emirates, and four different parts of Japan

格雷格：嗯，對，我喜歡旅遊。我不太確定，我大概去過20個國家。我在泰國、韓國、阿聯酋還有日本的四個地區生活過。

Todd: Oh, that's a lot.

託德：哦，那真是好多地方啊。

Greg: And of course several different places in the U.S.

格雷格：當然我還去過美國的許多地方。

Todd: Well, for somebody who's going to travel for for the first time, what type of advice would you give them, so you know, in case they never get lost.

託德：嗯，對那些第一次去旅行的人來說，你會給他們什麼建議來防止他們迷路呢？

Greg: Ah, getting lost. (Right) Yeah, that happens all the time. You have to prepare for that. Some of the, one of the first things I do whenever I get to an airport is I see if I can get a map from the information center. I go to a hotel. I ask if they have a map of the area. When I want to go somewhere, I ask then to write the destination in the local language, and also I practice my pronunciation with them, and sometimes I'll, almost always actually, I get a business card or a match book from the hotel to where I'll be returning (right, right) and then I go off on my merry way.

格雷格：啊，迷路。（對啊）嗯，這一直都在發生。你必須要做好準備。我到達機場後首先要做的一件事就是看看能否從服務檯拿份地圖。我會去酒店然後問他們有沒有那個地區的地圖。我要去一個地方的時候，我會請他們用當地的語言把目的地寫下來，我還會請他們幫我練習那個地名的發音，有時我還會從酒店拿到名片或是電話簿，當然之後我會還回去（好，好的），之後我就可以開始我的快樂旅程了。

Todd: OK, well, let's say that um, you're on business in a foreign country, and it's really busy and you forget to get the business card, you don't have the map, you're trying to find someplace and you're completely lost, what should you do?

託德：好，假設你去外國出差，行程特別忙，而你忘了拿名片了，你也沒有地圖，你想找到某個地方，可是你完全迷失了方向，那你要怎麼辦？

Greg: Well, of course, you've got to ask people. (Right, right) and it's a good idea to ask a lot of different people because in some countries people don't want to say no, but they don't want to say I don't know, right. They give you some directions, or maybe they don't understand you, and they give you the wrong directions, so even if you think you got good directions the first time constantly check with other people along your way.

格雷格：這種情況肯定要向別人問路。（對，是的）向很多人問路是個好主意，因爲有些國家的人們並不想說不，他們也不想說不知道。他們會給你指一些方向，但是也許他們會不明白你的話，可能會給你指錯誤的方向，所以即使你認爲你找到了正確的方向，也要向沿途的其他人確認方向。

Todd: Well, so when you're going down the street, and say you are lost, is there a certain type of person you look for like let's say an old lady or children. Is there a certain person who is better at giving directions?

託德：好，那假如你在街上的時候迷路了，那你會不會找特定的人問路，比如老人或是孩子？有沒有會指明正確方向的特定的人？

Greg: Um, well, if it's a child, and you want to get to a business section or something, probably they don't know. (Right) It's a good idea to ask somebody who looks as if they live in the area, and not just another, sorry, tourist passing through or something.

格雷格：嗯，如果你要去商務區這種地方，那孩子可能不知道。（對）所以向那些看起來生活在那個地區的人問路比較好，而不是去問跟你一樣是遊客或者只是路過那裏的人。

Todd: Right, right, right. So you're talking about people who work in shops and things like that?

託德：對，沒錯，說得對。那你指的是那些在商店裏工作的人嗎？

Greg: Yes, and also though, delivery men are usually very good, cause they have to go all over the city, so they know it well.

格雷格：對，而且向快遞人員問路也是不錯的選擇，因爲他們要在城市各地送快遞，所以他們會很清楚。

Todd: Right. So have you actually ever been lost?

託德：好。那你迷過路嗎？

Greg: Oh, I've been lost all the time. Once I got lost for a couple hours in Bangkok and it was terrible.

格雷格：哦，我總是會迷路。有一次我在曼谷迷路了好幾個小時，那真是非常糟糕。

Todd: Well, that's a pretty, that's a pretty intense city.

託德：那是一個非常非常密集的城市。

Greg: Yeah, so after that, it gave me the idea that I should always check for landmarks, you know landmarks are really tall buildings, or a river, something I could always know, I could see easily, and try to remember, "oh the river's on my right side. Ah, there's a hill over there." Keep looking for it. Remember it

格雷格：對，所以在那之後，我知道要隨時注意地標，你知道地標通常是指那些高樓、河流或是我知道、或者很容易看到的地方，然後要努力記住這些地標，就像“哦，這條河流在我的右邊。啊，那邊有座山。”一直看着這些地標，記住它們的位置。

Todd: Well, it sounds like good advice. Thanks Greg.

託德：這聽起來真是不錯的建議。謝謝你，格雷格。

Greg: You're welcome.

格雷格：不客氣。

重點講解：
1. in case
以備；以防；免得；
eg. At least there will be a retreat secured for her in case the worst should ensue.
即使發生最壞的情形，至少她也就有一個安全的地方可作退步的。
eg. This is the quickest way, in case as if it works well, then you can pick up the goods today.
這是最快有解決方法，如果順利的話，你們今天就可以提貨。
2. be/get lost
迷路的；迷失的；走失的；
eg. Barely had I set foot in the street when I realised I was lost.
我在街上沒走幾步就意識到自己迷路了。
eg. I took a wrong turn and we got lost in the mountains.
我拐錯了彎，我們便在山裏迷了路。
3. let's say
比如說；比方說；
eg. Let's say you decide that one of your non-negotiable items is time for a life outside of work.
比方說，你認定工作之外還有個人生活的時間是你最珍視的價值。
eg. Let's say you command some special work finished. Don't stop with getting approval.
比如說你需要完成某些特殊工作，不要因爲還未得到批准而停下來不做。
4. even if
即使；儘管；縱然；
eg. Even if that better future is often an illusion, optimism has clear benefits in the present.
即使更好的未來常常只是幻想，樂觀主義在當前也有明顯的益處。
eg. She was very kind really, even if I suspected she was just acting out a part.
她真的非常好心，儘管我懷疑她有一部分好心是裝出來的。
5. all over
到處；遍及；各地；
eg. His picture was plastered all over the newspapers on the weekend.
他的照片佔據了週末報紙的頭版。
eg. I was shaking all over, trembling like a leaf.
我像風中的落葉一樣渾身發抖。