美語情景對話 第389期:Teen Driving 青少年開車

Mark: Hey, Mike, what age do you have to be in Canada to drive?

馬克：嘿，邁克，加拿大的法定駕駛年齡是多少歲？

Mike: Well, it used to be 16, but it recently got pushed up to 18, now again each province controls its driving and the age limits, but in my province in Ontario the age limit went from 16 to 18.

邁克：以前是16歲，不過最近駕駛年齡上調至18歲，各個州有自己的駕駛年齡和年齡限制，我的家鄉安大略省的年齡限制是16歲至18歲。

Mark: And how did you feel about that? Do you think that's a good thing that you have to be 18 instead of 16?

馬克：那你是怎麼想的？你認爲將年齡從16歲上調至18歲是件好事嗎？

Mike: Yeah, I tend, I think, I think it should be 18 or even 20 before you're allowed to drive.

邁克：嗯，我認爲駕駛年齡應該是18歲或者是20歲。

Mark: Really! What do you think about someone who is 17, and so they've been driving for one year and then the law changes and becomes 18 as the minimum age, do you think that person who has been driving should lose their license for one more year?

馬克：真的嗎？那比如有些人現在17歲，他們已經開了一年的車，可是現在法律將駕駛年齡上調至18歲，那你認爲這些人的駕照應該被取消一年嗎？

Mike: Well, no, and I think generally, well, that happened in Ontario, of course that situation would have arisen. What happens then is generally laws are made so that the people who have been driving are then put into a system where they can still drive but they're under a probation system until 18, which is still the case, but

邁克：嗯，不應該，不過像這類事情現在在安大略省很常見。一般來說，按照法律規定，這些已經開始駕駛的人羣適用於一種觀護制度，保證他們在18歲以前仍可以開車，不過……

Mark: I see. So why do you think you should wait until you are 18 or 20 to be able to drive?

馬克：我明白了。那爲什麼你認爲駕駛年齡應該在18歲或者20歲呢？

Mike: Maturity.

邁克：因爲是成年人了。

Mark: You don't think at 16 you're mature enough?

馬克：你認爲16歲還不夠成熟嗎？

Mike: No. No. Because I think at 18 you're more adult, you're more responsible, just like you're not tried in the legal system as an adult until you are 18 years old. I think that it should be the same for driving because I don't think you're fully mature.

邁克：不，不是。因爲我覺得18歲時會更成熟，更有責任感，因爲滿18歲後纔會像成年人一樣受法律制度的限制。我認爲駕駛也應該這樣，因爲那時你已經完全成熟了。

Mark: Yeah, I don't know if I agree because I feel like, I drove when I was 16.

馬克：嗯，我說不好我是不是同意，因爲我16歲的時候已經開車了。

Mike: So did I.

邁克：我也是。

Mark: Yeah, and I felt mature enough. In fact, I know my father, when he was young, he actually began driving at about 12. When he was about 12 years old, he lived in the countryside and it was OK for him to drive at 12.

馬克：而且我覺得那時我已經夠成熟了。事實上，我知道我爸爸其實12歲左右就開始開車了。他12歲的時候住在鄉村，所以他在12歲的時候開車是沒問題的。

Mike: Well, and I can understand that because way back when there was a lot less traffic and there was a lot less, there was a lot less people on the road. I think that today, because of that, because traffic was a lot a worse, its a better idea to have, you know, to make sure the drivers is prepared and mature and understands that, what to do in case something goes wrong.

邁克：嗯，這我可以理解，因爲那個年代交通流量很少，而且路上的人也很少。我想因爲現在的交通狀況比以前糟糕的多，所以確保司機做好準備、更成熟、能完全理解這一情況很重要，以防止出現問題。

Mark: OK, fair enough, but how do you know that, that someone at 18, who has never driven is any more prepared than someone who's 16?

馬克：這倒是說得過去，不過你怎麼知道那些18歲卻從來沒開過車的人比16歲的人準備更充分呢？

Mike: Well, you don't, but generally if somebody's older and more mature then they're gonna be a little bit wiser. I mean, I think, you know. They're just gonna make better decisions. I think so. That's just my opinion, but.

邁克：這沒辦法知道，不過一般來說，如果一個人年齡更大，那他就會更成熟，也會更明智。我是說，我認爲，他們會做出更明智的決定。我是這麼認爲的，這只是我個人的觀點。

Mark: OK. Sounds good.

馬克：好，聽起來不錯。

重點講解：
1. instead of
代替…；而不是…；
eg. Instead of complaining about what's wrong, be grateful for what's right.
別抱怨不好的事，要對好的事心存感恩。
eg. Instead of playing it in the traditional style, she jazzed it up.
她並沒有按照傳統風格演奏，而是糅合了爵士樂風格。
2. in case
以備；以防；免得；
eg. You'd better take the keys in case I'm out.
你最好帶上鑰匙以防我不在家。
eg. Keep some candles as a standby in case the power fails.
預備一些蠟燭以防斷電。
3. fair enough
（說法、決定或行爲）有些道理，說得過去；
eg. If you don't like it, fair enough, but that's hardly a justification to attack the whole thing.
如果你不喜歡，這說得過去，但把它批得一無是處就沒什麼道理了。
eg. Fair enough, you didn't have a perfectly happy childhood: but your childhood is over now.
沒錯，你的童年生活不那麼幸福：但它已經過去了。