英语听力精选进阶版 20128

Bumper-to-bumper 交通长龙

在本期节目中，Helen 和 Rob 度假刚回来。Rob 听着可是度过了一段非常棒的时光，不过Helen 的假期可没有那么顺利。这究竟发生了什么事情？

文字稿

（关于台词的备注: 这不是广播节目的逐字稿件。本文稿可能没有体现录制、编辑过程中对节目做出的改变。）

Helen

欢迎收听BBC英语教学的《地道英语》节目。我是 Helen，和我在一起的还有我的同事 Rob。Good to see you, Rob. How was your holiday to sunny Spain?

Rob

It was fantastic, the sun, the beach, the sea, the food and the people… It was perfect! How about you? Did you manage to get away for the weekend?

Helen

We had a good start to our weekend at the seaside, but it was just awful on the way back.

Rob

Oh dear, what happened?

Helen

We decided¹ to drive down instead of getting the train.

Rob

Well, with a car you can explore the coast easily. But the train can be less stressful.

Helen

The return journey was absolutely crazy. So many people going back to London after the weekend!

Rob

So the traffic was bumper-to-bumper?

Helen

Bumper-to-bumper? No we weren’t that close to the car in front. 我是很注意安全的，两辆车之间要保持2秒的车距才行呢。

Rob

Well, I didn't mean literally²! When there is a lot of traffic on the road and it’s moving very slowly or not at all, the front of one car is almost touching³ the back of another one, so we say it’s bumper-to-bumper.

Helen

Oh I see. Bumper-to-bumper 这个表达就是说一辆汽车紧接另一辆汽车，前后的保险杠都快碰上了。这可以用来形容交通非常堵塞，行使缓慢，几乎不动了。 Well it was like that, we were not moving at all in one stretch of the motorway⁴. A 90-minute journey, in the end took us five hours.

Rob

Oh poor you! It’s so frustrating⁵, isn’t it? The expression bumper-to-bumper is heard a lot in travel reports on the radio. Here are some examples:

Examples

Traffic on the northbound A12 near Greenwich junction⁶ is bumper-to-bumper. Best to avoid the area if you can.

The approach to the Dartford Tunnel southbound entrance is bumper-to-bumper. Expect severe delays.

Helen

Thanks for explaining this. So it was bumper-to-bumper for us all the way home.

Rob

You got it. Maybe you will take the train next time?

Helen

I think I might. Or I might try to avoid the rush hour traffic.

Rob

Or you could stay at home.

Helen

Good idea. 

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

3 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

4 motorway   

n.高速公路，快车道

参考例句：

• Our car had a breakdown on the motorway.我们的汽车在高速公路上抛锚了。
• A maniac driver sped 35 miles along the wrong side of a motorway at 110 mph.一个疯狂的司机以每小时110英里的速度在高速公路上逆行飙车35英里。

5 frustrating   

adj.产生挫折的，使人沮丧的，令人泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的现在分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's frustrating to have to wait so long. 要等这么长时间，真令人懊恼。
• It was a demeaning and ultimately frustrating experience. 那是一次有失颜面并且令人沮丧至极的经历。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 junction   

n.连接，接合；交叉点，接合处，枢纽站

参考例句：

• There's a bridge at the junction of the two rivers.两河的汇合处有座桥。
• You must give way when you come to this junction.你到了这个路口必须让路。