英语听力精选进阶版 7809（在线收听）

John: That is the noise of my bicycle. I’m John and I cycle through London everyday to work, I also cycle in London just for pleasure! What about you Carol?

Carol: Never, no way, it’s too dangerous and there’s far too much traffic. 看来，John 是想说服我在伦敦骑自行车。

John: So you think it’s too dangerous?

Carol: Yes! 我觉得在伦敦骑车太危险。

John: Too much traffic?

Carol: 没错，车太多。

John: Well in On The Town today we’re going to put your mind at rest about cycling in central London.

Carol: 让你放心, put your mind at rest. Ok then, so how will you put my mind at rest about cycling in London then John?

John: Well first of all there are some cycle lanes you can use.

Carol: 你可以使用自行车道cycle lanes. 所谓自行车道就是特别为自行车行使划分出的道路区域。

John: And there are quiet routes throughout London where you share your road space with cars. There’s less traffic on the quiet routes. Let’s hear from someone else who regularly cycles in central London. Richard Gifford spoke to the BBC in its Videonation web TV series. How did Richard become a cycling enthusiast?

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Cycling is something that I’ve always done. I was brought up in Norfolk, which is very flat, and when you are a schoolboy, in the school holidays in Norfolk, you want to get around the place, and cycling is the obvious way of doing it.

Carol: Richard says cycling is something that he’s always done. Richard 骑车已经有很多年了。

John: Richard was brought up in the county of Norfolk, that’s a large area in the east of the UK which is very flat.

Carol: Perfect for cycling.

John: But Richard stopped cycling for a number of years before starting again as an adult.

Carol: Why did he start again then John?

John: Listen to this.

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When we had the Tube strike, that was it, the old bicycle came out of the garage, got dusted down and oiled a bit, and got it out on the road.

John: Now that’s a very common experience. People often start to cycle in London because of Tube strikes, or because they don’t like to use the Tube or bus to travel around the city.

Carol: Richard 的意思是说，要是遇上伦敦地铁罢工停运 a Tube strike, 他就会把自行车从车库里取出来，he got his bicycle out of the garage, 然后骑车外出 he got it out on the road.

John: So we can say that a crisis got Richard cycling again.

Carol: A crisis在遇到突发事件时，Richard就不得不骑车外出。比如，当地铁罢工停运，没有火车能送他去上班时，骑自行车上班就成了他唯一的选择。

John: And he’s cycled to work everyday ever since.

Carol: Good for him!

John: This is BBC Learning English and today we’re On The Town, cycling through London!

Carol: Richard Gifford is a keen London cyclist. 他喜欢骑车。他喜欢 he’s keen.

John: Richard uses cycle lanes.

Carol: 自行车道。

John: And quiet routes.

Carol: 车辆较少的线路。

John: To cycle to work. But he uses another type of route to get to work as well.

Carol: What’s it called?

John: The canal path.

Carol: 就是沿运河修建的小路。伦敦的东西南北都有运河穿过，不仅如此，人们还沿着运河边修建了道路。

John: These routes are perfect for London cycling, and Richard knows some of the history behind them.

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The Victorians provided for us. They left for us a marvellous legacy of course of canals, and a canal has untold advantages over any other kind of cycle route, because it’s direct, and it goes right into the heart of the city pretty well.

John: Some good reasons as to why cycling alongside a canal is an excellent option for cyclists, and it was the Victorians who built the canals.

Carol: 这些运河是由维多利亚时期的人们建造的 the Victorians.

John: Yes, they left behind a marvellous legacy.

Carol: Meaning that what the Victorians built was of great benefit to the people of London generations later. 他们给后人留下了一笔宝贵的遗产。

John: Now, I cycle in all weathers; I’ll cycle in London whether or not there is rain, wind or sunshine.

Carol: You’re brave!

John: Well I wonder what weather Richard will cycle in?

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It needs a really nice warm day to get me on the bike. But when you do, there’s really nothing better because you can combine the advantages of travel and commuting, with the joys of physical exercise, and you build up the old endorphins in the brain and you feel really good and happy by the time you get there. And I think that if more people did cycle, you’d get a lot more happiness and contentment in the office generally.

Carol: 对Richard来说，骑车外出好处多多。在出行的同时，还锻炼了身体。不仅如此，骑车还能促进大脑分泌一种叫做安多芬的化学物质it builds up endorphins in the brain. 人体只有在从事运动之后，才能产生安多芬这种物质。更重要的是，这种物质能让人产生愉悦感，觉得浑身舒坦。

John: Well I’m off to cycle round London for a while, then I’m going home.

Carol: Take care.

John: Bye!