英语听力精选进阶版 20128（在线收听）

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 decided 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 literally! 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 touching 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 motorway. A 90-minute journey, in the end took us five hours.

Rob

Oh poor you! It’s so frustrating, 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 junction 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.