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VOA慢速英语-THIS IS AMERICA - The Drive That Separates a Biker F

时间:2008-08-22 01:51:21

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(单词翻译)

VOICE ONE:

Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English. I’m Barbara Klein.

VOICE TWO:

And I’m Steve Ember. Hop1 on -- this week our subject is motorcycles in America.

(SOUND)

VOICE ONE:
 
Bikers ride under a Main Street sign welcoming them to last year's Sturgis Motorcycle Rally

If you love motorcycles, then this is the week to be in the Midwest for the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

Around half a million people are expected in Sturgis, South Dakota, for a week of concerts, races, charity rides and other activities. Bikers can buy from eight hundred sellers of motorcycle products and clothing.

And they can join organized rides to nearby places like the Black Hills, Custer State Park, Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Monument.

VOICE TWO:

Sturgis has a population of six thousand people. The rally is supposed to last a week, but riders come early and stay late. A city spokeswoman, Tyler Lamphere, points out that the area’s roads include lots of winding3 turns -- perfect for riding.

The first event was held on a single day in August of nineteen thirty-eight. A small number of people gathered to watch nine racers. There was no rally in nineteen forty-two because of wartime fuel restrictions4.

The Sturgis Rally is called a celebration of motorcycling. Organizers estimate that attendance has been as high as six hundred thousand people, back in the year two thousand.

VOICE ONE:
 

The yearly parade at Bike Week in Daytona Beach, Florida can last the full week

The United States also has other big motorcycle rallies.

Bike Week in Daytona Beach, Florida, takes place during the first full week of March, plus three extra days.

Events manager Kevin Killian says Bike Week also gets about half a million riders, though counting has stopped lately because of the cost. But he says it is the largest motorcycle event in the world. It brings more than three hundred fifty million dollars to the local economy.

VOICE TWO:

The rally began in nineteen thirty-seven when the Daytona Two Hundred motorcycle race was first held. Early races took place on the beach, before moving to the Daytona International Speedway in nineteen sixty-one.

Bike Week also includes concerts along with rides to raise money for charities.

Riders say one of the highlights of Bike Week is riding down Main Street in Daytona Beach. People go to see and be seen on every kind of bike -- from old ones with the paint worn away to beautifully styled new ones.

Thousands of motorcycles move slowly down the street in a kind of never-ending parade that continues all day and night.

VOICE ONE:

Motorcycle rallies can be found in just about every state. Some are held by local riding groups. Others are held by motorcycle makers5 and their fans.

The Iron Butt6 Rally takes place every two years. Riders must travel more than fourteen thousand kilometers over an eleven-day period. They earn points by arriving in certain areas within a certain time period and by visiting additional places in between. The Iron Butt Association says the rally is not a race, but a test of strength and riding skill.

VOICE TWO:
 

Rolling Thunder rides by the Smithsonian Institution's Air and Space Museum every year

Another rally is called Rolling Thunder. Thousands of riders gather in the nation's capital each May to show support for current and former members of the military. This year, President George Bush welcomed leaders of Rolling Thunder, and their bikes, to the grounds of the White House.

VOICE ONE:

People who go to motorcycle rallies get to explore new places and get new ideas. But more importantly, they get to meet other riders to share stories and talk about bikes.

In the Internet age it might be called social networking. But many riders call it a vacation from their normal lives.

Motorcyclists have jobs and professions like anyone else. For some, a motorcycle is just transportation. For others, it represents freedom and individuality. Gone are the days when the image of a biker was a rebellious7 young man with tattoos8. Old motorcycle films like "The Wild One" and "Easy Rider" only fed this image. So did the Hells Angels, a violent, real-life biker gang.

VOICE TWO:

You still see young men and tattoos. But you also see lots of middle-aged9 riders -- male, female or couples.

Classic bikes share the road with new bikes built to look like classics. And there are sport bikes, cruisers and big touring bikes.

And then there are the custom choppers. These are personalized bikes built as road-ready art with lengths of metal and imagination.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Newer companies like West Coast Choppers in California and Orange County Choppers in New York State get a lot of attention. But the biggest American motorcycle company is Harley-Davidson. William Harley and Arthur Davidson started producing motorcycles more than a century ago.

Since then, other companies have come and gone. Indian Motorcycle is another name that goes back to the beginning of the nineteen hundreds. Indian bikes went out of production. Now, they are coming back again.

The Web site of the Indian Motorcycle Company declares, "America's first motorcycle." But as a recent press release noted10, the controlling shareholder11 is now an investment group based in London.

A blog on the Web site says the first production vehicle for the two thousand nine Indian Chief was finished in July.

VOICE TWO:
 

The Daytona 200 is the one of the most important motorcycle races in the United States

The Motorcycle Safety Foundation says only one kind of motorcycle was available until the nineteen fifties. The most popular kind built today is the cruiser. A cruiser is long and has a low seat. The most important thing is appearance.

Performance is most important in a sport bike. Sport bikes are designed for racing12.

Touring bikes are built for comfort over long distances. Newer ones even have heated seats. Touring bikes generally have music systems and two-way communications between driver and passenger through headsets in their helmets.

Twenty of the fifty states require all motorcycle riders to wear a helmet. Four states have no helmet requirements.

VOICE ONE:

Japanese and European motorcycles are popular in the United States. But Ty van Hooydonk at the Motorcycle Industry Council says Harley-Davidson is currently selling more motorcycles here than any other single manufacturer.

Harley spokesman Paul James says the company sold two hundred forty-one thousand bikes in the United States last year. He says the company sold ninety thousand bikes in other countries.

Prices start at about seven thousand dollars and go up to more than thirty-five thousand dollars.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

The American Motorcyclist Association has three hundred thousand members. Spokesman Peter terHorst says the average member is in his mid2 forties, and nine out of ten are male. But he says the membership is changing as children of older members join the group.

Peter terHorst says it is difficult to know how many people have started riding a motorcycle because of high fuel prices. But his group follows sales of new motorcycles, and has found that sales of smaller bikes have increased in the past six months. Also, members of the association have reported more use of their motorcycles for short trips and for riding to and from work.

Industry council spokesman Ty van Hooydonk says more than nine million people in the United States rode motorcycles as of two thousand three. New findings will not be ready until the end of this year.

VOICE ONE:

Part of the fun of riding a motorcycle may be the sense of danger. But deaths of motorcyclists have more than doubled since nineteen ninety-seven.

The government says the latest numbers show that crashes killed more than four thousand eight hundred riders in two thousand six. That was a five percent increase from the year before. Motorcyclist deaths now represent eleven percent of all traffic deaths in the United States.

VOICE TWO:

Crashes often involve alcohol. In two thousand six, among all drivers killed while legally drunk, the highest percentage, twenty-seven percent, were motorcyclists. Says researcher Patty Ellison-Potter at the Department of Transportation: "It's really unforgiving when you're on a motorcycle."

Robert Gladden is with the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, a nonprofit group that provides guidelines for states and training for riders. He says each state has its own requirements to operate a motorcycle, but in every state, riders must pass a written test and a skills test.

He says studies show that riders who receive professional training have fewer accidents than those who do not.

VOICE ONE:

Motorcyclists with years of experience say they have learned to ride as if other drivers cannot see them. People who buy mopeds or other scooters may not even need a motorcycle license13. That only adds to the concerns of some experienced riders. The concern is that people riding motorcycles or scooters just to save money on gas may not be as well prepared for the road.
 

Nancy Steinbach and Paul Thompson with their Honda Gold Wing

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Our program was written by Nancy Steinbach, who rides a touring bike with her husband. Our producer was Caty Weaver14. I’m Steve Ember.

VOICE ONE:

And I’m Barbara Klein. Transcripts15, MP3s and podcasts of our programs are at voaspecialenglish.com. Join us again next week for THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English.


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 hop vdJzL     
n.单脚跳,跳跃;vi.单脚跳,跳跃;着手做某事;vt.跳跃,跃过
参考例句:
  • The children had a competition to see who could hop the fastest.孩子们举行比赛,看谁单足跳跃最快。
  • How long can you hop on your right foot?你用右脚能跳多远?
2 mid doTzSB     
adj.中央的,中间的
参考例句:
  • Our mid-term exam is pending.我们就要期中考试了。
  • He switched over to teaching in mid-career.他在而立之年转入教学工作。
3 winding Ue7z09     
n.绕,缠,绕组,线圈
参考例句:
  • A winding lane led down towards the river.一条弯弯曲曲的小路通向河边。
  • The winding trail caused us to lose our orientation.迂回曲折的小道使我们迷失了方向。
4 restrictions 81e12dac658cfd4c590486dd6f7523cf     
约束( restriction的名词复数 ); 管制; 制约因素; 带限制性的条件(或规则)
参考例句:
  • I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
  • a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制
5 makers 22a4efff03ac42c1785d09a48313d352     
n.制造者,制造商(maker的复数形式)
参考例句:
  • The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
  • The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》
6 butt uSjyM     
n.笑柄;烟蒂;枪托;臀部;v.用头撞或顶
参考例句:
  • The water butt catches the overflow from this pipe.大水桶盛接管子里流出的东西。
  • He was the butt of their jokes.他是他们的笑柄。
7 rebellious CtbyI     
adj.造反的,反抗的,难控制的
参考例句:
  • They will be in danger if they are rebellious.如果他们造反,他们就要发生危险。
  • Her reply was mild enough,but her thoughts were rebellious.她的回答虽然很温和,但她的心里十分反感。
8 tattoos 659c44f7a230de11d35d5532707cf1f5     
n.文身( tattoo的名词复数 );归营鼓;军队夜间表演操;连续有节奏的敲击声v.刺青,文身( tattoo的第三人称单数 );连续有节奏地敲击;作连续有节奏的敲击
参考例句:
  • His arms were covered in tattoos. 他的胳膊上刺满了花纹。
  • His arms were covered in tattoos. 他的双臂刺满了纹身。 来自《简明英汉词典》
9 middle-aged UopzSS     
adj.中年的
参考例句:
  • I noticed two middle-aged passengers.我注意到两个中年乘客。
  • The new skin balm was welcome by middle-aged women.这种新护肤香膏受到了中年妇女的欢迎。
10 noted 5n4zXc     
adj.著名的,知名的
参考例句:
  • The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
  • Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。
11 shareholder VzPwU     
n.股东,股票持有人
参考例句:
  • The account department have prepare a financial statement for the shareholder.财务部为股东准备了一份财务报表。
  • A shareholder may transfer his shares in accordance with the law.股东持有的股份可以依法转让。
12 racing 1ksz3w     
n.竞赛,赛马;adj.竞赛用的,赛马用的
参考例句:
  • I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
  • The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。
13 license B9TzU     
n.执照,许可证,特许;v.许可,特许
参考例句:
  • The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
  • The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。
14 weaver LgWwd     
n.织布工;编织者
参考例句:
  • She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快,而且布的质量很好。
  • The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。
15 transcripts 525c0b10bb61e5ddfdd47d7faa92db26     
n.抄本( transcript的名词复数 );转写本;文字本;副本
参考例句:
  • Like mRNA, both tRNA and rRNA are transcripts of chromosomal DNA. tRNA及rRNA同mRNA一样,都是染色体DNA的转录产物。 来自辞典例句
  • You can't take the transfer students'exam without your transcripts. 没有成绩证明书,你就不能参加转学考试。 来自辞典例句

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