美國文化習俗精粹 第3期:Driving 美國人的開車習慣

Meet Mitsuaki. He recently arrived in the United States to enter university. He wants to do well in his studies and adjust to the new culture. But Mitsuaki has a problem. It's not his roommates. It's not his school fees. It's not even his English ability. Mitsuaki's problem is that he doesn't have a car. And in America, that really makes him a foreigner. Mitsuaki has already discovered a basic fact of American culture: Driving is a way of life.

介紹你認識三和木，他最近剛到美國上大學。他的目標是想把書讀好並且讓自己能夠適應這個新的文化。但三和木卻遇到了一個問題。問題不是室友，不是學費，甚至不是他的英文能力，三和木的問題是沒有車。在美國，沒有車真的會讓他成了一個十足的外國人。三和木已經發現了美國文化中一個很基本的事實：開車是一種生活方式。

It's not that there's no public transportation in America. Many cities have taxis, buses and subways to help commuters get to and from work. Some large universities even have buses to take students to classes across campus. But most people find it much more convenient to drive, even if they do have to deal with traffic. Nowadays busy families often have more than one vehicle. Many people view their car as a status symbol. But no matter their social status, people without wheels feel tied down.

美國不是沒有大衆運輸工具，很多都市都有出租車、公車和地下鐵幫助通車族上下班。有些規模大的大學甚至有公車在校園裏載送學生到各個教室上課。不過大部份的人還是覺得開車更方便，即使他們得面對交通擁擠的問題。現今忙碌的家庭通常擁有一輛以上的車。很多人把車子視爲地位的象徵，但是不管他們的社會地位如何，沒有車的人往往覺得很受束縛。.

When Mitsuaki first arrived, he was amazed at how young many American drivers there were. Young people in America often get their driver's license around age 16 by passing a written test and a driving test. In many cases, before they can get their license, they have to take a driver education course. This course gives students hands-on practice with driving. It also helps to reduce the high cost of insurance. For teenagers, being able to drive——and in some cases, have their own car——is a big deal. It gives them a sense of power and freedom. Many young Americans consider a driver's license a right, not a privilege. It's rare to find an American teenager without one.

當三和木剛抵達美國時，他很驚訝美國許多開車的人年紀實在很輕。美國的年輕人通常在16歲左右就會通過筆試和路考，取得駕照。很多時候在他們取得駕照之前，他們必須上一個駕駛人教育課程，這個課程提供給學生們實際的駕駛練習，它也有助於降低高額的保險費。對青少年來說，能夠開車，甚至擁有一輛自己的車是一件了不起的事，因爲它帶給他們一種權力與自由的感覺。很多美國的年輕人把駕照視爲一種權利，而不是一項特權。在美國要找到一個沒有駕照的青少年是很不容易的。

Mitsuaki finally decides that he needs a car. His host family helps him find a good used car to buy. But before he gets his license and starts driving, he has to understand that the American style of driving is defensive, not offensive. He also needs to learn some of the basic rules of the road that good drivers follow.

10 Commandments of Good Driving in America:

1. Yield to vehicles who have the right of way.

2. Don't cut in front of other vehicles.

3. Drive within the speed limit.

4. Obey all road signs and police officers.

5. Pull over to the side of the road when you hear a siren.

6. Stop completely at red lights and stop signs.

7. Yield to pedestrians in crosswalks.

8. Park only in a designated parking space.

9. Use your turn signals when turning or changing lanes.

10. Don't drink and drive.

三和木最後終於決定他需要一輛車，他的寄宿家庭幫助他找到了一輛好的二手車。但是在他拿到駕照並且開始開車之前，他必須先了解，美國人的開車方式是屬於防守型，而不是進攻型。他也需要學習一些好的駕駛人應該遵守的基本道路規則。

在美國優良駕駛的十大誡命：

1. 禮讓有先行權的車子。

2. 不超車。

3. 行車不超速。

4. 遵守所有的路標和交通警察的指揮。

5. 聽到警笛聲時，立即靠邊停車。

6. 遇到紅燈和停止標誌時要完全停下來。

7. 在行人穿越道上要禮讓行人。

8. 只能在指定的停車地區內停車。

9. 轉彎或換車道時要打方向燈。

10. 不要酒後駕車。

As a car owner, Mitsuaki has the responsibility of maintaining his car. He knows that regular maintenance checkups can help to prevent many serious problems. But no matter how careful the maintenance, all vehicles need to be repaired sometimes. Many Americans take their cars to a garage for maintenance and repairs. Others like to work on their own vehicles. Not Mitsuaki. He decides that being a student is enough work for him.

身爲一個車主，三和木必須負責維修他的車子，他知道定期作保養檢查可以預防許多嚴重的問題發生。不過，不管多麼小心地保養，所有的車子有時候都必須修理。很多美國人把他們的車子送到車廠保養和修理；有些人則喜歡自己動手修車。但三和木可不這麼做。他覺得當一個學生已經夠他忙的了。

Driving is to Americans what flying is to birds. It's almost part of their nature. For many Americans, being behind the wheel is like their natural habitat. But if they don't drive carefully, they can become an endangered species.

開車對美國人的必要性，就像鳥兒需要飛翔一樣，幾乎就是他們天性的一部份。對許多美國人而言，「坐在方向盤後面」就像是他們自然棲息之處。不過，如果他們不小心開車的話，他們可就會變成瀕臨危險的動物了。