美語情景對話 第1066期:Life Without Cars 沒有汽車的生活

Abidemi: So Jeremy, you don't have a car now but you had a car when you were younger. How do you find that?

阿比德米：傑里米，你現在沒有車，不過你年輕時有過一輛車。你感覺怎麼樣？

Jeremy: Well, I mean, the reason I don't have a car now is because of money. I can't afford a car at this point. But it's been many years since I actually owned a car. And I've gotten really used to taking public transit. And when you don't have a car for several years, you just get used to it and then I can sort of justify it to myself saying, "Well, I'm doing my part for the environment. I'm not emitting all those emissions onto the atmosphere, so this is small, small part for the world." But then when I think about how I can't take a road trip up into the mountains or go to the ocean or just enjoy my freedom, or I can't have 15 minutes where I get to listen to my own music and sing along in the car or just have that time to spend to myself, I really, really miss it, honestly. Some of my best times from my youth were actually just driving around with my friends. And I don't get that anymore. And even just to go out and pick something up from the supermarket on a rainy day, I don't have that convenience anymore. I mean, it's not the worst in the world not having a car but sometimes, I really, really miss it. What about you, Abidemi? I know you have transit—or you have transportation now. How do you enjoy that?

傑里米：我現在沒有車是因爲我沒錢。目前我買不起車。很多年以前，我有一輛車。現在我已經習慣於乘坐公共交通工具了。我已經很多年都沒有車了，所以我已經習慣沒有車的生活了，而且我可以給自己找個理由，“我是在爲保護環境貢獻自己的力量。我沒有把排放物排放到空氣中，這是爲世界貢獻了微薄的力量。”但是一想到我不能進行公路旅行，不能開車去山區或是海邊玩，不能享受那種自由，不能在車裏度過邊聽音樂邊跟着唱的那15分鐘，我真的很享受那種獨自度過的時間，說實話我很懷念那段時期。我青年時期一些最美好的時光就是開車和朋友們出去玩的那段時光。現在我再也不能享受這種美好了。而且，下雨天外出或是去超市買東西，也很不方便。沒有車並不是最糟糕的事情，可是有時我很想念有車的那段時光。你呢，阿比德米？我知道你現在有交通工具。你享受這種生活嗎？

Abidemi: That's true. I think my story is the opposite of yours actually, Jeremy. For the longest time, I didn't have a car or transportation. All I had was my bike or walking everywhere. And although I enjoyed that, I envied my friends who had cars and could just take off at any moment, go wherever they wanted to. Now I have a scooter and I absolutely love it. I would prefer a car on some days, it's true, on those days or when it's really cold and I need the heat of a car. But the convenience of having my scooter and the fact that it's so cheap. I can go anywhere, anytime. I don't have to look for parking. The parking is free. I can leave it on the side the road somewhere and find it there and don't have to pay for parking. Yeah, I really enjoy that. And it just feels cooler. I think wherever I live, wherever I go now, I would—even if I do buy a car someday, I would always want to have a scooter or a motorbike because it's just something—I don't know, exciting.

阿比德米：沒錯。我的生活和你完全相反，傑里米。很長一段時間以來，我沒有車，也不乘坐公共交通。以前我外出會騎自行車或是走路。雖然我很享受這種生活，可是我也很羨慕那些有車的朋友，他們可以隨時出發，去任何他們想去的地方。現在我有一輛小型摩托車，我非常喜歡它。不過說實話，有些日子我更希望我能有輛汽車，比如天氣很冷的時候，我很需要車裏的暖氣。不過有輛小型摩托車也很方便，而且很便宜。我可以在任何時間去任何地方。我不用找停車場。停車是免費的。我可以把我的摩托車放在路邊，不用交停車費。我很享受這點。而且感覺更酷。我認爲無論我生活在哪裏，無論我去哪裏，即使有一天我會買輛車，我也希望有一輛小型摩托車或是摩托車，因爲我感覺這令人感到興奮。

Jeremy: As a scooter driver though, do you ever feel intimidated by the cars on the road? I mean, is it dangerous do you think driving a scooter around?

傑里米：你在路上騎小型摩托車時，有沒有被汽車嚇倒？我是問，你有沒有覺得騎小型摩托車很危險？

Abidemi: That is a very good question. It's true. When you talk about road rage, people being—road rage is one thing when it's car versus car. But when you're on a scooter and you can't go as fast as the other drivers, and they are behind you. Although, they're very polite, sometimes, they don't honk but you can feel them coming behind you. So I try to drive as close to the edge as possible. At times, I just had to pull over because I don't want you to hit me. I know you want to get to where you want to go and you're faster than me. So I just pull to the side, let the car pass and just go my way. So it's true. It is safety. You have to be really safe and conscientious and just have to pay attention to what you're doing.

阿比德米：這是一個非常好的問題。沒錯。在談到路怒時，汽車之間產生問題時，通常會引發路怒。不過小型摩托車的速度沒有汽車那麼快，汽車一直從後面趕上來。雖然他們很有禮貌，他們沒有按喇叭，可是能感覺到後面的汽車。所以我在騎摩托車時儘量靠近路邊。有時，我不得不把車停在路邊，因爲我不想被車撞到。我知道他們有想去的地方，而且他們的速度比我快。所以我就把我的小型摩托車停在路邊，讓汽車先過去，然後我再繼續往前騎。沒錯。安全很重要。一定要保證安全，要謹慎，注意自己的行爲。

Jeremy: Sounds like you have the right attitude as a scooter driver.

傑里米：聽起來作爲小型摩托車駕駛者有很端正的態度。

Abidemi: I try. I try. I want to be safe.

阿比德米：我儘量，儘量。我想確保安全。

Jeremy: Yeah.

傑里米：對。

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重點講解：
1. get used to sth./doing sth. 開始習慣於；
例句：You'll have to get used to his direct manner.
你得慢慢習慣他這種直率的方式。
2. even if 即使；儘管；縱然；
例句：Next time I will not miss it even if it is amateur.
下次比賽，即便是業餘的，我也不會放過。
3. pull over （車）駛向路邊停下；（駕車者）靠路邊停車；
例句：I guess we had better pull over.
我想我們最好靠邊停車。
4. pay attention to 關心；注意；
例句：You must pay attention to your teacher in the class.
上課的時候必須專心聽老師講課。