37_The_Westhaven_Express
37 The Westhaven Express¶
We have learnt to expect that trains will be punctual. After years of conditioning, most of us have developed an unshakable faith in railway timetables. Ships may be delayed by storms; flights may be cancelled because of bad weather; but trains must be on time. Only an exceptionally heavy snow fall might temporarily dislocate railway services. It is all too easy to blame the railway authorities when something does go wrong. The truth is that when mistakes occur, they are more likely to be ours than theirs.
After consulting my railway timetable, I noted with satisfaction that there was an express train to Westhaven. It went direct from my local station and the journey lasted a mere hour and seventeen minutes. When I boarded the train, I could not help noticing that a great many local people got on as well. At the time, this did not strike me as odd. I reflected that there must be a great many people besides myself who wished to take advantage of this excellent service. Neither was I surprised when the train stopped at Widley, a tiny station a few miles along the line. Even a mighty express train can be held up by signals. But when the train dawdled at station after station, I began to wonder. It suddenly dawned on me that this express was not roaring down the line at ninety miles an hour, but barely chugging along at thirty. One hour and seventeen minutes passed and we had not even covered half the distance. I asked a passenger if this was the Westhaven Express, but he had not even heard of it. I determined to lodge a complaint as soon as we arrived. Two hours later, I was talking angrily to the station master at Westhaven. When he denied the train's existence, I borrowed his copy of the timetable. There was a note of triumph in my voice when I told him that it was there in black and white. Glancing at it briefly, he told me to look again. A tiny asterisk conducted me to a footnote at the bottom of the page. It said: 'This service has been suspended.'
我们已经习惯于相信火车总是准点的。经过多年的适应，大多数人对火车时刻表产生了一种不可动摇的信念。轮船船期可能因风暴而推延，飞机航班可能因恶劣天气而取消，唯有火车必然是准点的。只有非同寻常的大雪才可能暂时打乱铁路运行。因此，一旦铁路上真出了问题，人们便不加思索地责备铁路当局。事实上，差错很可能是我们自己，而不是铁路当局的。
我查看了列车时刻表，满意地了解到有一趟去威斯特海温的快车。这是趟直达车，旅途总共才需1小时17分钟。上车后，我不禁注意到许多当地人也上了车。一开始，我并不感到奇怪，我想除我之外，想利用快车之便的也一定大有人在。火车开出几英里即在一个小站威德里停了下来。对此，我不觉得奇怪，因为即便是特别快车也可能被信号拦住。但是，当火车一站接着一站往前蠕动时，我便产生了怀疑。我突然感到这趟快车并没以时速90英里的速度呼啸前进，而是卟哧卟哧地向前爬行，时速仅30英里。1小时17分过去了，走了还不到一半路程。我问一位乘客，这是不是开往威斯特海温的那趟快车，他说从未听说过有这么一趟快车。我决定到目的地后给铁路部门提意见。两小时后，我气呼呼地同威斯特海温站站长说起此事。他说根本没有这趟车。于是我借他本人的列车时刻表，我带着一种胜利者的调子告诉他那趟车白纸黑字、明明白白印在时刻表上。他迅速地扫视了一眼，让我再看一遍。一个小小的星形符号把我引向一个脚注。上面写着："此趟列车暂停运行。"
Words¶
- punctual /ˈpʌŋktʃuəl/ 准时的
- conditioning /kənˈdɪʃənɪŋ/ 习惯于
- unshakable /ənˈʃekəbəl/ 不可动摇的
- faith /feθ/ 信任
- exceptionally /ɪkˈsɛpʃənəli/ 例外地
- dislocate /ˈdɪsloket/ 打乱
- consulting /kənˈsʌltɪŋ/ 查阅
- reflected /rɪˈflɛktɪd/ 细想
- mighty /ˈmaɪti/ 强大地
- dawdled /ˈdɔdəld/ 慢吞吞地做
- chugging /ˈtʃʌɡɪŋ/ 咔擦咔擦地响
- lodge /lɑdʒ/ 提出
- triumph /ˈtraɪəmf/ 胜利
- asterisk /ˈæstərɪsk/ 星号
Expressions¶
- be punctual for 准时
- condition sb. to (do) sth. 使某人习惯于（做）某事
- sb. be conditioned to do sth. 某人习惯于做某事
- develop an unshakable belief/faith in 对……产生不可动摇的信念
- have/lose faith in sb. /sth. 对某人/某物有/失去信心
- blame sb./sth. for 因……责备某人/某物
- blame sth. on sb. 把某事归咎于某人
- consult the map/manual/dictionary 查阅地图/手册/词典
- go/fly direct 直达
- It is/seems odd that… ……很奇怪
- reflect that…. 思考；认为……
- reflect on sth. 反思某事
- lodge a complaint 提出投诉
- have/make/receive/lodge a complaint 提出/接到投诉
- a note of triumph 胜利的语气
- conduct sb. to 引领某人去
- It is all too easy to do sth. 做某事太容易了
- sb. noted with satisfaction that... 某人满意地注意到……
- can’t help doing… 忍不住做……
- strike sb as… 给某人……的印象
- take advantage of 利用
- wish to do 希望做
- hold up 耽搁；举着
- It dawned on me that … 我渐渐明白……
- roar down 呼啸而过
- not... but 不是……而是……
- hear of 听说
- copy of… ⼀份，⼀册，⼀张
- in black and white 白纸黑字; 以书面形式 in writing or in print
- at the bottom of 在……底部