44_Speed_and_Comfort

44 Speed and Comfort

原文译文

People travelling long distances frequently have to decide whether they would prefer to go by land, sea, or air. Hardly anyone can positively enjoy sitting in a train for more than a few hours. Train compartments soon get cramped and stuffy. It is almost impossible to take your mind off the journey. Reading is only a partial solution, for the monotonous rhythm of the wheels clicking on the rails soon lull you to sleep. During the day, sleep comes in snatches. At night, when you really wish to go to sleep, you rarely manage to do so. If you are lucky enough to get a sleeper, you spend half the night staring at the small blue light in the ceiling, or fumbling to find your ticket for inspection. Inevitably you arrive at your destination almost exhausted. Long car journeys are even less pleasant, for it is quite impossible even to read. On motorways you can, at least, travel fairly safely at high speeds, but more often than not, the greater part of the journey is spent on roads with few service stations and too much traffic. By comparison, ferry trips or cruises offer a great variety of civilized comforts. You can stretch your legs on the spacious decks, play games, meet interesting people and enjoy good food--always assuming, of course, that the sea is calm. If it is not, and you are likely to get seasick, no form of transport could be worse. Even if you travel in ideal weather, sea journeys take a long time. Relatively few people are prepared to sacrifice holiday time for the pleasure of travelling by sea.

Aeroplanes have the reputation of being dangerous and even hardened travellers are intimidated by them. They also have the disadvantage of being an expensive form of transport. But nothing can match them for speed and comfort. Travelling at a height of 30, 000 feet, far above the clouds, and at over 500 miles an hour is an exhilarating experience. You do not have to devise ways of taking your mind off the journey, for an aeroplane gets you to your destination rapidly. For a few hours, you settle back in a deep armchair to enjoy the flight. The real escapist can watch a film and sip champagne on some services. But even when such refinements are not available, there is plenty to keep you occupied. An aeroplane offers you an unusual and breathtaking view of the world. You soar effortlessly over high mountains and deep valleys. You really see the shape of the land. If the landscape is hidden from view, you can enjoy the extraordinary sight of unbroken cloud plains that stretch out for miles before you, while the sun shines brilliantly in a clear sky. The journey is so smooth that there is nothing to prevent you from reading or sleeping. However you decide to spend your time, one thing is certain: you will arrive at your destination fresh and uncrumpled. You will not have to spend the next few days recovering from a long and arduous journey.

出远门的人常常需要决定是走旱路、水路，还是坐飞机。很少有人能够真正喜欢坐几个小时以上的火车。车厢很快就变得拥挤、闷热，想摆脱开旅途的困扰是很难的。看书只能解决部分问题。车轮与铁轨间单调的嘎喳声很快就会送你进入梦乡。白天是忽睡忽醒，到了夜晚，你真想睡了，却很难入睡。即使你走运弄到一个卧铺，夜间有一半时间你会盯着车顶那盏小蓝灯而睡不着觉；要不然就为查票摸索着找车票。一旦抵达目的地，你总是疲惫不堪。乘长途汽车旅行则更加不舒服，因为连看书都几乎不可能。在公路上还好，你至少能以相当快的速度安全地向前行。但旅行的大部分时间都花在路上，而且只有很少的服务设施，交通也很拥挤。相比之下，坐船旅行或环游可以得到文明世界的各种享受。你可以在甲板上伸展四肢、做游戏，还能也很见到各种有趣的人，能享用各种美味佳肴——当然，这一切只有在大海风平浪静的情况下才有可能。如果大海肆虐起来，你就可能晕船，那种难受劲儿是任何一种别的旅行的方式都不会带来的。即使风平浪静，坐船旅行也要占用很长时间。没有多少人会为享受坐船旅行的乐趣而牺牲假期的时间。

飞机以危险而著称，连老资格的旅行者也怕飞机。飞机另一个缺点是昂贵。但就速度与舒适而言，飞机是无与伦比的。腾云驾雾，在30,000英尺的高空以500英里的时速旅行，这种经历令人心旷神怡。你根本不用想办法去摆脱旅途的困扰，因为飞机会迅速地把你送到目的地。几小时之内，你躺在扶手椅上，享受着旅途的欢乐。真正会享受的人还可以在某些航班上看一场电影和喝香槟。即使没有这些消遣条件，也总是有事可做。飞机上，你可以观察世界上非同寻常的奇妙的美景。你毫不费劲地飞越高山幽谷，你确能饱览大地的风貌。如果这种景色被遮住了，你便可以观赏一下展现在你面前的、一望数英里的、连绵不断的云海，同时阳光灿烂，天空清澈明朗。旅途平稳，丝毫不妨碍你阅读或睡眠。不管你打算如何消磨时间，有件事是可以肯定的，即当你抵达目的地时，你感到精神焕发，毫无倦意，用不着因为漫长的旅途的辛苦而花几天时间休息来恢复精神。

Words

• positively /ˈpɑzətɪvli/ adv. 完全地
  1. She could positively get into a panic when unforeseen changes happen.
  2. You can console yourself that you could positively make a quick recovery.
• cramped /kræmpt/ adj. 窄小的
  1. Taking the cramped living conditions into account, the family decided to find a bigger home.
  2. It seems that her kitchen was small and cramped.
  3. It was beyond me how they managed to fit so many people into such a cramped meeting room.（L41）
• stuffy /ˈstʌfi/ adj. 憋气的
  1. They opened the windows in the stuffy room so that fresh air could come in.
  2. He went to great lengths to prove that the stuffy office environment was negatively affecting his productivity.
• monotonous /məˈnɑtənəs/ adj. 枯燥的
  1. At the same time, the monotonous sound of the rain hitting the roof brought a sense of calm.（L43）
  2. His eyes lit up at the mere mention of a new adventure, as he was so eager to escape the monotonous task.（L11&L41）
• rhythm /ˈrɪðəm/ n. 有节奏的运动
  1. It has long been known that finding the rhythm in the music and moving accordingly is very important in dancing.
• clicking /ˈklɪkɪŋ/ v. 发出咔咔声
  1. As the meeting drew to a close, the participants clicked their pens shut and left the room.
  2. The sound of high heels clicking on the floor woke me up at midnight, which made my hair stand on end.
• lull /lʌl/ v. 催人欲睡
  1. The sound of the rain lulled me to sleep in the process of reading a monotonous book.
  2. The calming music in the background was supposed to lull me to sleep, but my mind was still conscious.
• snatches /ˈsnætʃɪz/ n. 短时
  1. I always sleep in snatches whenever I stay in noisy neighborhood.
  2. It’s true that sleep came in snatches last night, but I still felt relaxed today.
• sleeper /ˈslipɚ/ n. 卧铺
  1. It’s silly of me to get a sleeper for such a short trip.
  2. He had to overcome a lot of obstacles to get a sleeper.
• fumbling /ˈfʌmbəlɪŋ/ v. 乱摸
  1. He stopped to fumble with the lock on the door, trying to open it in the dark.
  2. The sad truth is that the student who fumbled through his notes during the exam failed to find the answer he needed.
• inspection /ˌɪnˈspɛkʃən/ n. 检查
  1. The equipment is being prepared for inspection before it can be used.
  2. There was a chance that the product would be chosen for inspection.
• Inevitably /ˌɪˈnɛvətəbli/ adv. 必然地
  1. The strict training program inevitably conditions athletes to push their bodies to the limit.
  2. It is inevitably important to insure your valuable possessions against theft.
• exhausted /ɪɡˈzɔstɪd/ v. 精疲力尽
  1. We were exhausted from sweeping up the leaves in the yard.
  2. He was exhausted from studying for his exams all night.
• motorways /ˈmotɚˌwez/ n. 快车道
  1. I wish there were more rest areas along the motorway for drivers to take breaks during long journeys.
  2. The workers had to haul the damaged car out of the motorway after the accident.
• ferry /ˈfɛri/ n. 渡船
  1. The cat was perched on the edge of the ferry, curiously watching the waves below.
  2. As the storm approached, the passengers on the ferry looked on anxiously, hoping for a safe journey.
• cruises /ˈkruzɪz/ n. 巡游船
  1. Let's plan to go on a cruise for our next vacation. It'll be so much fun!
  2. I can't wait to go on a cruise with my friends and relax on the deck while watching the sunset.
• spacious /ˈspeʃəs/ adj. 宽敞的
  1. She switched on all the lights in the spacious room.
  2. The basketball rebounded off the walls of the spacious gym.
• seasick /ˈsiˌsɪk/ adj. 晕船
  1. It has never been explained why some people are more likely to get seasick than others.（L40&L9）
  2. The ship swerved to avoid a coming boat, which caused many passengers to feel seasick.（L39）
• intimidated /ˌɪnˈtɪmɪˌdetɪd/ v. 恐吓
  1. He never seems to be intimidated by anything.
  2. I can’t conceal the fact that I was intimidated by the big occasion.
  3. She was intimidated by what she saw on the promontory.
• disadvantage /ˌdɪsədˈvæntɪdʒ/ n. 缺点
  1. Driving at a fantastic speed has the disadvantage of easily causing accidents.
  2. It has long been known that working late hours has the disadvantages of affecting your health.
• exhilarating /ɪɡˈzɪlɚˌetɪŋ/ adj. 令人兴奋的
  1. We’ve just got some exhilarating news that the students would be rewarded with a scholarship.
  2. My first parachute jump, which I travelled miles to experience, was extremely exhilarating.
• escapist /ɪsˈkepɪst/ n. 逍遥者
  1. She is staring at an escapist who is reading science fiction novels.（L22&L24）
  2. It is clear that the beach attracts many escapists who seek relaxation and a break from their daily routine.
• sip /sɪp/ v. 啜
  1. Sarah insisted that we should sip the wine slowly to fully appreciate its flavor.
  2. He was anxious to sip the exotic cocktail at the bar.
• champagne /ʃæmˈpen/ n. 香槟
  1. Her sister reprimanded her for drinking too much champagne.
  2. He presented me with a bottle of champagne.
• refinements /rɪˈfaɪnmənts/ n. 精心的安排
  1. The new edition of the book includes a few refinements based on reader feedback.
  2. There is always hope that unexpected refinement will emerge.
• breathtaking /ˈbrɛθˌtekɪŋ/ adj. 激动人心的
  1. They were amazed to see the breathtaking view at the bottom of the valley.
  2. The hikers discovered a breathtaking waterfall by chance.
• soar /sɔr/ v. 翱翔
  1. As the hot air balloon soared above the city, I presumed that we would have a breathtaking view from up there.
  2. I often have the impulse to soar high above the city and escape from the world below.
• effortlessly /ˈɛfɚtləsli/ adv. 不费力的
  1. Towards the end of the race, the runner effortlessly overtakes his competitors to win the marathon.
  2. It seems odd that he could effortlessly play a complex piece of song on the piano.
• landscape /ˈlændˌskep/ n. 景色
  1. She took out her camera to capture the breathtaking landscape.
  2. At the mere mention of the mountain landscape, his eyes light up with excitement.（L41&L11）
• fresh /frɛʃ/ adj. 精神饱满的
  1. He was under the impression that he could stay up all night and still feel fresh in the morning.
• uncrumpled /ʌnˈkrʌmpld/ adj. 没有垮下来
  1. She emerged from the long flight looking surprisingly fresh and uncrumpled.
  2. After taking a short walk in the park, I felt fresh and uncrumpled.
  3. It is incredible to me that the athlete crossed the finish line, still looking fresh and uncrumpled.

Expressions

• lull sb. to sleep 哄某人入睡
• in snatches: for short periods 断断续续地
• get a sleeper 弄到卧铺
• be/feel exhausted from 因……而筋疲力尽
• go on a cruise 乘船巡游
• get/feel/be seasick 晕船
• be intimidated by 被……吓住
  1. By comparison, only two of the five men were acquainted with the suspect.
  2. By comparison, only the newest evidence presented in court will help to prove his innocence.
  3. By comparison, the first painting bears a stronger resemblance to the original artwork than the second one.
• have the disadvantage of doing 有做……的缺点
• take sb’s mind o sth. 让某人不再想某事
• comes in snatches 断断续续地到来
  1. It is not uncommon to hear that students’ concentration in class comes in snatches.
  2. During the camping trip, they had to make do with limited supplies, resulting in sleep coming in snatches.
  3. There is a definite relation between interrupted sleep and dreams coming in snatches.
• fumble to do sth. 笨拙地做某事
  1. She fumbled to answer her phone while waiting for the red light.
  2. She fumbled to find her notes while giving a presentation, which reduced her to tears in front of her colleagues.
  3. She fumbled to find her keys at the bottom of her bag.
• more often than not 往往；多半
  1. More often than not, I select from a variety of clothes when choosing what to wear in the morning.
  2. More often than not, I can't help crying when I watch a heartwarming movie.
  3. More often than not, we learn valuable lessons and gain experience through making mistakes.
• by comparison 相比之下
  1. By comparison, only two of the five men were acquainted with the suspect.
  2. By comparison, only the newest evidence presented in court will help to prove his innocence.
  3. By comparison, the first painting bears a stronger resemblance to the original artwork than the second one.
• stretch your legs 活动活动腿脚
• devise ways of doing sth. 想出做某事的方法
  1. We need to devise ways of hauling the heavy boxes off the truck.
  2. We need to devise ways of recovering the cost of the new equipment.
  3. In order to solve the mystery, the detective had to devise ways of connecting the dots between the seemingly unrelated clues.
• settle back 舒舒服服地坐好
• keep sb. occupied 使某人忙于
  1. With the advent of computer technology, people can easily keep themselves occupied with endless online games and social media platforms.
  2. He plotted to steal the jewels and keep the detective occupied with false information.
  3. A series of books kept the children occupied with adventure.
• recover from 从……恢复
  1. After receiving proper medical care and attention, the stray dogs finally recovered from their illness.
  2. The therapy served as a prelude to the patient's journey to recover from their painful experience.