Where To, Buddy? 嘿！塔库西
- 详细资料
- 创建于 2006年9月18日
- 最后更新于 2023年12月18日
- 发布于 2011年11月23日
- 作者：Mike Lee
- 点击数：477
課文朗讀
課文中英文講解
They are ubiquitous and indispensable in today’s society. Anytime you need to get somewhere, you can just step up to the curb, raise your arm, and before long a bright yellow taxi will be in front of you. But before the driver asks, “Where to, buddy?” you might want to find out how taxis came to be.
在现代社会，它们随处可见、不可或缺。任何时候你想到某个地方，只要走到路边举手一挥，没多久一辆鲜黄色出租车就会出现在你眼前。但在司机问：「老兄，要去哪？」之前，你或许会想知道出租车的由来。
Taxis first began to operate in Paris and London in the early 17th century. Back then, they were nothing like those we see today. Instead, they were simply horse-drawn carriages. The era of the modern taxi really began in 1891, when German Wilhelm Bruhn invented the taximeter. It is a machine that calculates how much you pay for your ride, usually based on a combination of how far you go and how long it takes to get there. This is where the term taxi came from. It contains the word “tax,” which is another word for the “rate” you pay when you ride in a taxi.
计乘车最早出现在十七世纪初的巴黎及伦敦，不过当时的出租车还只是马车，和今日所见大不相同。现代版的出租车于1891年正式上路，当时德国人威尔罕．伯伦发明了计程码表，这种机器会根据乘客搭乘的距离和时间来计算所需的费用，这也就是「出租车」这个名词的由来。英文「taxi」一字中的「tax」是「rate」的同义字，代表乘客搭车时所付的费用。
In the early 20th century, taxi proliferated throughout the world. When radio dispatching started in the 1940s, it became even more convenient to get a cab. It’s almost like having a personal driver on call 24 hours a day! So the next time a “cabbie” strikes up a casual conversation, you’ll have a thing or two to tell him about where his booming business began!
二十世纪初期，出租车在世界各地盛行。1940年代开始有无线电派车后，搭出租车就更加方便了，就如同一天二十四小时都有私人司机在待命。所以下次出租车运将和你闲聊时，你就可以和他聊上几句，告诉他这门兴盛的行业是怎么来的。
−by Joe Henley
Vocabulary
ubiquitous [juˋbɪkwətəs] adj. 【正式或幽默】普遍存在的﹐无处不在的
indispensable [͵ɪndɪsˋpɛnsəb!] adj. 必不可少的
curb [kɝb] n. 路边，（人行道旁的）镶边石
proliferate [prəˋlɪfə͵ret] v.（使）激增；（使）扩散
booming [ˋbumɪŋ] adj. 景气好的；大受欢迎的
More Information
buddy [ˋbʌdɪ] n.【美】【俚】（用作称呼）老兄，老弟
step up: 走上前来 to come forward
before long: soon
back then 当时; 之前那个时候
carriage [ˋkærɪdʒ] n. 四轮马车
era [ˋɪrə] n. 时代；年代
taximeter [ˋtæksɪ͵mitɚ] n. 车费指示器
calculate [ˋkælkjə͵let] v. 计算
tax [tæks] v. 向……课税
dispatch [dɪˋspætʃ] v. 派遣
cab [kæb] n. 出租车
on call 随叫随到
cabbie [`kæbɪ] n.【非正式】出租车[出租车]司机
strike up: (与某人)开始(交往、认识、交谈等)(尤指偶然) to begin
casual [ˋkæʒʊəl] adj. 随便的，漫不经心的
Reading Questions
1. The era of the modern taxi began _____.
A. in the late 19th century
B. in the 1600s
C. before the invention of the taximeter
D. in the 1940s
2. What is the purpose of this article?
A. To show the need to eliminate taxis.
B. To show the convenience of taxis.
C. To talk about transportation in Paris and London
D. To inform readers of the history of taxis.
3. Which of the following statements can be inferred from the article?
A. The evolution of the taxi has been hundreds of years in the making.
B. Taxis are no longer needed in today’s society.
C. Radio dispatching making getting a taxi less convenient.
D. Paying for a taxi has nothing to do with the distance you travel.
Answer
|
1. ( A ) |
2. ( D ) |
3. ( A ) |