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Kings of the Road 街头霸主，重现江湖

课文朗读

课文讲解

繁體中文譯本

Fatboy, Fireblade, Ninja, Hornet, Scorpion, Goldwing – just hearing the names of large motorbikes conjures up images of untamed beasts that beckon some of us to leather up, throw caution to the winds, and hit the open road in search of adventure.

Fatboy，Fireblade，Ninja，Hornet，Scorpion，Goldwing──光听这些重型机车的大名，脑中便浮现出凶残野兽的模样，牠们召唤我们一些人穿上皮衣，随风抛掉谨慎，骑上宽敞的马路寻求冒险。

For the Taiwanese, the mystique of the big bike has been heightened by a long period of unavailability. But since Taiwan’s recent WTO entry, leather-clad, iron-horse, fantasies have started to become a revved-up reality.

对台湾人来说，由于长年无法上路，重型机车的神秘感与日俱增。但自台湾前阵子加入世界贸易组织后，一身皮衣骑铁马的梦想已经开始成为催油驰骋的真实。

You can’t just saddle up though: In July 2002, the Ministry of Transportation came up with new motorcycle categories. “super-heavy-duty motorcycles and scooters” (bikes over 250 cubic centimeters) are now grouped in category three, and, to acquire a license, you must undergo a thirty-two-hour training course and have held a category-two license (for bikes under 250 cubic centimeters) for at least one year.

不过，你可不能就这样骑上去：去年七月，交通部提出新的机车分类。「大型重型机车」（汽缸排气量250cc以上机车）现在被划分为第三类，有意取得驾驶执照者必须接受32小时的训练课程，且必须已经拥有一年以上第二类机车（汽缸排气量250cc以下机车）的执照。

The national Police Administration has slightly muffled the cheers of bikers by still banning large motorcycles from highways (unlike in foreign countries) and not allowing them to directly turn left at intersections. Two-wheel enthusiasts are confident, however, that this spluttery period of integration will give birth to more reasonable laws in the future, when, if you’re looking for adventure, you really can just head out on the highway.

警政署已将机车骑士的欢呼声稍稍消了音，警方仍旧禁止重型机车上高速公路（与国外不同），也不准重型机车在十字路口直接左转。然而机车狂热份子们仍信心满满，相信这段杂乱的整合期将会替未来催生出更合理的法规，未来，如果你想冒险，也许真的只要骑上高速公路就可以啦。

Vocabulary

单词发音

ninja [ˋnɪndʒə] n.【日】忍者（受专门训练充当间谍、刺客的日本武士）

hornet [ˋhɔrnɪt] n.【昆】大黄蜂

conjure [ˋkʌndʒɚ] up 使呈现于脑际（或眼帘）；想起  to manage to think up or imagine someone or something in one's mind

untamed [ʌnˋtemd] adj. 未驯服的

beckon [ˋbɛkn] v.（招手或点头）向……示意；召唤

leather up 穿〔骑摩托车穿的〕皮革防护衣

throw caution to the winds 不顾一切; 鲁莽行事

mystique [mɪsˋtik] n. 神秘

heighten [ˋhaɪtn] v. 增加；提高

unavailability [ˋʌnə͵veləˋbɪlətɪ] n. 不可获得；达不到

clad [klæd] adj. 穿……衣服的；被……覆盖的

fantasy [ˋfæntəsɪ] n. 空想；幻想；梦想

revved-up 【口】跃跃欲试的

rev [rɛv] v.【口】（使）加速

saddle [ˋsæd!] up  给马上鞍, 备马

muffle [ˋmʌf!] v. 使〔声音〕减弱[低沉]

intersection [͵ɪntɚˋsɛkʃən] n. 道路交叉口；十字路口

spluttery [ˋsplʌtɚɪ] adj. 急促而慌乱的

splutter [ˋsplʌtɚ] v. 急促而慌乱地说话〔尤因生气或吃惊〕

integration [͵ɪntəˋgreʃən] n. 整合

give birth to 产生

head out【美】离开去某处；前往，向

Sentence of the Day

They might let it ride.

他们可能任其自生自灭。

let something ride【口】对某事物不(立即)采取进一步的行动

课文朗读

课文讲解 

Sid and Maggie are members of the Devil’s Delinquents, an American motorcycle club. They are thinking of setting up a chapter in Taipei:   席德和玛吉是美国一家机车俱乐部「恶魔罪犯」的成员。他们正在想，要不要在台北开家分部：

M: This city really needs some hogs on the streets. Except for the cops’ BMWs, all can hear are tiny little scooters whining like pre-pubertal brats!

这城市的街上真的得有一些哈雷才行。除了条子的BMW，我听到的全是小绵羊像发春前的臭小子一般呜咽。

S: It’s because private registration of big bikes was banned here in ’79 as part of an energy conservation drive; that ban then morphed into an effective trade barrier.

那是因为台湾为了因应节约能源运动，在1979年禁止私人拥有重型机车牌照；这项禁令随后转变成一道有效的贸易障碍。

M: Local scooter manufacturers must have made a killing! There are at least two scooters to every car.

台湾的机车厂一定削爆了！机车数量至少是汽车的两倍。

S: But, check this out: I did a bite of research and found out that big bikes are on the cusp of making a comeback.

可是你看看这个：我做了好些研究，发现重型机车卷土重来在即。

M: Must be because of Taiwan’s entry into the WTO. Well, such virgin territory’s just perfect for the first overseas chapter of the DDMC.

一定是因为台湾加入WTO的关系。嗯，这片处女地实在太适合DDMC把第一支海外分部设在这儿了。

S: So, come on! Let’s get a gang together and start burning up rubber on the asphalt of life!

那就快找一帮人，开始在生命的柏油路上风驰电掣吧！

M: Not so fast; foreigners need an international driver’s license with big-bike entitlement to ride legally on Taiwanese roads.

别那么赶；外国人得要有重型机车的国际驾照才能在台湾合法上路。

S: Maggie, my dear biker chick, since when have the Devil’s Delinquents cared about being legal?! We’re lawless road warriors – aaaaarrrrgghhhhhhh!

玛吉，我亲爱的飞车党小妞，咱们恶魔罪犯打什么时候开始在乎起合不合法了？！我们是目无法纪的街头勇士──啊啊（怒吼声）！

－by Nick wheeler

Vocabulary

单词发音

delinquent [dɪˋlɪŋkwənt] n. 青少年罪犯；违法者

chapter [ˋtʃæptɚ] n.【美】（俱乐部、协会等的）支部，分会

hog [hɑg] n.【俚】又重又大的摩托车

scooter [ˋskutɚ] n. 小轮摩托车

whine [hwaɪn] v.（狗等）发哀鸣声

pubertal ['pjubɝt!] adj. 青春期的

brat [bræt] n.【非正式】小坏蛋﹐ 淘气鬼

registration [͵rɛdʒɪˋstreʃən] n. 登记，注册，挂号

conservation [͵kɑnsɚˋveʃən] n. 节约; 防止浪费

drive [draɪv] n. 运动；宣传活动

morph [mɔrfə] v. 改变; 变化 [+into]

make a killing  大走财运; 鸿运亨通  to have a great success, especially in making money

cusp [kʌsp] n. 两条曲线的交点

rubber [ˋrʌbɚ] n. 橡胶；合成橡胶

burn rubber drive very fast

asphalt [ˋæsfɔlt] n. 沥青；柏油

entitlement [ɪnˋtaɪt!mənt] n.〔拥有或获得某物的〕权利; 津贴

chick [tʃɪk] n.【俚】少女；少妇；小妞

lawless [ˋlɔlɪs] adj. 不守法的; 不受法律控制的

Sentence of the Day

Let's hit the road.

我们上路吧。

hit the road【口】上路; 出发