第四单元  访谈口译  ( Interpreting Interview )
赵丽颖的男朋友
4-1行在美国  ( Travel in America )
An interview to learn about travel and public transportation in the United States.
Q：据说美国是一个由汽车驱动的国家，美国人实际上是一个生活在轮子上的民族。你认为这是一种夸张的说法吗？(It is said that the United States is a country driven by automobiles, and Americans are actually a people living on wheels. Is this an exaggeration? )
A: This is basically a correct observation, which says something about the American way of life. Americans like to do business without leaving their cars. Wherever you go, you will see driven-in banks, driven-in restaurants, driven-in churches and driven-in movies.（这种看法基本上是正确的，它反映了美国人的生活方式。美国人喜欢开车办事。你到处可以看到“免下车”银行、“免下车”餐馆、“免下车”教堂和“免下车电影院。）
Q：如果我以游客的身份访问美国，我可以在美国境内开车吗？( If I visit United States with
a tourist’s visa, can I drive in the country? )
A: Yes, you can. When you drive in the United States, it’s a good idea to have an international drive’s license if you are a foreigner and don’t have a state license. Each of fifty states of the U.S. has its own traffic laws. Drivers are expected to know and understand the local laws even if they don’t live in a particular state. You can get information at a tourist information center when you cross the border into a different state.（你可以在美国开车。如果你是外国人，又没有某州的驾驶执照，可你想开车，那你最好携带一张国际驾驶执照。美国50个州都有各自的交通法规。即使外州来的开车人也应知晓当地的法律。你在穿越州界时可以在所到的那个州设立的旅游信息中心打听情况，索取资料。）
Q：在中国某些道路上开车，司机必须将自己的行车速度控制在标牌规定的限速内。美国是否也有限速？( In China, drivers have to drive under a posted speed limit on some roads. Is there any national speed limit in the U.S.? )
A: Yes. In most states, the speed limit on the expressway is 55 miles per hour, or about 8
因为我不知道下辈子能否遇到你8 kilometers per hour. On some roads, such as some state or federal expressways, there is a minimum speed of 40 miles per hour, or about 65 kilometers per hour.（是的。大多数州的高速公路限速为每小时55英里，约88公里时速。有些道路，如地方高速公路或州际高速公路，还规定行车时速不得低于40英里，约时速65公里。）
Q：我作为一名出公差来美国的旅行者，可没有必要为了旅行而去买一辆车。我想贵国一定有某种租车服务业吧？( As a visitor on a business trip, I don’t need to buy a car in order to travel in America. I suppose you have some kind of car rental service, don’t you? )
A: Of course we do. This country has the most developed car rental industry in the world. The two largest American car rental companies, Hertz and Avis, have offices all over the United States, with counters at most airports and in many international cities. Other national car rental companies that you can find at airports, such as Thrifty, National, Budget or Dollar, have offices in other countries too, so you may want to reserve a car through your travel agent in your own country.（那是自然。我国有世界上最发达的租车业。美国两家最大的租车公司Hertz和Avis在全美都设立了公司办事处，在大部分机场和许
多国际都市设有租车站。其他一些你在机场看到的全国性的租车公司如Thrifty、National、Budget、Dollar等也在其他国家设有租车办事处，所以你可以通过自己国内的旅行社办理租车预定事宜。）
Q：那么租车时我以什么方式来付款呢？( How do I pay for my rental service? )
A: In order to rent a car, you have to have a major credit card, such as MasterCard, Visa, or American Express. Without a credit card you may have to pay a very high deposit on the car. If you don’t want to pay a lot of money, you may rent used cars from used car rental companies, such as Rent-A-Junker and Ugly Duckling. Their rates are often lower and they don’t always demand a credit card. Sometimes they have special offers that make the total cost of renting a car even lower.（租车时你必须拥有一张大公司的信用卡，如“万事达”、“威萨”，或者“美国运通”。你若没有信用卡，也许得付一笔高额的押金。如果你不想花费太多的钱，也可以向Rent-A-Junker 和Ugly Duckling这类二手车租车公司租上一辆二手车。这类公司的收费往往比较低，而且也不一定非要用信用卡付款不可。有时它们还给顾客优惠价，这样租车费用就更加低了。）
Q：如果我没有驾照，那我怎样去其他城市呢？( If I don100周年建党贺词’t have a license, how do I travel between cities? )
A: There are three ways to travel from city to city without a car. In some places, you can take Amtrak, the national passenger rail service. Or you can take a bus. Greyhound is the largest long distance coach company, which offers the monthly pass. And, of course, you can fly. They are dozens of airlines, both regional and national. Prices are not regulated, so airlines can make special offers that are sometimes cheaper than train tickets. There are also shuttle and commuter flights between some major cities that are close to each other.（要是没有小汽车，你去其他城市可以搭乘三种交通工具。也有些地方，你可以乘坐全国客运火车Amtrak。不然的话你可以坐长途汽车，“灰狗长途汽车公司”是美国最大的长途汽车公司，有月票出售。当然啰，你也可以坐飞机旅行。美国有数十家国内、国际航空公司，全国没有统一的票价，所以航空公司可以自行削价，有时机票比火车票还便宜。一些相距不远的大城市之间也有穿梭于两地之间的航班。）
Q：听说美国城市的公共交通不尽如人意，有没有这回事？(I heard the city public transportation system in your country is not very desirable. Is that so? )
A: Well, I have to admit that getting around a city on public transportation is generally not as easy as it is in most other countries, but it is possible. Although only a few cities have subways, most towns with a population of 50,000 or more have some kind of city bus service.（这个嘛，我得承认美国市内公共交通通常没有大多数国家来得方便，但还是有车可乘。虽然有地铁的城市寥寥无几，但是人口在五万或以上的城镇都有某种巴士服务站。）
Q：万一坐巴士或地铁到不了我想要去的地方怎么办呢？(What do I do in case I can’t get where I want to by bus or subway?)
A: You can always take a cab. You can stop a cab on the street, but that’s not easy in many cities. It’s actually easier to call a taxi company listed in the Yellow Pages of a telephone directory and ask them to send a cab to your door. American taxi drivers will usually expect a tip of at least 10%. In big cities like New York, cabbies expect a tip of 15%.（你总可以坐出租车。虽然你可以在街上叫出租车，但在许多城市，沿街打车却不太容易。比较方便的做法通常是按电话号码簿黄页部分所提供的号码打电话给出租车公司，
美国电话号码让他们派车上门。通常美国出租车司机希望得到车费10%以上的小费。纽约这类大城市的出租车司机期望客人给他们15%的小费。）
Q：十分感谢您所提供的情况。(Thank you very much for the information.)
A: You’re welcome.（不用谢。）
句子精炼 ( Sentences in Focus )
1.This is basically a correct observation, which says something about the American way of life. 这种看法基本上是正确的，它反映了美国人的生活方式。
2.Each state has its own traffic laws, and a driver from another state is expected to know and understand the local law.各州都有自己的交通法规，外州来的开车者应该了解当地的法规。
3.My country has the most developed car rental industry in the world, so you may very well want to reserve a car through your travel agent in your own country if you intend to dr
ive while travelling in my country.我国有世界上最发达的租车业，你若打算在我国开车旅行，完全可以通过自己国家的旅行社办理租车预定事宜。
4.Airfare in this country is not regulated, and airlines often make special offers in order to attract customers.这个国家没有统一的飞机票价，各航空公司经常以竞相削价的方式来吸引更多的游客。
5.It’s actually easier to call a taxi company listed in the Yellow Pages of a telephone directory and ask them to send a cab to pick you up at your doorstep.事实上一种较为便利的做法是按电话簿黄页部分所列的出租车公司的号码打电话叫车，让他们派车上门来接你。
>王乃恩丑闻