英文原版对话1000个:1172 Road Regulations

 　　Julia: OK, Nathan. So we're talking about driving and are there any rules or regulations that you'd like to change?

 

　　Nathan: You know what, Jules, that an interesting question. I'm not sure that I want to change rules but I'd like the police to be stricter on the rules. Like if people jump the traffic lights, I don't know why there isn't a camera at every set of traffic lights just to stop people from doing that, you know. Or like speeding. It's very, very easy to put speed cameras in places but people seem to think that it's OK like the speed limit is the minimum¹ speed.

 

　　Julia: Maybe the car manufacturers² should have some responsibility then in maybe limiting their engine. What's the point in producing an engine that's big enough and powerful enough that you can go like two hundred kilometres an hour when the speed limits are only...have you ever driven in Germany where they don't have speed limits?

 

　　Nathan: I've been to Germany and been a passenger in a car but not driven, no.

 

　　Julia: I've been a passenger on the autobahns. I really enjoyed it actually.

 

　　Nathan: Yeah. Is that because you're a speed demon³ - adrenaline freak?

 

　　Julia: I like the freedom.

 

　　Nathan: Right.

 

　　Julia: And I think it takes away a lot of the road rage⁴ element.

 

　　Nathan: Right.

 

　　Julia: I think people do drive responsibly. Often people break laws simply because the laws are there, you know. If the law isn't there, people drive within their ability range so the autobahns they're, as far as I know, I think they have a high safety rate.

 

　　Nathan: Oh really?

 

　　Julia: Yeah, they have less accidents because when you've got speed limits this creates situations that actually present dangers on the road.

 

　　Nathan: Do those people then maybe I guess in Germany they maybe have better education about self responsibility when driving maybe?

 

　　Julia: Possibly. They also have very good cars, very safe cars.

 

　　Nathan: Right.

 

　　Julia: And you know if you've got like a Porsche or something that can go at that speed then it's so nice to be able to do that.

 

　　Nathan: Use it properly?

 

　　Julia: Yeah, and safely because you know there's not going to be somebody in that outside lane⁵ obeying the speed limit to the letter who's going to present a danger to you. You're free, you can go at the speed you want. If there's people that want to drive slow, they have a lane that they can drive more slowly in.

 

　　Nathan: Yeah.

 

　　Julia: So it kind of balances out. I think it's the restrictions⁶ that create the danger sometimes, based on the autobahns.

 

　　Nathan: OK.

 

　　Julia: Obviously⁷ driving through a residential⁸ area or where there's a school you've got to have, but I think those things we have in the UK, those speed policemen.

 

　　Nathan: Speed bumps⁹.

 

　　Julia: Those speed bumps that force you to slow down, I think they're a good idea and perhaps the way to go.

 

　　Nathan: To go, so you don't think fining people is useful?

 

　　Julia: Not really, no, because that relies on the police time and the police don't have time to police every single driver all the time and do that.

1 minimum   

adj.最低的，最小的；n.最小量，最低限度

参考例句：

• What is the minimum price?最低价是多少？
• Today's minimum temperature is 10℃.今天的最低气温是10℃。

2 manufacturers   

制造商，制造厂( manufacturer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The manufacturers in some countries dumped their surplus commodities abroad. 一些国家的制造商向国外倾销过剩产品。
• Colour TV has been more aggressively promoted as more manufacturers have joined the competition. 由于更多的厂商参与竞争，推销彩色电视机的宣传更为激烈了。

3 demon   

n.魔鬼，恶魔

参考例句：

• The demon of greed ruined the miser's happiness.贪得无厌的恶习毁掉了那个守财奴的幸福。
• He has been possessed by the demon of disease for years.他多年来病魔缠身。

4 rage   

vi.(烈火)熊熊燃烧；发怒；怒斥；季风

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• Haines got into a rage.海恩斯勃然大怒。

5 lane   

n.(乡间)小路(巷)；车(跑，泳)道；航道

参考例句：

• There is a shop at the end of this lane.这条胡同的顶头有一家商店。
• The champion is running in lane five.冠军跑在第五跑道上。

6 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

7 obviously   

adv.显然；明白地

参考例句：

• Obviously they were putting him to a severe test.显然他们是在给他以严峻的考验。
• Obviously he was lying.显然他是在撒谎。

8 residential   

adj.提供住宿的；居住的；住宅的

参考例句：

• The mayor inspected the residential section of the city.市长视察了该市的住宅区。
• The residential blocks were integrated with the rest of the college.住宿区与学院其他部分结合在了一起。

9 bumps   

碰撞( bump的名词复数 )； 肿块； 轻微撞车事故； 隆起物

参考例句：

• I had goose bumps when we watched the fireworks. 我们看烟火的时候，我起鸡皮疙瘩。
• E was kind of zig-zagging across the pavement, and I bumps into 'im accidental-like. 他有点歪歪斜斜地在人行道上走，我一不小心撞到了他的怀里。 来自英汉文学