行在美国

行在美国

一个关于了解在美国旅行以及美国公共交通系统的采访。

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 American are actually a people living on wheels. Is this an exaggeration?

A: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。

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’ll see drive-in banks, drive-in restaurants, drive-in churches and drive-in movies.

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 the United States with a tourist’s visa, can I drive in the country?

A:你可以在美国开车。如果你是外国人，又没有某个州的驾驶执照，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。Yes, you can. When you drive in the United States, it’s a good idea to have an international driver’s license if you are a foreigner and don’t have a state license. Each of the 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.

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: 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。

Yes. In most states, the speed limit on the expressway is 55 miles per hour, or about 88 kilometers per hour. On some roads, such as state or federal expressways, there is a minimum speed of 40 miles per hour, or about 65 kilometers per hour.

Q:我作为一名出差来美国的旅行者，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 on’t need to buy a car in order to travel in American. I suppose you have some kind of car rental service, don’t you?

A:那是自然的，我国有世界上最发达的租车业。美国的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都设有租车站。其他的一些全国性的租车公司如Thrifty、National、Budger、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订事宜。

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.

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: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，这样租车费用就更低了。

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 to pay a very high deposit on the car. If you don’t want to spend 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.

Q:如果我没有驾照，那我怎样去其他城市呢？

If I don’t have a license, how do I travel between cities?

A:要是没有小汽车，你去其他城市可以搭乘三种交通工具。在有些地方，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。当然咯，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，有时机票要比火车票还要便宜。一些相距不远的大城市之间也有穿梭于两地之间的航班。

There are three ways to get 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. There 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.

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:这个嘛，我得承认美国的市内公共交通通常没有大多数国家来得方便，但还是有车可坐。虽然有地铁的城市寥寥无几，但是人口在5万或以上的城镇都有某种巴士服务站。

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.

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:你可以坐出租车。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，让他们派车上门。通常美国的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。

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