China Goes Car Crazy

　　In late April, as authorities in Beijing mobilized to contain the SARS virus, 33 -yearold Li Yang climbed into her red Suzuki Alto and headed west. Slipping out of the city hours ahead of a government quarantine 1, she" just kept going to see how far I could get. "Six days and 1, 600 miles later, she arrived in Lhasa, the Tibetan capital. Thrilled and exhausted, she posted a notice on the Internet, documenting her adventure with digital photos and appealing for a companion to share the drive home.

　　For centuries such freedom of movement has been unimaginable in China . In feudal times, poverty, bad roads, and imperial edict confined subjects of the Middle Kingdom to the villages where they were born. Now all that is changing. After nearly a quarter century of economic liberalization, car ownership is suddenly within reach of millions of ordinary Chinese. As incomes rise, new car prices plummet2, and the government adds new roadways, China's 1. 3 billion inhabitants are eager to trade their bicycles for a faster set of wheels. In 2002 passenger car sales topped one million for the first time. In the first six months of first year ( 2003 ), China's new car sales surge 85% over the same period last year.

　　The profusion of cars has launched a new cultural revolution, transforming Chinese life and society in ways that bear surprising resemblance to what happened in American 50 years ago. The most obvious change is the traffic. Beijing's broad boulevards are now choked with cars at rush hour. In Shanghai the bridges and tunnels crossing the Huangpu River are so congested that a cab ride from one side to the other can be an hour-long ordeal. To prevent gridlock, the Shanghai city government auctions a limited number of new car license plates each month. Nevertheless, demand has soared, driving the minimum successful bid to more than 4, 000 . Even with these restrictions, the number of gas-guzzling vehicles on Chinese roads is multiplying so fast it poses a grave threat to the environment and could reshape the global economics of oil.

　　Beijing now boasts the drive-in3 movie theaters. Prospering yuppie4 SUV5 owners band together of off-road excursions to the Great Wall. Some have organized weekend drag races. The newsstands display a riot of motor magazines, where readers can ogle domestic and import models. Private -car ownership has spawned a new class of commuters, 162 too, who motor to downtown office towers from spacious, modern homes in the suburbs.

　　" I enjoy the drive, "says the manager for a Dutch food additives company, of the 30-minut-trip to his office in central Shanghai. He lives with his wife and infant son in a gated community with a familiar name : Long Island. The grounds are immaculately landscaped, and the homes come in French, Italian, and English Tudor model."It would be probably be cheaper to ride a taxi every day, "he confides."But this way I have more freedom. "

　　练习题：

　　Ⅰ. Choose correct answers to the question:

　　1. Why did she post a notice on the Internet?

　　A. To document her adventure . B. To ask for help.

　　C. To appeal for a companion. D. To show off her bravery.

　　2. In feudal times, what confined people to the villages where they were born?

　　A. Poverty. B. The feudal government.

　　C. Their reluctance to leave home. D. Bad roads.

　　Ⅱ. Match word with its Chinese equivalent:

　　1. quarantine A. 雅皮士

　　2. plummet B.“免下车”电影

　　3. drive-in movie C. 隔离区

　　4. yuppie D. 下跌, 快速落下

　　答案：

　　Ⅰ. 1. A. C 2. A. B. D

　　Ⅱ. 1 . C 2. D 3. B 4. A

　　参考译文：

　　中国为车狂

　　2003年5月末, 北京官方动员抗击非典时, 33岁的李扬开动她的红色铃木奥托在北京被隔离前数小时开始西行。车子悄悄溜出城市, 远离隔离区, 她“ 只是想试试逃离, 看自己能走多远”。历经6天, 她跑了1600英里后, 到达了西藏的省会拉萨。极度兴奋和疲劳之余, 她在网上刊登数码照片叙述了她异乎寻常的经历, 寻求一起驾车回家的同伴。

　　在中国, 几个世纪以来, 这样的来去自由是无法想象的。在封建时代, 穷困的生活、坎坷的道路、专横的法令将中世纪王国的臣民禁锢在自己出生的小村庄。现在一切都在改变 。经过二十多年的改革开放, 私家车已进入成千上万的寻常百姓家。收入增加, 新车价格暴跌, 政府兴建道路, 使中国的13 亿国民急切地把他们的自行车换成四轮汽车。2002年轿车的销售量首次到了100万辆。2003年的上半年, 汽车销量比去年同期上升了85% 。

　　汽车的普及引发了一场新的文化革命, 这种生活方式和社会的变化和50年前的美国有惊人的相似之处。最明显的变化就体现在交通状况上。北京的林荫大道上, 上下班高峰时间里车满为患。在上海, 交通严重堵塞时, 通过黄浦江的大桥和隧道要花上几小时。为了防止交通堵塞, 上海政府每个月限量拍卖车牌号。然而, 购车欲望远远得不到满足, 车牌号最低标价涨到了4000美元。即便如此, 公路上耗油的汽车仍然在成倍增长, 它们威胁到了环境, 甚至会重塑全球的石油经济。

　　现在北京正兴起“ 免下车”电影院。富有的雅皮士们组队驾驶越野车到长城做短途旅行。有些人则每个周末组织汽车赛。报刊亭里各色的汽车杂志上面刊登着各色国产或进口样车的图片, 读者可以一饱眼福。有车族形成了新型的通勤阶层。他们开车从郊区宽敞、现代的家到市中心的办公室。丹麦某食品添加剂公司的经理说:“ 我喜欢驾30分钟的车到上海市中心办公。”他和他的妻子以及襁褓中的儿子住在一个被冠名为“ 长岛”的封闭式社区里。周边的景色美化得无可挑剔, 房屋有法式的、意大利式的和英国都铎式的。“ 可能每天打的士更便宜, ”他坦言:“ 但是这样我更自由。”