Double-decker Buses 伦敦的双层巴士
Andrea: They’re iconic.
Jean: Iconic具有象征意义的。
Andrea: As well as practical.
Jean: 是的，伦敦人每天都要用到它。
Andrea: They’re the famous double-decker buses! Hello. I’m Andrea.
Jean: 大家好，我是董征。
Andrea: We’ve had a question from Livia Zhang in Chengdu who wants to know why London is famous for its double-decker buses.
Jean: 好，为了回答这个问题，我们专门采访了伦敦交通博物馆的馆长David Bownes。
Insert
Double-decker buses are synonymous with England and with Britain moregenerally. don’t really exist anywhere else in the world except where London buses have been sent out, often as part of goodwill tours of the United States and other countries as well. The first very successful and practical London double-decker was introduced in about 1910.
Andrea: David says that double-decker buses are synonymous with England and Britain.
Jean: Synonymous 同义词的。还有其它说到英国最具代表性的是比如，伦敦的红色电话亭、黑色出租车，当然还有英国女皇！
Andrea: Not only are they synonymous with London but they don’t exist anywhere else in the world. You can’t find them in any other city.
Jean: 有的时候，这些伦敦的象征物只有在举行goodwill tours 友好巡演的时候大家才能看得到。
Andrea: It was in 1910 that the very first one appeared on the streets of
London. Gosh, they’ve been around for quite some time!
Jean: 而时至今日，伦敦的双层大巴士已经不仅仅是带着游客游览伦敦风景了，现在他们又有了一些新的用途！
Insert
One period where they did appear on the Continent was during the First World War, when London red double-decker buses were sent out to ferry the troops to and from the railheads to the trenches.
Andrea: They could be found on the Continent or in Europe during the First World War. They were used to ferry the troops.
Jean: Ferry也有用交通工具输送的意思。To ferry people去输送人。
Andrea: So red double-deckers have a very long and interesting history.
Jean: 不过为什么那些叫做Routemaster 的这种伦敦双层巴士现在逐渐被取缔了呢？
Andrea: Yes, Routemasters are no longer found in London. You used to be able to hop on and hop off them all over the city.
Insert
The Routemaster isn’t a very convenient bus if you have a buggy or if you are physically impaired, physically disabled – because it’s quite a difficult bus to get on and off. There’s limited space, it requires a two-man operation and also the fleet is very old.
Andrea: Did you manage to hear all the disadvantages?
Jean: Yes, I did Andrea. 首先，如果你推了一辆童车，那就没法做这种Routemaster双层巴士。
Andrea: They’re also not good for people who are disabled, because you have to hop on and off quite quickly. David also says that there is limited space inside them. They are quite small inside.
Jean: 而且一辆车要有两个工作人员在车上they require a two-person operation. 一头是一个开车的司机，另一头还要有一个负责收钱的售票员。
Andrea: And lots of people like to dodge the fares.
Jean: 是的，不少人喜欢逃票。
Andrea: And finally David explains that the Routemaster buses were very old. A group of buses are referred to as a fleet of buses.
Jean: 这也就是为什么这种老式的Routemasters现在已经基本在伦敦街头绝迹了。现在伦敦街道上到处都有双层巴士，不过已经不是这种型号的了。
Andrea: What a shame because they’ve appeared in so many films!
Insert
The Routemaster, a bit like a Tube station, is often used to place in films. If James Bond or Bourne wants to be seen as being in London, there’s often a red bus that goes by. And they appear in films like Spice World, and there was recently that modified blue version of the Routemaster in the Harry Potter film.
Jean: David给我们介绍说，很多电影里都是通过这种双层大巴来体现拍摄的城市是在伦敦，像《007》和《谍影重重》这些影片在伦敦的镜头里都有这种双层大巴，让人一看就知道是在伦敦。
Andrea: Long live the double-decker bus! Until the next time, it’s goodbye from both of us at BBC Learning English. Bye!
Jean: Bye!
英语单词小笔记：
1. iconic 偶像型的
2. synonymous 同义词的
3. to ferry people 去运载人
4. dodge the fares 逃票
5. goodwill tour 友好访问游行