Renting a Bike 租赁自行车
Yang Li: Hello and welcome to Ask About Britain. I'm Li.
Rob: And I'm Rob. Now Li, are you keen on cycling?
Yang Li: Well, I do like to ride a bike but not on the streets of London. It's too dangerous.
Rob: Well, if you ever feel brave enough, you could try the new 'rent a bike' scheme that has started in London.
Yang Li: 'Rent a bike' or cycle hire scheme. 自行车租赁项目已经在伦敦铺开，这也正是Alice 向我们提出的英国问答问题。
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I'm a high school student from NanJing. There have been 200 public bicycles put into use in our city since September. However, they are seldom used because of the high price.
I know that bicycles can also be hired in London. How can people use them? Has it become popular? Yours faithfully, Alice in NanJing Yang Li: 南京的Alice 说南京总共有200辆自行车开始投入租赁不过她觉得租费抬高，她想比较一下伦敦的情况。She wants to know more about the cycle hire scheme in London…
Rob: I think it's an interesting subject. Cycling has become a popular way to get around in London and this scheme encourages more people to give up their car and get more exercise.
Yang Li: Cycling is certainly a good way to get around 活动、旅行。But Rob, how does this scheme work?
Rob: Well, another Alice, this time from our team, is a big fan of the scheme. She has been telling me how it works and why she uses the bikes.
Yang Li: OK let's hear from Alice in our team and find out why she is a big fan of the bikes…
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I pick them up at the station and I can cycle anywhere I want to in half an hour and I didn't have to pay because I've already paid upfront for the year and I can leave it right outside where I work. I find it very convenient; it's like a special friend to me. We call them Boris bikes after the Mayor of London who decided we should have them in London.
Rob: So she calls them Boris bikes, after Boris Johnson who is the Mayor of London.
Yang Li: 根据伦敦市长的名字而取名的鲍里斯自行车。The bikes have a name so she says they are like a friend to her! Are they quite cheap to use?
Rob: Yes they are. Alice pays an annual fee 年费， upfront, or in advance提前，预付。Now she can hire a bike anytime she wants to. But if you're visiting London you can pay a small daily fee instead.
Yang Li: So the scheme is cheap and she says it is convenient too.
Rob: Yes she says it is easy to rent or hire a bike at the station and drop it off outside the office. Ah, but remember only the first half an hour is free, after that you have to pay a bit more.
Yang Li: I will remember that Rob! That's important to remember. To hire or to rent is really the same thing.
Rob: This scheme has really encouraged people to get on to their bikes. I wonder if it will encourage you Yang Li?
Yang Li: I always ride a bike when I am in China. I love it, but in London I have to wait and see!
Rob: Well maybe this woman that we spoke to in London may inspire you. She told us about the benefits of using a Boris bike.
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I like the bike because I think it’s a very easy, quick transportation mean. OK, it’s a bit dangerous, but at the end the benefit that you can get from a bike – it’s much better because you’re outside, you see around, you get to know the city much better. And you are much faster. You don’t lose time being stuck in the tube or in the bus.
Rob: She says it's a quick and easy form of transportation.
Yang Li: Cycling is a form of transportation 交通。But what are the benefits Rob?
Rob: You're outside so you can take in the sights of London…
Yang Li: 直接看到伦敦的景观。
Rob: And you get to know the city better…
Yang Li: 更好地了解城市的风貌。Rob And it's faster or time efficient…
Yang Li: 节省时间…but she said it was dangerous too…
Rob: Possibly. Let's hear from someone else who told us why they wouldn't ride a bike in London…
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I think the traffic is definitely a problem – without bike lanes it’s quite difficult. The buses in particular don’t really respect the bikes. It’s also quite complicated to get from one place to another.
Yang Li: You see, he thinks the traffic is a problem.
Rob: Yes and there aren't many bike lanes or cycle lanes.
Yang Li: 自行车道不多。He thinks the buses don't respect cyclists.
Rob: It can be tricky if a bus wants to overtake you and the road is narrow. He also thinks it's complicated to get from one place to another.
Yang Li: 很难把握，very tricky. It's difficult sharing the road with a bus! I think it's easier just to take the bus!
Rob: Well. Not everyone would agree, because cycling in London is increasing in popularity. More people are using a bicycle to get to work.
Yang Li: But actually Rob, I will be honest with you. I have tried using a Boris bike myself and I enjoyed it. Actually, if you want to find more about this scheme you can listen to On The Town on www.bbcukchina.com.
Rob: Well that's good to know and hopefully we've answered Alice's question. If you have any other questions about British culture, please email us at chinaelt@bbc.co.uk.
Yang Li: That's all for today. 谢谢 Alice 的问题，希望今天的节目对你有些帮助，谢谢大家收听，再会。
Rob: Goodbye.
词汇学习：
1. cycle hire scheme 自行车租赁项目
2. to get around 四处看看
3. annual fee 年费
4. upfront 预交费用
5. transportation 交通
6. the sights of London 伦敦的风光
7. to get to know 知道、了解
8. time efficient 有时间效率的
9. cycle lane 自行车道
10. It's tricky. 不可靠