VOA流行美語 Unit 208:gas guzzler和tree hugger

Larry和李華要開車去一個國家公園，他們先到加油站給汽車加油。李華今天會學到兩個常用語，gas guzzler和tree hugger。

LL: I can't believe the price of gas these days! I am going to have to get rid of this gas guzzler.

LH: 我知道，我到美國來以後就從來沒有見過這麼高的的汽油價錢。 可是，Larry, 你要扔掉什麼？Gas guzzler是什麼呀？

LL: To guzzle something is to drink it really fast. A gas guzzler refers to a car that gets very poor gas mileage and constantly needs to be filled up.

LH: 我明白了。Guzzle就是口渴的時候大口大口地喝水。你是說你的車耗油太多，大口大口地喝油。A gas guzzler就是耗油量很大的汽車。

LL: That's right. And looking at the price on the gas pump, I am not too happy to be driving a gas guzzler right now.

LH: 好多人都有你這樣的想法。油價這麼高，還開耗油的車，花錢多了，當然不高興啦。對了，你這個gas guzzler每加侖汽油能跑多少里路啊？

LL: Well, about 25 miles to the gallon on the highway, but only 18 miles per gallon driving around town. It isn't the worst gas guzzler out there, but I could be driving something more fuel efficient.

LH: 在高速公路上開每加侖25英里，在城市裏只能開18英里！ 比我的車要費油多了。你是該換一輛省油的車了。

LL: Well, I know there are cars on the market that get as much as 40 miles to the gallon, but they tend to be smaller cars. Bigger cars tend to be gas guzzlers, and I wanted a bigger car.

LH: 當然啦，省油的車一般都是小型的車，大車都是耗油的。你喜歡開大車，那就得多花錢。Larry，現在耗油量大的汽車一定賣不動了吧？

LL: I think there will always be people who have the money to afford the gas and want to have a big gas guzzler to drive around.

LH: 沒錯，就像你這樣愛開大車的人總是有的。Larry, 這就叫願者上鉤。不過，有的人有錢，你是窮學生。 我還是喜歡開小車，省油省錢， 還有利於保護環境。

LL: There! The tank of this gas guzzler is finally full. After I pay the gas attendant, we can get on the road.

LH: 油加滿啦？快去付錢，完了我們就可以上路了。太棒了， 我早就想去國家公園痛痛快快地玩一天。

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LL: So, Li Hua, you drive a small car because you think it's good for the environment. Are you a tree hugger or what?

LH: 是呀，我剛纔說了，我喜歡開小車，原因之一是爲了保護環境。你問我是不是個tree hugger? 抱樹的人？ 我是很喜歡樹， 可是沒有到要擁抱樹的程度。

LL: A tree hugger is someone who really likes trees and the environment and is willing to do pretty much anything to protect them.

LH: 我猜想a tree hugger也就是特別喜歡樹木，關心環保的人。Larry，tree hugger這個名詞是有讚揚的意思，還是含有貶義？

LL: It isn't a bad thing - depending on who you talk to. Some people see tree huggers as standing in the way of progress.

LH: 沒有壞的意思，但是又要看你跟誰說話。爲什麼有的人認爲tree huggers會妨礙進步呢？這我不明白。

LL: Do you remember a few years ago some tree huggers in the northwestern United States wanted to protect the forest home of the Spotted Owl?

LH: 對，幾年前，美國西北部一些環保人士爲了保護貓頭鷹的棲息地，阻止木材公司伐木而用鐵鏈子把自己捆在樹上。

LL: Yeah, and the price of lumber in the northwest went up, and people blamed the tree huggers for lost jobs in the lumber industry.

LH: 原來是這樣。因爲砍的樹少了，價格就上升了，伐木業的就業機會也少了；他們都怪環保人士呀！在這些人眼裏，tree huggers顯然不是讚美的稱呼了。

LL: No, it is a term used to put down or disparage people who protect nature at the expense of human comfort and industry.

LH: 對這些人來說，tree huggers就是犧牲人類的舒適和工業來保護自然。野生動物應該保護嘛，這總要有人站出來說話啊。

LL: I guess so. Driving through the forest reminds me of the good things tree huggers can do.

LH: 在森林裏開車是會讓我們想起tree huggers。他們努力保護森林，好讓我們和子孫後代都能享用，這都是很有意義的事。

LL: I think you've answered my question, Li Hua. You ARE a tree hugger.

LH: 不錯，我就是個tree hugger─我也爲此而感到自豪。

今天李華學到了兩個常用語。第一個是 gas guzzler, 意思是很費油的汽車。第二個是tree huggers， 意思是喜愛自然的人或是致力與環境保護的人士。