Lesson 44 Speed and comfort

During the day, sleep comes in snatches.

白天是忽睡忽醒，

Lesson 44 Speed and comfort

At night, when you really wish to go to sleep, you rarely manage to do so.

到了夜晚，你真想睡了，卻很難入睡。

Lesson 44 Speed and comfort

If you are lucky enough to get a sleeper, you spend half the night staring at the small blue light in the ceiling, or fumbling to find you ticket for inspection.

即使你走運弄到一個臥鋪，夜間有一半時間你會盯著車頂那盞小藍燈而睡不著覺；要不然就為查票摸索你的車票。

Lesson 44 Speed and comfort

Inevitably you arrive at your destination almost exhausted.

一旦抵達目的地，你總是疲憊不堪。

Lesson 44 Speed and comfort

Long car journeys are even less pleasant, for it is quite impossible even to read.

乘汽車作長途旅行則更加不舒服，因為連看書都幾乎不可能。

Lesson 44 Speed and comfort

On motorways you can, at least, travel fairly safely at high speeds,

在公路上還好，你至少能以相當快的速度安全地向前行。

Lesson 44 Speed and comfort

but more often than not, the greater part of the journey is spent on roads with few service stations and too much traffic.

但旅行的大部分時間都花在路上，而且只有很少的服務設施，交通也很擁擠。

Lesson 44 Speed and comfort

By comparison, ferry trips or cruises offer a great variety of civilized comforts.

相比之下，坐船旅行或環游可以得到文明世界的各種享受。

Lesson 44 Speed and comfort

You can stretch your legs on the spacious decks, play games, meet interesting people and enjoy good food --

你可以在甲板上伸展四肢、做游戲，還能也很見到各種有趣的人，能享用各種美味佳肴——

Lesson 44 Speed and comfort

always assuming,of course, that the sea is calm.

當然，這一切只有在大海風平浪靜的情況下才有可能。

Lesson 44 Speed and comfort

If it is not, and you are likely to get seasick, no form of transport could be worse.

如果大海肆虐起來，你就可能暈船，那種難受勁兒是任何一種別的旅行的方式都不會帶來的。

Lesson 44 Speed and comfort

Even if you travel in ideal weather, sea journeys take a long time.

即使風平浪靜，坐船旅行也要占用很長時間。

Lesson 44 Speed and comfort

Relatively few people are prepared to sacrifice holiday time for the pleasure of travlling by sea.

沒有多少人會為享受坐船旅行的樂趣而犧牲假期的時間。

Lesson 44 Speed and comfort

Aeroplanes have the reputation of being dangerous and even hardened travellers are intimidated by them.

飛機以危險而著稱，連老資格的旅行者也怕飛機。

Lesson 44 Speed and comfort

They also have the disadvantage of being an expensive form of transport.

飛機另一個缺點是昂貴。

Lesson 44 Speed and comfort

But nothing can match them for speed and comfort.

但就速度與舒適而言，飛機是無與倫比的。

Lesson 44 Speed and comfort

Travelling at a height of 30,000 feet, far above the clouds, and at over 500 miles an hour is an exhilarating experience.

騰云駕霧，在30，000 英尺高空以500英里的時速旅行，這種經歷令人心曠神怡。

Lesson 44 Speed and comfort

You do not have to devise ways of taking your mind off the journey, for an aeroplane gets you to your destination rapidly.

你不必想辦法去擺脫旅途的困擾，因為飛機會迅速地把你送到目的地。

Lesson 44 Speed and comfort

For a few hours, you settle back in a deep armchair to enjoy the flight.

幾小時之內，你躺在扶手椅上，享受著旅途的歡樂。

Lesson 44 Speed and comfort

The real escapist can watch a film and sip champagne on some services.

真正會享受的人還可以在某些航班上看一場電影和喝香檳。

Lesson 44 Speed and comfort

But even when such refinements are not available, there is plenty to keep you occupied.

即使沒有這些消遣條件，也總是有事可做。

Lesson 44 Speed and comfort

An aeroplane offers you an unusual and breathtaking view of the world.

飛機上，你可以觀察世界上非同尋常的奇妙的美景。

Lesson 44 Speed and comfort

You soar effortlessly over high mountains and deep valleys.

你毫不費勁地飛越高山幽谷，

Lesson 44 Speed and comfort

You really see the shape of the land.

你確能飽覽大地的風貌。

Lesson 44 Speed and comfort

If the landscape is hidden from view, you can enjoy the extraordinary sight of unbroken cloud plains that stretch out for miles before you, while the sun shines brilliantly in a clear sky.

如果這種景色被遮住了，你可以觀賞一下展現在你面前的、一望數英里的、連綿不斷的云海，同時陽光燦爛，天空清澈明朗。

Lesson 44 Speed and comfort

The journey is so smooth that there is nothing to prevent you from reading or sleeping.

旅途平穩，絲毫不妨礙你閱讀或睡眠。

Lesson 44 Speed and comfort

However you decide to spend your time, one thing is certain: you will arrive at your destination fresh and uncrumpled.

不管你打算如何消磨時間，有件事是可以肯定的，即當你抵達目的地時，你感到精神煥發，毫無倦意，

Lesson 44 Speed and comfort

You will not have to spend the next few days recovering from a long and arduous journey.

用不著因為漫長的旅途的辛苦而花幾天時間休息來恢復精神。

Lesson 45 The power of the press

In democratic countries any efforts to restrict the freedom of the press are rightly condemned.

在民主國家里，任何限制新聞自由的企圖都理所當然地受到譴責。

Lesson 45 The power of the press

However, this freedom can easily be abused.

然而，這種自由很容易被濫用。