英语博客：Stuck in traffic.

　　I hope that this never happens to you. You're driving along, minding your own business, when suddenly your car stops. It could be because of engine trouble, or because of something in the road that is preventing the car from moving. I spotted¹ this poor man the other day as I was pulling onto the main road. He was digging the snow out from around his tires. The trouble was, he wasn't parked on the side of the road. He was right in the middle of the main road, with two lanes of traffic on either side of him. He was in the turn lane. That is where the snow plows² pile up the snow from the rest of the road. And that is where, if your wheels aren't  big enough, and your engine isn't strong enough, you get stuck. I was relieved to see that there was another man with him who was also digging around the wheels of the little truck. Lucky for them, they had shovels³. Who ever carries shovels in the car when you drive? If I got stuck like that, I would have to dig myself out with my shoe, or the cup holder⁴ of the car. It must have been something to do with their job. They were both dressed in the same uniform, and I could make out that there was a company name on the vehicle. I had to drive off before I saw them dig themselves free. They're not there now, so their efforts paid off. I remember getting 'stranded⁵' on a road once. It wasn't because of snow, either. It was years ago. I was driving my husband's Chevy truck across the large, main bridge. It was a great day, I was listening to music, I had the window down; everything was perfect. Then, suddenly, the truck started to slow down. Before I knew it, I had pulled over to the hard shoulder. A few cars beeped me as they passed. The traffic speed was fifty, and I was doing zero. I had been too busy enjoying the wind blowing through my hair, to notice that the fuel level was blinking 'empty'. Oops! Thankfully, my brother-in-law came to the rescue with a canister of gas, and I was able to complete my trip and get home. How embarrassing! That was a mistake that I won't forget.
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary: to spot, to make out, a canister.
1. I spotted an owl⁶ in the tree, so I zoomed⁷ in with my camera and took a picture.
2. It was hard to see, but through the clouds, I could make out a castle.
3. That liquid only comes in half gallon canisters.

1 spotted   

adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的

参考例句：

• The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
• Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。

2 plows   

n.犁( plow的名词复数 )；犁型铲雪机v.耕( plow的第三人称单数 )；犁耕；费力穿过

参考例句：

• Alex and Tony were turning awkward hands to plows and hoe handles. 亚历克斯和托尼在犁耙等农活方面都几乎变成新手了。
• Plows are still pulled by oxen in some countries. 在一些国家犁头仍由牛拖拉。

3 shovels   

n.铲子( shovel的名词复数 )；锹；推土机、挖土机等的)铲；铲形部份v.铲子( shovel的第三人称单数 )；锹；推土机、挖土机等的)铲；铲形部份

参考例句：

• workmen with picks and shovels 手拿镐铲的工人
• In the spring, we plunge shovels into the garden plot, turn under the dark compost. 春天，我们用铁锨翻开园子里黑油油的沃土。 来自辞典例句

4 holder   

n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物

参考例句：

• The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings.担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。
• That runner is the holder of the world record for the hundred-yard dash.那位运动员是一百码赛跑世界纪录的保持者。

5 stranded   

a.搁浅的，进退两难的

参考例句：

• He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。
• I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。

6 owl   

n.猫头鹰，枭

参考例句：

• Her new glasses make her look like an owl.她的新眼镜让她看上去像只猫头鹰。
• I'm a night owl and seldom go to bed until after midnight.我睡得很晚，经常半夜后才睡觉。

7 zoomed   

v.（飞机、汽车等）急速移动( zoom的过去式 )；（价格、费用等）急升，猛涨

参考例句：

• Traffic zoomed past us. 车辆从我们身边疾驰而过。
• Cars zoomed helter-skelter, honking belligerently. 大街上来往车辆穿梭不停，喇叭声刺耳。 来自《简明英汉词典》