ESL Podcast ESL Podcast 377 – Reporting a Stolen Car

Kenji: Hello, my car was stolen and I want to report it.

Officer: Where was it when it was stolen?

Kenji: It was parked outside of my apartment building. I went outside this morning to drive to work, and it was gone.

Officer: Okay, you need to fill out this form. Put down the make and model of the vehicle, the year, and the color. You’ll also need the license¹ plate number. Do you know the vehicle’s VIN number?

Kenji: No, I don’t.

Officer: That’s okay. Just fill it out and we’ll launch an investigation².

Kenji: What do you think the chances are that I’ll recover my car?

Officer: That’s hard to say. If it was stolen by some kids who wanted to take a joyride, they’ll abandon it afterwards and you may get it back in one piece. If it was taken by professional car thieves, that’s a different story. They usually strip the cars of their parts and sell them to chop shops. You may not want your car back after it’s been stripped.

Kenji: I’ll just have to wish for the best.

Officer: We’ll notify you if we have some news.

Kenji: Thanks. In the meantime, I’d better get used to hoofing³ it around town!


Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

1 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

2 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

3 hoofing   

v.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• It includes hoofing, kick, stepping and mandarin legs. 有踢？踹？蹬？鸳鸯腿等种腿法。 来自互联网