【轻松英文阅读】火车轨道

 When I was a kid, I used to love the sound of the train in the distance. The tracks were about a mile away from my home. The sound of the locomotive¹ and the whistle blowing in the night was somehow relaxing.

 

Hanoi train 3

 

On the other hand, I don't think I would feel as romantic about the sound of trains, if I lived in the neighborhood in the video below. In the video, you can see a train passing mere² centimeters from people's front doors. The train line is located in the heart of Vietnam's capital city, Hanoi. It passes through an area called the Old Quarter heading toward Long Bien Bridge.

 

The train comes rumbling³ through this old neighborhood twice a day: once at 4pm and once at 7pm. Even without a watch you know the train is coming when you see people putting away their things and going indoors. It is surprising that there aren't more accidents. Luckily, for the locals it passes through only twice a day.

 

Old Quarter Hanoi

 

The Old Quarter that the train passes through has a nearly 1,000-year-old history and is one of the top tourist attractions in the city. There, visitors can find many buildings hardly changed from the 15th century and shops specializing in traditional goods.

1 locomotive   

adj.运动的，机动

参考例句：

• The wheels were set further back on the original locomotive.车轮安装得比原来机车的更靠后些。
• A group of enthusiasts have undertaken the reconstruction of a steam locomotive.一群火车迷已担负起重造蒸汽机车的任务。

2 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

3 rumbling   

n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声 adj. 隆隆响的 动词rumble的现在分词

参考例句：

• The earthquake began with a deep [low] rumbling sound. 地震开始时发出低沉的隆隆声。
• The crane made rumbling sound. 吊车发出隆隆的响声。