世界节假日博览 第65期:昏睡司机清醒日

 　　California has an awareness¹ day that all countries around the world should have. It is Drowsy² Driver Awareness Day and it happens on April 6 every year. Its aim is to raise awareness of the dangers of driving your car (or riding your motorcycle) for long periods without a rest. It also highlights the dangers of driving when you are very tired. The day was thought up by former California Highway Patrol officer Phil Konstantin. He witnessed many accidents that happened because of tiredness and had experience of falling asleep at the wheel and narrowly avoided a serious accident. He also tells the tragic³ story of how his wife died in a car accident because she fell asleep at the wheel. He warned: “It can happen to anyone.”

　　全球所有国家都应该效仿加州举办清醒日。每年的4月6日为“昏睡司机清醒日”。该节日创建的目的是提高驾驶员长时间驾车的危险意识（或骑摩托车）。同样，提高人们对疲劳驾驶的重视。该节日是由加州高速警察菲尔·康斯坦丁所想出的。他碰见了许多因疲劳驾驶，打瞌睡等侥幸逃过大难的司机。他还讲述了妻子因打瞌睡导致死亡的悲惨故事。他警告称：“这样的事情谁都有可能发生。”

　　Drowsy Driver Awareness Day is also a memorial day for those who have died in a car crash involving a drowsy driver. California’s Highway Patrol says 100 people die each year in collisions with drowsy drivers. It says in the ten-year period between 1993 and 2003, over 41,000 people died in accidents where a drowsy driver was involved. America’s National Sleep Foundation reports that 62 per cent of people drive while feeling drowsy. In addition, 27 per cent said they had actually dozed⁵ off while driving. Many more people die each year from crashes related to drowsy drivers than from many serious illnesses. On this day, do something to make drivers aware of the dangers of getting behind the wheel when they are tired.

　　昏睡司机清醒日还是纪念日，纪念那些因昏睡而遭遇车祸的遇难者。加州高速警察称，每年因昏睡司机而造成的死亡人数为100人。还称在1993-2003年的十年间，有超过4.1万人因昏睡司机而死亡。美国睡眠基金会报告称，有62%的司机感到过困意。此外，有27%的司机曾开车时睡觉。比起死于严重疾病，因昏睡而死亡的人数要远高于前者。在“昏睡司机清醒日”这一天，我们要让司机意识到疲劳驾驶的危险性。

　　1.doze⁴ off 打盹儿

　　例句：I closed my eyes for a minute and must have dozed off.

　　我闭了会儿眼，肯定是睡着了。

　　2.fall asleep 入睡

　　例句：As we fall asleep the amplitude⁶ of brain waves slowly becomes greater.

　　进入睡眠状态时，我们的脑电波振幅慢慢变大。

　　3.because of 由于

　　例句：I came back because of the rain.

　　因为下雨, 所以我回来了。

　　4.relate to 有关联

　　例句：Cornell University offers a course that investigates how language relates to particular cultural codes...

　　康奈尔大学开设了一门研究语言与特定文化符号之间如何关联的课程。

1 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

2 drowsy   

adj.昏昏欲睡的，令人发困的

参考例句：

• Exhaust fumes made him drowsy and brought on a headache.废气把他熏得昏昏沉沉，还引起了头疼。
• I feel drowsy after lunch every day.每天午饭后我就想睡觉。

3 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

4 doze   

v.打瞌睡；n.打盹，假寐

参考例句：

• He likes to have a doze after lunch.他喜欢午饭后打个盹。
• While the adults doze,the young play.大人们在打瞌睡，而孩子们在玩耍。

5 dozed   

v.打盹儿，打瞌睡( doze的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He boozed till daylight and dozed into the afternoon. 他喝了个通霄，昏沉沉地一直睡到下午。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• I dozed off during the soporific music. 我听到这催人入睡的音乐，便不知不觉打起盹儿来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 amplitude   

n.广大；充足；振幅

参考例句：

• The amplitude of the vibration determines the loudness of the sound.振动幅度的大小决定声音的大小。
• The amplitude at the driven end is fixed by the driving mechanism.由于驱动机构的作用,使驱动端的振幅保持不变。