高速列车

 　　Rob: Hello I'm Rob. Welcome to 6 Minute English. I'm joined today by Finn. Hi Finn.

　　Finn: Hi Rob.

　　Rob: Today we're talking about high-speed train travel. Many countries have very fast trains that whisk people from city to city in super-quick time.

　　Finn: Yes, we might think that air travel is the transport of the future but it seems high-speed train travel is becoming just as popular.

　　Rob: I've travelled on high-speed trains in Japan - the Shinkansen - and I have to admit it's an exciting experience, very comfortable and you get to see things out of the window.

　　Finn: Well, we'll be finding¹ out why the UK is hoping to jump on the bandwagon - or do something that is already popular - by building a new high-speed rail line. And we'll be learning² some related³ vocabulary.

　　Rob: But before we set off on the right track, how about a question?

　　Finn: Why not!

　　Rob: Here goes. According to Guinness World Records, which country currently⁴ holds the record for the fastest train running on a national railway system? Is it:

　　a) France

　　b) Spain

　　c) China

　　Finn: They all have fast trains but I'm going to say c) China.

　　Rob: I'll let you know the answer at the end of programme. Back to our discussion⁵ about high-speed rail travel. We know that it has many benefits - good things; it helps to take traffic off the road, it causes less pollution, it can transport - or move - lots of people and it's quick.

　　Finn: Yes speed is important. The TGV train in France takes about three hours to travel over 750 kilometres from the capital, Paris, to Marseille in the south - very impressive⁶.

　　Rob: And the AVE - Spain's ultra-modern high-speed train - stole 20 per cent of the national airlines' customers when it started a service from Madrid to Barcelona.

　　Finn: But the UK has been slow to build high-speed rail lines. It has one from London to Paris but the government wants to build another one - called HS2 - connecting London to the middle and north of England.

　　Rob: The Transport Secretary, Patrick McLoughlin, thinks one line is not good enough. What word does he use to mean that the UK must have another high-speed line?

　　Transport Secretary, Patrick McLoughlin:

　　I do find it ironic⁷ that I can go from London to Paris or London to Brussels on high-speed trains, but I can't go from London to Leeds, or London to Manchester, or London to Birmingham. This is essential to actually make sure that our great cities are connected and we get the right benefits for the United Kingdom.

　　Finn: So he finds it ironic - so different from what you would expect - that he can get to Paris by train more quickly than he can travel to many British cities.

　　Rob: He used the word 'essential' to mean a new line to connect British cities has to be built. It would connect the poorer northern cities with London, cut journey times and stop overcrowding - that's when there are too many people on one train.

　　Finn: But plans to build HS2 are controversial⁸ - not everyone agrees and there is much discussion. Some say other areas of the country will miss out on the economic benefits.

　　Rob: And it will be very very expensive to build - although some experts say for every ?1 spent, it will bring ?2 into the economy.

　　Finn: There are also concerns that some of the countryside will be destroyed. So these are just some of the arguments and it could be a long time before a final decision is made.

　　Rob: So now we'll just have to accept that our trains in the UK will carry on at a sedate⁹ speed while we watch with envy as another country's high-speed train passes us by!

　　Finn: But which country's train is the fastest?

　　Rob: Yes, earlier I asked you which country currently holds the record for the fastest train running on a national railway system. Is it:

　　a) France

　　b) Spain

　　c) China

　　Finn: I said c) China.

　　Rob: You are wrong. The record belongs to France. It ran a modified¹⁰ version¹¹ of its TGV train on its network at a speed of 574.8 km/h.

　　Finn: That's 357.2 miles per hour. I wouldn't like to be standing¹² on the platform as that went by!

　　Rob: That train ran on a railway track - but a train that uses magnets¹³ to float above the track is being developed in Japan that will run, slightly slower, at 500 km/h. OK Finn, there's just time to remind us of some of the vocabulary we've heard today:

　　Finn: Yes, we heard:

　　to jump on the bandwagon

　　on the right track

　　benefits

　　to transport

　　ultra-modern

　　ironic

　　essential

　　controversial

　　arguments

　　sedate

　　envy

　　Rob: Thanks. We hope you've enjoyed today's programme. Please join us soon again for 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.

　　Both: Bye.

1 finding   

n.发现，发现物；调查的结果

参考例句：

• The finding makes some sense.该发现具有一定的意义。
• That's an encouraging finding.这是一个鼓舞人心的发现。

2 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

3 related   

adj.有关系的，有关联的，叙述的，讲述的

参考例句：

• I am not related to him in any way.我和他无任何关系。
• We spent days going through all related reference material.我们花了好多天功夫查阅所有有关的参考资料。

4 currently   

adv.通常地，普遍地，当前

参考例句：

• Currently it is not possible to reconcile this conflicting evidence.当前还未有可能去解释这一矛盾的例证。
• Our contracts are currently under review.我们的合同正在复查。

5 discussion   

n.讨论，谈论；论述

参考例句：

• It is certain he will come to the discussion.他肯定会来参加讨论。
• After months of discussion,a peace agreement is gradually taking shape.经过几个月的商讨，和平协议渐渐有了眉目。

6 impressive   

adj.给人深刻印象的，感人的

参考例句：

• This cinema is so impressive that we can't help crying.这影片如此感人以至我们禁不住流下泪来。
• The suit made him look especially impressive.他穿上这套衣服真精神。

7 ironic   

adj.讽刺的，有讽刺意味的，出乎意料的

参考例句：

• That is a summary and ironic end.那是一个具有概括性和讽刺意味的结局。
• People used to call me Mr Popularity at high school,but they were being ironic.人们中学时常把我称作“万人迷先生”，但他们是在挖苦我。

8 controversial   

adj.引起争论的，有争议的

参考例句：

• The topic of argument is controversial.这个议题是很有争议的。
• Immigration is a controversial issue in many countries.在很多国家，移民都是一个颇有争议的问题。

9 sedate   

adj.沉着的，镇静的，安静的

参考例句：

• After the accident,the doctor gave her some pills to sedate her.事故发生后，医生让她服了些药片使她镇静下来。
• We spent a sedate evening at home.我们在家里过了一个恬静的夜晚。

10 modified   

adj.改良的，改进的，修正的vt.修饰v.修改，更改( modify的过去式和过去分词 )；改变；修饰；缓和

参考例句：

• The software we use has been modified for us. 我们使用的软件已按我们的需要作过修改。
• The heating system has recently been modified to make it more efficient. 暖气设备最近已进行了改造，使其效率得到提高。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 version   

n.版本；型号；叙述，说法

参考例句：

• His version of the events is pure supposition.他对这件事的说法纯属猜测。
• What is your version of this matter?你对这件事情的看法 怎么样？

12 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

13 magnets   

n.磁铁，磁体( magnet的名词复数 )；有吸引力的人[物]；磁石；吸铁石

参考例句：

• We know about magnetism by the way magnets act. 我们通过磁铁的作用知道磁性是怎么一回事。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The N pole and S pole of two magnets will attract each other. 两个磁体的N极和S极互相吸引。 来自《简明英汉词典》