【英语时差8，16】谈谈交通工具

 Amanda: Sorry I'm late, Mike－some slowpoke blocked my way going down the escalator and I just missed the subway train. I hate it when people take their sweet time and don't get out of the way! Arrrgggh!!!

Mike: Yeah, I know exactly what you're talking about! It's the worst when you're in a rush and you get stuck behind somebody who is oblivious¹ to the world. That's why I switched over to two-wheeled transportation long ago. Of course, being on the road has problems of its own. People are always honking² their horns as soon as the lights turn green, parking in the middle of the street, turning right from the left lane, and running red lights.

Amanda: Haha... it sounds like riding a scooter is no better than taking public transportation!

Mike: Well, at least I don't have to walk huge distances and compete with millions of other people for space on buses and trains.

Amanda: Standing³ up for the ride is just fine with me, but what disgusts me most is seeing people run to sit down－ imagine the irony⁴ of that－and people who pretend to sleep or pretend not to notice pregnant women and old people.

1 oblivious   

adj.易忘的，遗忘的，忘却的，健忘的

参考例句：

• Mother has become quite oblivious after the illness.这次病后，妈妈变得特别健忘。
• He was quite oblivious of the danger.他完全没有察觉到危险。

2 honking   

v.（使）发出雁叫似的声音，鸣（喇叭），按（喇叭）( honk的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• 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》
• Flocks of honking geese flew past. 雁群嗷嗷地飞过。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 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。

4 irony   

n.反语，冷嘲；具有讽刺意味的事，嘲弄

参考例句：

• She said to him with slight irony.她略带嘲讽地对他说。
• In her voice we could sense a certain tinge of irony.从她的声音里我们可以感到某种讥讽的意味。