新奇事件簿 交通拥堵德国男子游泳上班

A German man has started swimming to work after he got fed up with commuting¹. Benjamin David, 40, got tired of being stuck in traffic every day in the German city of Munich. He now beats the traffic by swimming 2km down the city's Isar River. He puts his laptop computer, mobile phone and his business suit in a waterproof² bag that he drags behind him. Mr David got the idea by watching the river flow right past his apartment. He looked on a map and realized the river went past his office. He then decided³ to swim to work and get some exercise, instead of battling other commuters in buses and trains or breathing fumes⁵ from traffic while on a bicycle.

一名德国男子厌倦了挤车的烦恼，开始游泳去上班。40岁的Benjamin David每天都在德国城市慕尼黑拥挤的车流中难以前进。现在，他每天在伊萨尔河游2千米的距离去上班，避开拥堵的车流。他把手提电脑，手机和文件包装在防水袋里，拖在身后。David看着从他的公寓前流过的小河想到了这个办法。他查看了地图，发现这条河刚好经过公司。随后他决定游泳去上班，还可以锻炼身体，而不是像其他上班族一样乘坐公交车或地铁，或者骑自行车呼吸尾气。

Mr David told reporters that his river commute⁴ has changed his life. He is much fitter and less stressed. He spoke⁶ about the stress his commute used to cause him. He said: "I'm not a monk⁷. When I was on my bike, I would yell at cars. When I was on foot, I would yell at cyclists, and so on and so forth⁸." He described how the river has changed things. He said: "Just a few metres to the side of all the traffic is the river, and if you just swim down that, it's completely relaxing and refreshing⁹." David also spoke about the dangers of river swimming. He always checks the temperature before diving in. Not everyone can swim to work in the city. In Central London, it is illegal to swim in the River Thames.

David告诉记者，游泳上班改变了他的生活。他的身体更加健壮，压力也得到了缓解。他谈到了过去挤车上班给他带来的压力。他说：“我不像修道士那么淡定。骑着自行车的时候，我会朝汽车吼叫。步行的时候，我会朝骑自行车的人大叫，以此类推。”他说，这条河改变了一切。他说：“拥堵的车流几米之外就是河流，顺着小河游泳，非常放松，非常提神。”David也说到了游泳上班的危险。他跳入河水之前还会查看温度。并不是每个人都可以游泳上班。在伦敦中部，在泰晤士河中游泳是非法的。

1 commuting   

交换（的）

参考例句：

• I used the commuting time to read and answer my mail. 我利用上下班在汽车中的时间来阅读和答复给我的函电。
• Noncommuting objects are as real to the mathematicians as commuting objects. 对于数学家来说，不可交换的对象与可交换的对象是一样真实的。

2 waterproof   

n.防水材料；adj.防水的；v.使...能防水

参考例句：

• My mother bought me a waterproof watch.我妈妈给我买了一块防水手表。
• All the electronics are housed in a waterproof box.所有电子设备都储放在一个防水盒中。

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 commute   

vi.乘车上下班；vt.减(刑)；折合；n.上下班交通

参考例句：

• I spend much less time on my commute to work now.我现在工作的往返时间要节省好多。
• Most office workers commute from the suburbs.很多公司的职员都是从郊外来上班的。

5 fumes   

n.(强烈而刺激的)气味，气体

参考例句：

• The health of our children is being endangered by exhaust fumes. 我们孩子们的健康正受到排放出的废气的损害。
• Exhaust fumes are bad for your health. 废气对健康有害。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 monk   

n.和尚，僧侣，修道士

参考例句：

• The man was a monk from Emei Mountain.那人是峨眉山下来的和尚。
• Buddhist monk sat with folded palms.和尚合掌打坐。

8 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

9 refreshing   

adj.使精神振作的，使人清爽的，使人喜欢的

参考例句：

• I find it'so refreshing to work with young people in this department.我发现和这一部门的青年一起工作令人精神振奋。
• The water was cold and wonderfully refreshing.水很涼，特别解乏提神。