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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
Let me ask you a question: Have you got a car?
I own a small car: it's a Nissan Micra. I bought her seven years ago from a local car dealer1 here in London. Although I have been the owner of a Toyota Corolla, a Nissan Sunny and a Honda Accord2, this little Micra is most special. It felt like love at first sight - the moment I saw her, I knew I had to buy her.
She wasn't cheap, in fact, quite pricey at £1,200 for a car that was already 13 years old, but I have no regrets, she is a lovely reliable car and she has never let me down. I do not drive every day: I am a typical Sunday driver, which means I do most of my driving at the weekends. Over the last seven years I have only driven 9,500 miles, whereas3 many drivers in the UK do around 12,000 miles per year.
Time passes quickly and my car will soon be 20 years old. Does that mean it is becoming a 'classic car'?
Here in the UK there are many classic car enthusiasts4: these people own old cars and they spend many hours cleaning, polishing and renovating5 their beloved cars. A good friend of mine has a classic sports car but he has not driven it for many years - it spends most of the time in his garage. The car is a beautiful 1970 Lotus. It has been re-sprayed and now looks fantastic. He says it's a labour of love and he has promised to take me for a drive.
Really old cars, from the 1920s and earlier, are called vintage cars. They look very different to modern cars; the drivers sit very high up - and many of them do not have a roof. A lot of vintage car owners meet up for the traditional London to Brighton run. This is a 60-mile route from the centre of London down to the Brighton coast.
I saw some of the cars last year as they left London. Many of the drivers were wearing traditional clothing, reflecting a particular period of British history. Watching the cars go by was a wonderful spectacle6 and I'll join the onlookers7 again later this year. I hope it isn't raining, not just because I will get wet, but because many of the poor drivers have no protection.
Sadly, my little Micra isn't considered a classic yet. However, if I look after her well enough for long enough, maybe in another 30 years she will qualify8 as a classic item.
What cars do you like? I would be very interested to learn if anyone has a classic car and how much you love to cherish9 it. It's nice to own a new car but there is something very special about owning a classic car and keeping it going year after year.
Quiz 测验
1. How much did the writer pay for her 13-year-old Micra?
1,200 British pounds
2. True or false? The writer drives her car every day.
False. She is a Sunday driver.
3. How would you classify a car from 1928?
A vintage car.
4. True or false? The London to Brighton car run is 60 miles long.
True.
5. Do you think the writer's Micra qualifies10 for the London to Brighton run?
No, because it is not a classic car.
Glossary 词汇表
car dealer 汽车销售商
special 特殊的
love at first sight 一见钟情
pricey 价码过高的
reliable 可靠的
let somebody down 令人失望
polishing 擦亮,抛光
renovating 翻新
sports car 跑车
garage 车库
re-sprayed 重新喷了漆的
labour of love 甘愿做的事
vintage cars 老爷车
traditional 传统的
reflecting 反映
spectacle 壮观的景象
onlookers 旁观者
protection (防雨)保护措施
cherish 珍视
year after year 年复一年地
1 dealer | |
n.商人,贩子 | |
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2 accord | |
vt.给予(欢迎、称颂等) vi./n.符合,一致 | |
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3 whereas | |
conj.而,却,反之 | |
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4 enthusiasts | |
n.热心人,热衷者( enthusiast的名词复数 ) | |
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5 renovating | |
翻新,修复,整修( renovate的现在分词 ) | |
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6 spectacle | |
n.(大规模)场面,壮观[pl.]眼镜 | |
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7 onlookers | |
n.旁观者,观看者( onlooker的名词复数 ) | |
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8 qualify | |
vt.取得资格,有资格,限定,描述;vi.取得资格,有资格 | |
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9 cherish | |
vt.抱有,怀有(希望等),爱护,抚育,珍爱 | |
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10 qualifies | |
(使)具有资格( qualify的第三人称单数 ); 有权; 达标; 使所说的话语气减弱(或更具体等) | |
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