VOA慢速英语20116 英语不再是纽约出租车司机硬性要求（在线收听）

AS IT IS 2016-08-28 English No Longer Requirement for New York City Taxi Drivers 英语不再是纽约出租车司机硬性要求

In New York City, taxicab drivers are a largely immigrant community. And now, they are no longer required to know English.

纽约市的出租车司机是一个庞大的移民组织。而今，他们不再被强制要求说英语了。

In April, New York City’s city council approved a bill that allows tests required to get a taxi license to be given in foreign languages. The bill went into effect on August 26.

4月份，纽约市议会批准了一项法案，允许出租车司机在考取驾照时可以使用外语。该法案于8月26日生效。

New York City's taxi industry has been dominated by foreign-born drivers for decades. Only four percent of current New York cab drivers were born in the United States. That statistic comes from the Taxi and Limousine Commission.

据计程车管理委员会统计，几十年来，纽约市出租车行业中外国司机占大多数，目前仅有4%的出租车司机是美国公民。

Sponsors of the bill in the city council argued that the law will allow more immigrants who need work to support themselves.

支持该法案的议员认为，法案让更多需要糊口的移民有生活保障。

Some New York City residents are concerned that the new law would make communication between the driver and the customer even more difficult.

一些纽约市民担心，新法案将让司机与乘客间的交流变得更加困难。

Residents are also unsure how they would instruct a driver which route to take or precisely where they are headed. Also, what if payment issues arise? How will the drivers communicate?

他们不知道该如何指示司机走哪条道路，或要去的具体地点。还有，车费问题不会变多吗？如何与司机交流呢？

Perhaps technology is the answer.

也许，技术能为您答疑解惑。

Before advances in technology, the conversation between driver and customer might go something like this:

科技尚未迅猛发展之前，司机和乘客之间的对话可能是这样的：

Driver: Where are you heading?

司机：请问您想去哪儿？

Customer: I need to go to West 79th Street and Broadway. But I saw there was construction on the West Side Highway, so can you go up 10th Avenue?

乘客：我要去西79号街和百老汇。但是城西高速公路正在施工，所以你能不能直接走10号大街？

Driver: The traffic there is terrible. How about 8th and cut across on Broadway?

司机：那里的交通状况很糟糕。你看走8号大街然后抄近路通过百老汇成吗？

Customer: Sure, but I’m really in a hurry. Can you step on it?

乘客：可以，但是我赶时间。你能快点吗？

Driver: Okay, here you are. West 79th and Broadway. That’ll be $22.50.

司机：好的，咱们到了。这里就是西79号街和百老汇。车费共22.5美元。

Customer: Here’s $30. Do you have a five?

乘客：给您30美元。你有5美元零钱吗？

Driver: Let me look.

司机：我找找看。

Customer: Never mind! Just keep the change.

乘客：没关系！零钱就当小费了。

But these day most taxi drivers use automated payment systems. People pay the fare with their credit or debit cards. They can also use the machines to add a tip.

然而，最近多数司机开始用自动支付系统。乘客可用信用卡或借记卡刷卡付费。另外，还可以用机器额外支付小费。

Also, with the increased use of GPS and navigation apps, communication between drivers and riders has decreased. They really don’t need to talk to each other.

GPS与导航应用软件的普及，司机与乘客之间的语言沟通越来越少。他们不必再跟对方进行任何交流。

Many New Yorkers feel that as long as their driver can get them to their destination safely, conversation is not needed. Generally speaking, New Yorkers are not known for chit-chatting.

很多纽约市民认为，只要司机把他们安全带到目的地，他们压根不需要交谈。再说了，纽约司机又不是因侃大山而闻名的。

Even hailing or flagging a taxi does not require speaking. Simply raise your arm and a taxi – you hope – will come.

即使打车也无需张口。只要挥一挥衣袖，出租车立刻就到。

Words in This Story

taxicab – n. an automobile that carries passengers for a fare usually determined by the distance traveled : also called simply “taxi” or “cab”

dominate – v. to be predominant in

statistic – n. a number that represents a piece of information (such as information about how often something is done, how common something is, etc.)

precisely – adv. exactly

to head – v. to go in a specified direction or toward a specified place

step on it – informal phrase : go faster, typically in a motor vehicle

fare – n. the money a person pays to travel on a bus, train, boat, or airplane or in

credit card – n. a small plastic card that is used to buy things that you agree to pay for later

debit card – n. a small plastic card that is used to buy things by having the money to pay for them taken directly from your bank account

tip – n. a gift or a sum of money tendered for a service performed or anticipated

GPS – n. abbreviation for global positioning satellite a radio system that uses signals from satellites to tell you where you are and to give you directions to other places

navigation – n. the act, activity, or process of finding the way to get to a place when you are traveling in a ship, airplane, car, etc.

app – n. computers : a computer program that performs a special function

chitchat – n. friendly conversation about things that are not very important : – v. to talk about things that are not very important

destination – n. a place to which a person is going or something is being sent

hail – v. to greet or summon by calling <hail a taxi>

flag – v. to signal to stop <flag a taxi>