VOA常速英语2008年-The Nation's Capital Transit System

By Jeff Feuer
Washington, DC
12 February 2008
 

Every day, hundreds of thousands of commuters and tourists travel in and out of Washington. One of the most popular modes of transportation in the Washington area is Metrorail, a subway system serving more than 85 stations. VOA's Jeff Feuer has more on the nation's capital's subway system.

The blinking³ lights on the platform signal its arrival, while anxious customers prepare to board the train.

The chimes… signal riders the doors are about to open. Once aboard, the passengers hear one last safety warning.

You are now on Washington's rapid transit⁴ system Metrorail.

Since it first opened in 1976, Metrorail -- or Metro² -- has served over three billion people. The subway system covers 170 kilometers and travels through Washington, D.C. and neighboring communities in Maryland and Virginia.

More than 700,000 riders use Washington's rapid transit system daily, making it the second-busiest in the U.S., behind New York's subway system.

Why do people use Metrorail? It's a matter of convenience, says one rider, "I like to use the Metro because I live close to the Metro and it's very convenient to get to my workplace."

It beats driving, says another rider, "I just detest⁵ sitting in traffic, so it avoids me from having to deal with road rage."

There were only five stations when the system first opened. Today there are over 80 stops on the system's five lines. Unlike the fixed⁶ price charged on transit systems in many other cities, Metro's fare varies based on the distance traveled and the time of day.

The system's trains travel at an average speed of over 50 kilometers per hour. At that speed, a trip from the heart of Washington to Reagan-National Airport will take only a few minutes. And while there may not be much to see when looking out a Metro car window, if you do look quickly in-between stops, you might see one of the "tunnel ads".

Whether a commuter¹ or a tourist, most agree Metrorail is just the ticket for getting around the nation's capital.

1 commuter   

n.(尤指市郊之间)乘公交车辆上下班者

参考例句：

• Police cordoned off the road and diverted commuter traffic. 警察封锁了道路并分流交通。
• She accidentally stepped on his foot on a crowded commuter train. 她在拥挤的通勤列车上不小心踩到了他的脚。

2 metro   

n.地铁；adj.大都市的；(METRO)麦德隆(财富500强公司之一总部所在地德国，主要经营零售)

参考例句：

• Can you reach the park by metro?你可以乘地铁到达那个公园吗？
• The metro flood gate system is a disaster prevention equipment.地铁防淹门系统是一种防灾设备。

3 blinking   

a.(英俚)该死的，讨厌的；十足的

参考例句：

• Shut the blinking door! 关上那扇该死的门！
• Her ring is an odd little concern fitted with blinking diamonds. 她的戒指是装有许多闪光钻石的小玩意儿。

4 transit   

n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过

参考例句：

• His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
• The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。

5 detest   

vt.痛恨，憎恶

参考例句：

• I detest people who tell lies.我恨说谎的人。
• The workers detest his overbearing manner.工人们很讨厌他那盛气凌人的态度。

6 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。