VOA标准英语2012--Kenyan Driving Schools Aim to Decrease Road Fatalities

Kenyan Driving Schools Aim to Decrease Road Fatalities¹

Like so many other teenagers around the world, 19-year-old Martin Otieno Jr. can’t wait to get his driver’s license². He shows all the characteristics of a first-time driver - hands gripping the steering³ wheel, hawk-like observation of the road, and nervous questions for his instructor⁴. 

“Driving in Nairobi is wild. But if you can drive in Nairobi, you can drive anywhere,” said Otieno.

Obstacles abound⁵ in Nairobi

Unlike his counterparts elsewhere, Otieno has to contend with unruly minibuses called “matatus,” in addition to pedestrians⁶ and animals darting⁷ in and out of traffic. There also are huge pot holes, unmarked speed bumps and overloaded⁸ buses and trucks going at high speeds. 

And according to David Njoroge, the Director General of the Automobile⁹ Association of Kenya, accountability is lacking. 

“Perhaps you’d also blame the enforcement, because there is a law. And where the law is properly observed, and the penalties are adequately given out, dished out, then people would have a second thought to go on breaking the laws,” said Njoroge.

In Kenya, it is not uncommon¹⁰ to hear of people buying driver’s licenses¹¹ instead of investing in driving school. However, Njoroge said people are slowly seeing the value of going back to school. 

“They come to recognize the fact that here, it is my life, although I have a license. So, it’s better for me to go back to proper driving instruction,” said Njoroge.

Value proposition

Otieno paid roughly $175 for a full driving course - a steep sum for a teenager. 

“I’d rather get, you know, quality education, rather than just go to some cheap school in the neighborhood. It probably won’t have the right material, so cheap is expensive,” he said.

But while he’s concerned about his safety on the roads, there is another reason Otieno is excited to get his driver’s license. 

“The first thing I want to do is take my dad’s car out. He’s always told me, don’t touch that car without your driving license, so that’s the first thing I’m going to do,” Otieno said.

It is the dream of teenagers everywhere. 

1 fatalities   

n.恶性事故( fatality的名词复数 )；死亡；致命性；命运

参考例句：

• Several people were injured, but there were no fatalities. 有几个人受伤，但没有人死亡。
• The accident resulted in fatalities. 那宗意外道致多人死亡。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

3 steering   

n.操舵装置

参考例句：

• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration. 他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。
• Steering according to the wind, he also framed his words more amicably. 他真会看风使舵，口吻也马上变得温和了。

4 instructor   

n.指导者，教员，教练

参考例句：

• The college jumped him from instructor to full professor.大学突然把他从讲师提升为正教授。
• The skiing instructor was a tall,sunburnt man.滑雪教练是一个高高个子晒得黑黑的男子。

5 abound   

vi.大量存在；(in，with)充满，富于

参考例句：

• Oranges abound here all the year round.这里一年到头都有很多橙子。
• But problems abound in the management of State-owned companies.但是在国有企业的管理中仍然存在不少问题。

6 pedestrians   

n.步行者( pedestrian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Several pedestrians had come to grief on the icy pavement. 几个行人在结冰的人行道上滑倒了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Pedestrians keep to the sidewalk [footpath]! 行人走便道。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 darting   

v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔

参考例句：

• Swallows were darting through the clouds. 燕子穿云急飞。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Swallows were darting through the air. 燕子在空中掠过。 来自辞典例句

8 overloaded   

a.超载的，超负荷的

参考例句：

• He's overloaded with responsibilities. 他担负的责任过多。
• She has overloaded her schedule with work, study, and family responsibilities. 她的日程表上排满了工作、学习、家务等，使自己负担过重。

9 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

10 uncommon   

adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的

参考例句：

• Such attitudes were not at all uncommon thirty years ago.这些看法在30年前很常见。
• Phil has uncommon intelligence.菲尔智力超群。

11 licenses   

n.执照( license的名词复数 )v.批准，许可，颁发执照( license的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Drivers have ten days' grace to renew their licenses. 驾驶员更换执照有10天的宽限期。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Jewish firms couldn't get import or export licenses or raw materials. 犹太人的企业得不到进出口许可证或原料。 来自辞典例句