VOA标准英语2013--Historic Ferry Keeps Giving Passengers Enjoyable Rides

 

Historic¹ Ferry Keeps Giving Passengers Enjoyable Rides

WASHINGTON — Ferries once were a vital means of transportation across rivers. On the Potomac River, which runs through the Washington region² into the Chesapeake Bay on the U.S. East Coast, there once were more than 100 ferries in operation.  They are all long gone... except one.  Historic White's Ferry, in service since the late 1700s, is still doing very well.

On a sunny Saturday, cars are pulling onto the boat at White’s Ferry under the watchful³ eyes of the captain.

Next are the bikes.  Scott Lake and his friends use the ferry on their way to their triathlon training.

“I love the ferry. It feels like it is a step back in time.  You get to enjoy being close to the river while also cutting your ride back down to a manageable distance,” he said.

“The best thing is that it is nostalgic. It is not updated. It is a throwback ferry. It does its job,” said Kristen Wedemeyer, another bicyclist.

Since it began running in 1786, White's Ferry has been a widely used means of crossing the river that separates Maryland and Virginia.  It was a popular transit⁴ point for troops during the American Civil War in the 1860s. 

The boat, the General Jubal A. Early, is named for a Confederate commander in the Civil War.

Over time, the ferry changed hands. Malcolm Brown’s family has owned it since 1946. 

“My father came home from the war, World War II, and he and some other fellows got together and bought the rights.  And in 1972 when I came home from the service [in the Army], they asked me to get involved with it and run it.  I really didn’t want to, but I agreed to do it for a year. And it got busier and busier,” said Brown.

As the business grew, so did the boat. The Browns' first ferry carried three cars. That was replaced by a steel boat for 15 cars, and later came the current 24-car vessel⁵ pulled by a cable⁶.

The only ferry operating on the Potomac River is popular among the region's commuters.

“It is a lot less traffic, it is a lot less headache.  I use it every day.  I take it on the way to work. I have been doing it for about eight years now,” says commuter⁷ Bob Batcher.  

Another commuter, Kimberly Kempa, says, “It is certainly much quicker to get where I need to go.  And also it is a lovely ride.”

They say the short ride - $5 one way or $8 round trip - is worth it.  

David Pierce⁸ Jr. and three other licensed⁹ captains shuttle the passengers in shifts¹⁰ from 5 o’clock in the morning to 11 at night, year round. 

“Wish it was a longer ride, not three and a-half minutes. It takes really a multi-task.  we have to look at the river, land, the boat and collect [money] all at the same time before we get to the other side,” said Pierce.

Unless a big bridge is built nearby, White's ferry will keep connecting both sides of the Potomac River. 

1 historic   

adj.历史上著名的，具有历史意义的

参考例句：

• This is a historic occasion.这是具有重大历史意义的时刻。
• We are living in a great historic era.我们正处在一个伟大的历史时代。

2 region   

n.地区，地带，区域；范围，幅度

参考例句：

• The students went to study the geology of that region.学生们去研究那个地区的地质情况。
• It is unusual to see snow in this region.这个地区难得见到雪。

3 watchful   

adj.注意的，警惕的

参考例句：

• The children played under the watchful eye of their father.孩子们在父亲的小心照看下玩耍。
• It is important that health organizations remain watchful.卫生组织保持警惕是极为重要的。

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 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

6 cable   

n.缆绳，索；电缆；电报；vt.电汇，打电报

参考例句：

• Don't forget to cable us as soon as you arrive.别忘了一到就给我发个电报。
• The worker attached a cable.工人连接电缆。

7 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。

8 pierce   

n.皮尔斯；v.刺穿，穿透，洞悉

参考例句：

• We use the machine to pierce holes in the steel sheet.我们用机器在钢板上打洞。
• Any sights could pierce them.任何景色都会刺激他们。

9 licensed   

adj.得到许可的v.许可，颁发执照(license的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The new drug has not yet been licensed in the US. 这种新药尚未在美国获得许可。
• Is that gun licensed? 那支枪有持枪执照吗？

10 shifts   

n.转换( shift的名词复数 )；切换键；（汽车等的）变速；更换v.改变( shift的第三人称单数 )；去掉；摆脱掉；换挡

参考例句：

• The action of the novel shifts from Paris to London. 小说情节从巴黎移到了伦敦。
• I work split shifts in a busy restaurant. 我在一家繁忙的餐馆上间隔班。