那一年,我在纽约地铁上,偶遇了一位外国游客,她拿着地图,焦急地问我:“Excuse me, where is the nearest subway station to the Empire State Building?” 我指着地铁图,用不标准的英语告诉她:“Sure, it’s right here. You just take the 1 train, it stops at 34th Street-Herald Square.” 她连连点头,脸上露出感激的笑容。
等等,我突然想到,其实我在北京也遇到过类似的场景。有一次,一个朋友来北京旅游,问我:“How can I get to the Forbidden City?” 我指着手机上的地图,告诉她:“Easy! You just need to take Bus 5 or Subway Line 1 to Tiananmen Square, then walk for about 10 minutes.” 她听了我的建议,顺利地找到了目的地。
说到底,语言交流真的无处不在。无论是英语还是中文,都能让人在陌生的环境中找到方向,感受彼此的温度。那,你觉得在哪种语言环境中,更容易找到共鸣呢?
"Always use 'bus', 'train', 'subway', not 'streetcar' in US English."
- "In UK, 'underground' means 'subway', 'metro' is common."
- "Ask for 'a ticket' or 'a ticket for', not 'a ticket of'."
- "Use 'get on' and 'get off' for boarding and alighting."
- "London buses use 'Oyster' cards; in NYC, use a MetroCard."
公共交通,简单说就是:公交、地铁、火车啥的。英文里,这些通常叫:
- 公交车:Bus
- 地铁:Subway/Metro
- 火车:Train
坐公交时,你可能会用到:
- Where is the bus stop? 公交站在哪里? - Can you tell me the route? 能告诉我路线吗?
- How much is the fare? 票价是多少?
- Next stop, please. 下站了。
坐地铁的话:
- Which line should I take? 我该坐哪条线? - How long does it take to get there? 到那需要多久?
- Is this the right direction? 这是正确的方向吗?
- Where is the exit? 出口在哪里?
火车上可能还会用到:
- I need a ticket to [destination]. 我需要到[目的地]的票。 - Can I have a seat near the window? 能给我个靠窗的座位吗?
- When does the train arrive? 火车什么时候到?
- Are there any restrooms on board? 火车上有洗手间吗?
记住了这些,基本上就能搞定公共交通的英语交流了。
公交站牌:Bus stop 上车:Get on the bus 下车:Get off the bus 票价:Fare 投币:Insert coins 刷卡:Swipe card 座位:Seat 拥挤:Crowded 空调:Air conditioning 司机:Driver 售票员:Conductor 目的地:Destination 终点站:Final stop 换乘:Transfer 地铁:Subway 出租车:Taxi 机场大巴:Airport shuttle 公交卡:Bus card 地铁卡:Subway card 实时公交:Real-time bus tracking 高峰时段:Peak hours 优惠票:Discount ticket 无障碍设施:Accessibility features 紧急出口:Emergency exit 你自己掂量。