每日英語 #016: Being Polite While Driving

ESLPOD

Being Polite While Driving

When two people arrive at a door at the same time, the expression Americans use in the U.S. to tell the other person to “go first” (in front of you) is “After you.”

當兩個人同時到達門口時，美國人在美國常用的表達讓對方「先走」（在你前面）的說法是「您先請」。

It is of course considered polite to let the other person go first.

當然，讓對方先走被認為是禮貌的。

But what about when we’re driving? We are not nearly as polite.

但當我們在開車時怎麼樣呢？我們並沒有那麼禮貌。

One 2011 study looked at how polite drivers were by examining whether they let other drivers go first when given the opportunity.

一項2011年的研究通過檢查駕駛者在有機會時是否讓其他駕駛者先行來研究駕駛者有多禮貌。

The researchers “observed” (watched) drivers at three T-shaped intersections.

研究人員在三個T字形路口「觀察」（觀看）了駕駛者。

An “intersection” is where two roads meet or cross each other.

「路口」是兩條道路相遇或交叉的地方。

A “T-shaped intersection” is where one road ends in another forming a shape that looks like a capital T.

「T字形路口」是一條路在另一條路上結束，形成一個看起來像大寫字母T的形狀。

Those on the road that ends must stop and wait either for a situation where no cars are crossing the road or for a driver on the other road to slow down and “let them in” (let them go before them).

在路結束的人必須停下來，等待沒有車輛穿過道路的情況，或等待另一條路上的駕駛者減速並「讓他們進入」（讓他們先行）。

The researchers recorded who, in fact, “gave way to the other driver” (allowed the other person to go first), the kind of car they were driving, whether it was a man or woman driving, and whether the person was alone in the car.

研究人員記錄了誰實際上「讓路給其他駕駛者」（讓其他人先行），他們駕駛的車型，是男性還是女性駕駛，以及該人是否獨自一人在車內。

Here’s what they found after about a thousand pairs of cars went through the intersections:

以下是他們在約一千對車輛通過路口後發現的結果：

• In general, men and women acted “altruistically” (politely; giving something to another without expecting anything in return) at about the same rate. Forty percent of the drivers slowed down to let the stopped driver in. 一般而言，男性和女性的「利他行為」（禮貌地；給予他人而不期望回報）的比率大致相同。40%的駕駛者減速讓停下的駕駛者進入。
• Men were more likely to let women drivers in than other men drivers, proving that men still can “act like gentlemen” (kind and courteous, especially to a woman). 男性比女性駕駛者更有可能讓路給女性駕駛者，這證明男性仍然可以「像紳士一樣行事」（善良且禮貌，尤其對女性）。
• Drivers who looked over 45 years old slowed down more than younger drivers. 看起來超過45歲的駕駛者比年輕駕駛者減速更多。
• Drivers who had a “passenger” (another person in the car) slowed down much more often than those who were driving alone. We “behave” (act) better when someone we know is watching us. 車內有「乘客」（車內的另一個人）的駕駛者比獨自駕駛者更經常減速。當有我們認識的人在看著我們時，我們的「行為」（舉止）會更好。

重要單字

• 1. Polite (禮貌的) - /pəˈlaɪt/
• 2. Go first (先走) - /ɡoʊ fɜːrst/
• 3. After you (您先請) - /ˈæftər juː/
• 4. Study (研究) - /ˈstʌdi/
• 5. Observe (觀察) - /əbˈzɜːrv/
• 6. Intersection (路口) - /ˌɪntərˈsɛkʃən/
• 7. T-shaped (T字形) - /tiː ʃeɪpt/
• 8. Let them in (讓他們進入) - /lɛt ðəm ɪn/
• 9. Give way (讓路) - /ɡɪv weɪ/
• 10. Altruistically (利他地) - /ˌæltruˈɪstɪkli/
• 11. Act like gentlemen (像紳士一樣行事) - /ækt laɪk ˈdʒɛntəlmən/
• 12. Passenger (乘客) - /ˈpæsɪndʒər/
• 13. Behave (行為) - /bɪˈheɪv/
• 14. Politely (禮貌地) - /pəˈlaɪtli/
• 15. Something (某事) - /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
• 16. Return (回報) - /rɪˈtɜrn/
• 17. Percent (百分比) - /pərˈsɛnt/
• 18. Slow down (減速) - /sloʊ daʊn/
• 19. Driver (駕駛者) - /ˈdraɪvər/
• 20. Prove (證明) - /pruv/
• 21. Gentleman (紳士) - /ˈdʒɛntəlmən/
• 22. Younger (較年輕的) - /ˈjʌŋɡər/
• 23. Over (超過) - /ˈoʊvər/
• 24. Alone (單獨) - /əˈloʊn/
• 25. Watching (觀看) - /ˈwɑtʃɪŋ/
• 26. Rate (比率) - /reɪt/
• 27. Same (相同的) - /seɪm/
• 28. Often (經常) - /ˈɔfən/
• 29. Found (發現) - /faʊnd/
• 30. Car (汽車) - /kɑr/