每日英語 #157: Carmageddon 車禍末日

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Carmageddon 車禍末日

A “neologism” is a newly created word that has not yet been widely accepted or used, a word not found in a dictionary. Neologisms are often the result of some new event or activity, and sometimes are formed by changing or combining existing words.

“新詞” 是指新創造的單詞，尚未被廣泛接受或使用，並且在字典中找不到。新詞通常是由某些新事件或活動引起的，有時是通過改變或組合現有單詞來形成的。

For example, the word “Armageddon” refers to the end of the world, as some people think is “depicted” (shown; described) in the last book of the Christian Bible. The term is more generally used now to mean a terrible disaster, bigger than anything previously seen.

例如，“末日之戰” 這個詞指的是世界末日，有些人認為這是基督教《聖經》最後一本書中所“描繪”的（展示；描述）。這個詞現在更廣泛地用來指代比以往任何災難都更嚴重的災難。

That brings us to the neologism “Carmageddon,” a combination of the words “car” and “Armageddon.” So what is the Carmageddon? The term was used to describe something that happened in Los Angeles on July 16 and 17, 2011, when a 10-mile “stretch” (section of a road or highway) of one of the “major” (most important; busiest) freeways – Interstate 405 – was completely closed for more than two days for “construction” (building).

這引出了“車禍末日”這個新詞，是由“car”和“Armageddon”組合而來的。那麼，什麼是車禍末日？這個詞用來描述2011年7月16日和17日洛杉磯發生的一件事，當時一條“主要”（最重要；最繁忙）高速公路——405州際公路的一段長達10英里的“路段”（道路或高速公路的一部分）因“施工”（建設）而完全關閉了兩天多。

Some experts predicted that this would be a big disaster, with people unable to move or travel “due to” (because of) all of the “traffic” (cars) that would be “diverted” (moved) to other streets and freeways. People expected large “traffic jams” (where cars are stopped or are moving very slowly) on all of the streets and roads. The 405 Freeway in Los Angeles “carries” (has on it) more than 280,000 cars per day.

一些專家預測，這將是一場大災難，人們將因為所有被“分流”（轉移）到其他街道和高速公路的“車流”（汽車）而無法移動或出行。人們預計所有街道和道路上都會出現嚴重的“交通堵塞”（汽車停滯或移動非常緩慢）。洛杉磯的405高速公路每天“承載”（上面行駛）超過28萬輛汽車。

It is important to understand that closing a freeway in Los Angeles is unlike a similar event in most other cities. Los Angeles has a “car culture,” where owning and driving a car is considered “essential” (necessary) for most people. Los Angeles does not have a good public system of transportation like other big cities in the U.S., such as New York or Chicago, so almost everyone drives.

重要的是要明白，在洛杉磯封閉一條高速公路與大多數其他城市的類似事件不同。洛杉磯有一種“汽車文化”，擁有和駕駛汽車對大多數人來說是“必需的”（必要的）。洛杉磯不像紐約或芝加哥等美國其他大城市那樣擁有良好的公共交通系統，因此幾乎每個人都開車。

People were told to stay home that weekend, not to try to drive anywhere unless it was an emergency. The warnings must have worked, because despite all of the predictions, there were no major problems. Perhaps because everyone expected major traffic jams, they stayed away from the 405 Freeway.

人們被告知那個週末待在家裡，除非是緊急情況，否則不要開車去任何地方。這些警告似乎起了作用，因為儘管有各種預測，但並沒有出現大的問題。也許是因為每個人都預計會有嚴重的交通堵塞，所以他們都避開了405高速公路。

Although Carmageddon did not turn out to be a big disaster, the term will always be associated with major traffic problems.

儘管車禍末日最終並未成為一場大災難，但這個詞將永遠與嚴重的交通問題聯繫在一起。

重要單字

• 1. neologism /niˈɒlədʒɪzəm/ 新詞
• 2. depicted /dɪˈpɪktɪd/ 描繪的
• 3. stretch /strɛtʃ/ 路段
• 4. major /ˈmeɪdʒər/ 主要的
• 5. construction /kənˈstrʌkʃən/ 施工
• 6. due to /djuː tuː/ 由於
• 7. traffic /ˈtræfɪk/ 車流
• 8. diverted /daɪˈvɜːrtɪd/ 分流的
• 9. traffic jam /ˈtræfɪk dʒæm/ 交通堵塞
• 10. carries /ˈkæriz/ 承載
• 11. car culture /kɑːr ˈkʌltʃər/ 汽車文化
• 12. essential /ɪˈsɛnʃəl/ 必需的
• 13. public transportation /ˈpʌblɪk ˌtrænspɔːrˈteɪʃən/ 公共交通
• 14. emergency /ɪˈmɜːrdʒənsi/ 緊急情況