44

People travelling long distances 出远门的人常常需要决定是走旱路、水路，frequently have to decide whether they 还是坐飞机。 would prefer to go by land,sea,or air. Hardly anyone can positively enjoy 很少有人能够真正喜欢坐几个小时以上的火sitting in a train for more than a few 车。 hours. Train compartments soon get cramped and 车厢很快就变得拥挤、闷热。 stuffy. It is almost impossible to take your mind 想摆脱开旅途的困扰是很难的。 off the journey. Reading is only a partial solution, 看书只能解决部分问题。 for the monotonous rhythm of the wheels 车轮与铁轨间单调的嘎喳声很快就会送你进clicking on the rails soon lulls you to 入梦乡。 sleep. During the day,sleep comes in snatches. 白天是忽睡忽醒， At night,when you really wish to go to 到了夜晚，你真想睡了，却很难入睡。 sleep,you rarely manage to do so. If you are lucky enough to get a sleeper, 即使你走运弄到一个卧铺， you spend half the night staring at the 夜间有一半时间你会盯着车顶那盏小蓝灯而small blue light in the ceiling, 睡不着觉； or fumbling to find your ticket for 要不然就为查票摸索你的车票。 inspection. Inevitably you arrive at your destination 一旦抵达目的地，你总是疲惫不堪。 almost exhausted. Long car journeys are even less 乘汽车作长途旅行则更加不舒服，因为连看pleasant,for it is quite impossible even 书都几乎不可能。 to read. On motorways you can,at least,travel 在公路上还好，你至少能以相当快的速度安fairly safely at high speeds, 全地向前行。 but more often than not,the greater part 但旅行的大部分时间都花在路上，而且只有of the journey is spent on narrow,bumpy 很少的服务设施，交通也很拥挤。 roads which are crowded with traffic. By comparison,trips by sea offer a great 相比之下，坐船旅行或环游可以得到文明世variety of civilized comforts. 界的各种事受。 You can stretch your legs on the spacious 你可以在甲板上伸展四肢、做游戏，还能见decks,play games,swim,meet interesting 到各种有趣的人，能享用各种美味佳肴—— people and enjoy good food-- always assuming,of course,that the sea is 当然，这一切只有在大海风平浪静的情况下calm. 才有可能。 If it is not,and you are likely to get 如果大海肆虐起来，你就可能晕船， seasick, no form of transport could be worse. 那种难受劲儿是任何一种别的旅行方式都不会带来的。 Even if you travel in ideal weather,sea 即便风平浪静，坐船旅行也要占用很长时间。 journeys take a long time. Relatively few people are prepared to 没有多少人会为了享受坐船旅行的乐趣而牺sacrifice up to a third of their holidays 牲假期的时间。 for the pleasure of travelling on a ship. Aeroplanes have the reputation of being 飞机以危险而著称，连老资格的旅行者也怕dangerous and even hardened travellers 飞机。 are intimidated by them. They also have the grave disadvantage of 飞机的另一个缺点是昂贵。 being the most expensive form of transport. But nothing can match them for speed and 但就速度与舒适而言，飞机是无与伦比的。 comfort. Travelling at a height of 30,000 feet,far 腾云驾雾，在30000英尺高空飞行， above the clouds, and at over 500 miles an hour is an 以500英里的时速旅行，这种经历令人心旷exhilarating experience. 神怡。 You do not have to devise ways of taking 你不必想办法去摆脱旅途的困扰， your mind off the journey, for an aeroplane gets you to your 因为飞机会迅速地把你送到目的地。 destination rapidly. For a few hours,you settle back in a deep 几小时之内，你躺在扶手椅上，享受着旅途armchair to enjoy the flight. 的欢乐。 The real escapist can watch a free film 真正会享受的人还可以在某些航班上看一场show and sip champagne on some services. 电影和喝香槟。 But even when such refinements are not 即使没有这些消遣条件，也总是有事可做。 available,there is plenty to keep you occupied. An aeroplane offers you an unusual and 飞机上，你可以观察世界上非同寻常的奇妙breathtaking view of the world. 的美景。 You soar effortlessly over high mountains 你毫不费劲地飞越高山幽谷。 and deep valleys. You really see the shape of the land. If the landscape is hidden from view, 你确能饱览大地的风貌。 如果这种景色被遮住了， you can enjoy the extraordinary sight of 你便可以观赏一下展现在你面前的、一望数unbroken cloud plains that stretch out 英里的、连绵不断的云海， for miles before you, while the sun shines brilliantly in a 同时阳光灿烂，天空清澈明朗。 clear sky. The journey is so smooth that there is 旅途平稳，丝毫不妨碍你阅读或睡眠。 nothing to prevent you from reading or sleeping. However you decide to spend your time,one 不管你打算如何消磨时间，有件事是可以肯thing is certain: 定的， you will arrive at your destination fresh 即当你抵达目的地时，你感到精神焕发，毫and uncrumpled. 无倦意。 You will not have to spend the next few 用不着因为漫长旅途的辛苦而花儿天时间休days recovering from a long and arduous 息来恢复精神。 journey.