虽然火车这种交通工具的功能和外形大多非常简朴，但自两百年前被发明以来，它对人类文明的发展有着不容小觑的意义。相比日复一日的货运及客运功能，奢华列车的出现也许让长途旅行体验达到了巅峰。这类别具一格的旅行方式结合了极高的行驶速度和五星级服务 — 有什么理由不喜欢呢？有了让人眼花缭乱的选择，下一步就是考虑你的目的地了。本集节目谈一谈奢华列车游的特别之处。

Vocabulary: trains 词汇: 火车

Who doesn't love a train? Since the invention of the first steam-powered locomotive in the UK in 1804, this powerful mode of transport has helped keep human progress on track. If they weren't hauling freight in cars, they'd be pulling passengers in carriages. In the modern era, the iron horse is still chugging along under its own steam. And these days, many are attracted to it for its comfort, style and luxury.

In the UK, a new £150m fleet of Caledonian Sleepers has just been unveiled. These overnight trains provide an experience that will 'transform travel between London and Scotland,' says Ryan Flaherty of Serco, the company operating the rail service, in a BBC article. Indeed, the fleet features 40 sleeper carriages fitted with showers, a club car for dining and new engineering in the couplers to prevent shunting from waking resting passengers.

But it doesn't stop there. All over the globe, luxury trains deliver comfort and opulence on rails to passengers looking to let off steam. Why not try a whistle-stop tour of India on The Maharajas' Express? Taking 88 guests at a time on a four or eight-night trip, the train boasts restaurant cars, a bar and a lounge. If South Africa is more to your taste, you can travel for over 31 hours from Cape Town to Pretoria in a spacious cabin boasting five-star service on The Blue Train. Fancy South America? The Belmond Andean Explorer is its first sleeper train. They boast it is one of the highest train routes in the world. It can whisk you across Peru from Cusco, the Incan capital, to Arequipa, 'the White City'. And of course, no mention of locomotive luxury would be complete without the famous Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, the well-known setting of a popular murder mystery novel. Travelling across Europe to various destinations such as London, Paris and Venice, its art deco cabins are manned by stewards and feature a resident pianist.

Trains are old. And it is perhaps this age that appeals to many people. Stepping on board a luxury train to travel as we used to long ago evokes romantic memories of grand journeys at a more measured pace. If this appeals to you, why not consider one for your next holiday? I'm sure your experience will be anything but a train wreck.

词汇表

train 火车
steam-powered 蒸汽驱动的
locomotive 火车头
mode of transport 运输方式
keep something on track 使…保持正常进行
haul 拖、拉（重物）
freight 货物
car 汽车
carriage 火车车厢
iron horse “铁马”，指蒸汽火车
chug 突突地行驶
under your own steam 靠自己的力量
fleet 列车队
sleeper 卧铺
coupler 火车耦合器
shunting 火车转轨
rail 铁轨
let off steam 释放、缓解精力
whistle-stop tour （在各地短暂停留的）蜻蜓点水式观光
cabin 列车车厢
steward 乘务员
on board 在车上
train wreck 失败、灾难

测验与练习

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. Apart from luxury travel, what other uses does the article mention trains have?

2. Where does the Caledonian Sleeper take passengers from and to?

3. Which famous train was the setting of a renowned narrative?

4. True or false? The route of the Belmond Andean Explorer is the highest in the world.

5. Which word in the article means 'expensive and luxurious'?

2. 请在不参考课文的情况下完成下列练习。选择一个意思合适的单词填入句子的空格处。

1. All over the world, lorries, ships and trains transport ______ from one country to another.

frayed                            freight                                   frait                            afraid

2. I'm sorry, can I ______ you along the bench a bit so I can sit down? Thank you!

chug                              shunt                                     rail                              steam

3. This weekend, I'm going to do nothing but watch TV. I really need to ______.

steam-powered             under my own steam             let off steam              whistle-stop tour

4. This project has been a complete ______ since the moment we hired you. You're fired!

train wreck                    iron horse                              whistle-stop tour         carriage

5. If I can ______ with my mortgage, the house will be mine in less than three years!

keep on track                 shunt                                     let off steam              haul

答案

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. Apart from luxury travel, what other uses does the article mention trains have?
The article mentions trains hauling freight and pulling passengers.

2. Where does the Caledonian sleeper take passengers from and to?
The Caledonian sleeper travels between London and Scotland.

3. Which famous train was the setting of a renowned narrative?
The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is the well-known setting of a popular murder mystery novel.

4. True or false? The route of the Belmond Andean Explorer is the highest in the world.
False. The Belmond Andean explorer boasts one of the highest train routes in the world.

5. Which word in the article means 'expensive and luxurious'?
Opulence. All over the globe, luxury trains deliver comfort and opulence on rails to passengers looking to let off steam.

2. 请在不参考课文的情况下完成下列练习。选择一个意思合适的单词填入句子的空格处。

1. All over the world, lorries, ships and trains transport freight from one country to another.

2. I'm sorry, can I shunt you along the bench a bit so I can sit down? Thank you!

3. This weekend, I'm going to do nothing but watch TV. I really need to let off steam.

4. This project has been a complete train wreck since the moment we hired you. You're fired!

5. If I can keep on track with my mortgage, the house will be mine in less than three years!