台灣保險翻譯社

　　1997年1月

　　In Britain, the old Road Traffic Act restricted speeds to 2 m. p. h. (miles per hour) in towns and 4 m. p. h. in the country. Later parliament increased the speed limit to 14 m. p. h. But by 1903 the development of the car industry had made it necessary to raise the limit to 20 m. p. h. By 1930, however, the law was so widely ignored that speeding restrictions were done away with altogether. For five years motorists were free to drive at whatever speeds they liked. Then in 1935 the Road Traffic Act imposed a 30 m. p. h. speed limit in built-up areas, along with the introduction of driving tests and pedestrian crossings.

　　Speeding is now the most mon motoring offence in Britain. Offences for speeding fall into three classes: exceeding the limit on restricted road, exceeding on any road the limit for the vehicle you are driving, and exceeding the 70 m. p. h. limit on any road. A restricted mad is one where the street lamps are 200 yards apart, or more.

　　The main controversy (爭論) surrounding speeding laws is the extent of their safety value. The Ministry of Transport maintains that speed limits reduce accidents. It claims that when the 30 m. p. h. limit was introduced in 1935 there was a fall of 15 percent in fatal accidents. Likewise, when the 40 m. p. h. speed limit was imposed on a number of roads in London in the late fifties, there was a 28 percent reduction in serious accidents. There were also fewer casualties (傷亡)in the year after the 70 m. p. h. motorway limit was imposed in 1966.

　　In America, however, it is thought that the reduced accident figures are due rather to the increase in traffic density. This is why it has even been suggested that the present speed limits should be done away with pletely, or that a guide should be given to inexperienced drivers and the speed limits made advisory, as is done in parts of the USA.

　　Questions:

　　1. During which period could British motorists drive without speed limits?

　　2. What measures were adopted in 1935 in addition to the speeding restrictions?

　　3. Speeding is a motoring offense a driver mits when he __________.

　　4. What is the opinion of British authorities concerning speeding laws?

　　5. What reason do Americans give for the reduction in traffic accidents?


　　文章導讀

　　為什麼會產生交通事变？是否是因為車輛的速度太快了？本文第一段借英國公路交通法有關速度限度圆面的發展與變更來隐射這個回覆。第二段指出超速是現在英國最广泛的機動車違規，並列舉了三種違規現象。那麼在多大水平上限速能減少交通变乱呢？第三段列舉了分歧歷史時期的數字加以佐証。文章最後一段提出了另外一種见解，即在好國， 事故數字的減少被掃果於交通稀度的增添。

　　第一題 During which period could British motorists drive without speed limits?

　　題解 這一題要供綜开第一段的第3、4、5三句來解答。第三句說到1930“speeding restrictions were done away with altogether”，接下來又說，“For five years motorists were free to drive at whatever speeds they liked”，是以可知，無速度制约的時間是從1930年起（包含1930年），延續了5年，便是1930、1931、1932、1933、1934這五年。最後一句“Then in 1935 the Road Traffic Act imposed a 30 m. p. h. speed limit in built-up areas”，說明到了1935年，speed limit又實止了。

　　要點： 提問是“during which period”，答案中只要給出一個時間的表達式就能够了，沒有须要以整句作答，免得行多有掉。有一名攷死這樣答复：During 1930 and 1935 could British motorists drive without speed limits. 权且字數多了一個不說，這個倒裝也有點問題。紧一點的評委給1.5分，嚴一點的給1分，您說虧不虧？

　　答案： From 1930 to 1935.

　　或between 1930 and 1935

　　或1930、1931、1932、1933、1934。

　　第两題 What measures were adopted in 1935 in addition to the speeding restrictions?

　　題解 題乾中的1935是尋找答案的明確線索，明顯應在第一段的最後一句話“Then in 1935 the Road Traffic Act imposed a 30m. p. h. speed limit in built-up areas, along with the introduction of driving tests and pedestrian crossings”。題乾中的speed restrictions對應於這句話中的a 30 m. p. h. speed limit in built-up areas，剩下的天然就是the introduction of driving tests and pedestrian crossings。

　　要點 本題只要答复出what measures便可，沒有需要再减上謂語局部。

　　谜底 Driving tests and pedestrian crossings.

　　或 The introduction of driving tests and pedestrian crossings.

　　第三題 Speeding is a motoring offense a driver mits when he __________.

　　題解 從題坤中的“motoring offense”出現在第二段的第一句話。這句話也便是第二段的主題句。它總領了後里對三種speeding的描写，在這三種情況中，speeding皆是exceeding the … (speed) limit。

　　要點 空格中请求填的是謂語，用動詞來解釋speeding這個詞，因而必須挖動詞的情势。同時要留意第三人稱單數跟時態。

　　答案 exceeds the speed limits. 或 drives over the speed limit 或 breaking the speeding laws.

　　第四題What is the opinion of British authorities concerning speeding laws?

　　題解 題乾中的British authorities等于指第三段第二句話中的the Ministry of Transport，而這句話中的maintain一詞則是引述中经常使用的一個詞，常暗示“……認為”的意义，那麼它後面的內容就是本題的答案了。

　　要點 （1）本題較好回覆，但要注重防止本文炤抄，否則會被扣掉0.5分。其實只要將“The Ministry of Transport maintains”改成“They maintain”（留意單復數）就好了。

　　（2）簡練做答的話，要留神把賓語從句的引導詞“that”捨失落，可則顯得有些过剩，弄欠好會丟分。

　　答案 Speed limits reduce accidents. 或Speed limits help reduce accidents.

　　第五題 What reason do Americans give for the reduction in traffic accidents?

　　題解 正在四級攷試中，也有良多收分的題。本題中的“Americans”告訴我們它的谜底确定在最後一段。其實，只有年夜體上讀懂第四段的第一句話，看出此中的“due（rather）to”是表现起因的即能做出正確答案，即“the increase in traffic density”。

　　要點 留意與問題所問的方法一緻， 否則要扣分。