生活在美国总结

addjylUID: 171242

我前些天收集了一些关于生活在美国的文章

现在发上去，大家看看，，，

addjylUID: 171242

无所不在的快餐点

    随着美国人生活节奏的加快，快餐食品便应运而生．其快餐连锁店遍及世界各地，其中影响最大的当属麦当劳快餐连锁店．供应的快餐食品有：汉堡包、烤牛肉、牛排、火腿、三明治、肯德鸡、油炸土豆片、烘馅饼、冰淇淋以及各种碳酸饮料等．

　　Fast Food 快餐食品
　　Fast-food chains，American-style， are currently on the increase all over the world．Most of these places work on a similar principle． There is a long counter ， above which is displayed a list（often with pictures） of the items available， and behind which several people（often students   working for the minimum wage）are serving． Individual queues form in front of each assistant ．You receive what you order more or less immediately and take it on a tray to a table， picking up thing like straws（吸管）， peper， salt， ketchup（蕃茄酱），pickles（泡菜）and napkins（usually paper napkins） on the way．If yo can’t see any knives and forks ， this means you are supposed to eat with your hands．If you can’t see any straws， that’s because they are hiding in the straw dispenser（分配器） that you have to fiddle（拨弄） with the bottom of it to get a straw（one at a time）to emerge．When you’ve finished， you yourself throw away everything except the tray．
　　Many fast-food places have drive-in facilities．You place your order from your car via（通过） a microphone and then drive round to a special window to pay and pick it up ．You may even encounter places where a waitress bring your meal out， and you sit and eat it in the car from a tray hooked over the door through the open window．
You may be asked if your order is “for here”or “to go ”（i．e．to take away）．In some states there is no sales tax on food consumed．

　　Types of Fast Food Restaurants 快餐店的种类
　　The most widespread type of fast-food restaurant is that serving hamburgers， such as the chains of MacDonald．All the different chains have their own specialties ．Arby’s restaurants serve large roast beef， ham and cheese， and turkey（火鸡） “sandwidhes”． Some restaurant chians specialize in serving steaks quickly and cheaply． And then there’s Kntucky Fried Chicken．

　　Chips 油炸土豆片
　　Chips in Amercis are called “French fries”or “fries ”for short．（Note that in the USA “chips” mean crisps）．“French fries”are normally thinner than chips．Amercians generally put ketchup on their chips ，and you will not normally find vigegar（醋）．

　　Pizzas（意大利式）烘焰饼
　　There are many specialty pizza restaurants in America， and many of them take telephone orders and deliver pizzas to your home， which can often be convenient．They come in different sizes， and a large one can be big enought for a party of four people．If you want ot share a pizza but can’t agree on the ingredients ， it is possible to order two different sets of toppings ，one set on each half．

　　Ice-Cream 冰淇淋
　　Shops selling large number of different flavors of ice-cream are very common in America． If you are not sure what flavor you want ，generaly you can sample a small spoonful of a particular flavor to see if you like it． You can either have your ice-cream in a “plain cone”（普通型锥形物） or in a “sugar cone”（甜脆型锥形物）．

　　Soft Drinks 软饮料
Fast-food restaurants do not serve alcohol．The soft drinks most often sold are Coca-Cola and Pepsi——Cola， plus fizzy drinks （which are like leminade）and root beer（which is like cough medicine）．Fizzy drinks are known as “carbonated beverages”（碳酸饮料） or ，more colloquially，“soda”，“pop”，“soda pop”，and “soft drinks”．
All these drinks come wiht lost of ice． In fact， yu will probably find as much ice as drink in your drink．If you ask fo a soft drink without ice， they will think yu are funny but will probably oblige．（They may charge you a bit extra， fo ice is cheaper than Coke．）

　


　

addjylUID: 171242

美国人的用餐习惯

    美国人吃饭用刀叉，而且他们的用餐方式是很有讲究的。因此，在应邀与美国朋友一起吃饭时，应特别注意他们的用餐习惯。一般情况下，餐桌上摆放有一幅餐刀和两幅餐叉，外边的餐叉供你吃色拉，里边的餐叉用于吃主食和其它点心食品，餐刀用来切肉食。如果你两手并用，应左手握叉，右手握刀，而且一次握刀时间不能太长。美国人的早餐有：炒或煮鸡蛋、香肠、油炸土豆片、薄煎饼、果子冻、烤面包、松饼、桔子汁以及咖啡等。
　
　　Eating Custom and Practice 用餐习惯

　　American eating is funny. They eat almost everything with a fork, and it appears that holding a knife in one's right hand longer than a few seconds is considered to be against good table manners.
　　The system is that if it is absolutely necessary to use a knife, people take the fork in their left hand, and cut off a piece of meat or whatever it is in the normal manner. Then they put the knife down, transfer the fork to their right hand, and only then do they transport the food to their mouth. This is clearly ludicrous(滑稽可笑), but it is considered good manners.
　　There are several results of this system. First, if it is not absolutely necessary to use a knife, Americans don't use one, because obviously this greatly complicates(使复杂化) things, and you will therefore see them trying to cut things like potatoes, fish and even bacon(熏猪肉) with a fork. Second, towards the end of a course, since only one implement(器具) is being used, food has to bo chased around the plate with the fork — and for the last mouthful the thumb has to be used to keep the food in place, although one is not supposed to do this.
　　Third, tables are generally laid with one knife and two forks, the outside fork being for the salad. There is no need for foreign visitors to follow the American system and try to eat the salad with only a fork, but if you do use your knife, remerber to save it for the meat course. Even desserts(甜食) (except ice cream) are eaten with a fork if at all possible, and the spoon you see by your dessert is meant to be for coffee (but if you use it for your dessert no one will say anything).

　　Some Breakfast Dishes 早餐食谱

　　Breakfast in a restaurant is a very enjoyable experience. If you order eggs in a restaurant, the waiter/waitress will ask you how you want them . You can reply that you want them "scrambled(炒)" or "boiled". It is not sufficient, however, to ask for them "fried"; you will have to specify whether you would prefer them "sunny-side-up" (煎一面), "over"(两面煎), "over-easy/easy-over"(两面煎，但蛋黄仍然呈流体状).
　　American sausage(香肠) comes in slices and is quite spicy. But you can also have link sausage.
　　American bacon comes in small strips, can be rather fat, and is served crispy. It is usually very tasty, and you can eat it with your fingers.
　　"Hash brows"(油炸土豆片) are shredded(切成碎片的) and fried potatoes. They are wonderful, especially with fried eggs and ketchup(蕃茄酱).
　　"Pancakes", sometimes called "hot cakes", are made with baking power. They are normally served in a pile, and you are supposed to put butter and syrup(果浆) on them.
"Jelly"(果子冻) is jam and includes grape jelly, which is very tasty.
        Toast is often served already buttered.
　　"English muffins(松饼)" are like small crumpets(烤饼) without the holes and are served toasted. You put jam on them.
　　A "biscuit"(软饼) is a snall, scone-like bread roll, often served hot.
　　Orange juice and coffee are often serced with breakfast.


　

addjylUID: 171242

美国人的主食

    美国人吃午餐和吃晚餐之前通常要喝点鸡尾酒，但在加利福尼亚州，人们大都喝葡萄酒。吃主食之前，一般都要吃一盘色拉。炸磨茹和炸洋葱圈可作为开胃食品，牛排、猪排和鸡（腿）为主食，龙虾、贝壳类动物以及各种鱼类甚至包括淡水鱼被统称为海鲜。炸土豆条是深受人们喜爱而且几乎成了必不可少的食物。另外应特别注意的一点，如有吃剩的食物，一定要打包带回家，以免浪费。

　　Cocktail鸡尾酒
　　It is quite usual to drink cocktails before lunch and dinner in America and somewhat less usual, except in California, to drink wine with a meal. You can either have a cocktail in the bar, if there is one, while you wait for a table or for friends, or you can have one served before your dinner comes. At some restaurants the waiter/waitress will come to your table as soon as you sit down to ask if you want a cocktail, and you can then drink this while deciding what to order to eat. At others, there may be a separate cocktail waiter or waitress. In this case, you do not normally order wine from him or her but from the normal waiter- or the wine waiter is there is one.
　　Do not hesitate to order Californian wines. They can be excellent and in many parts of the country are cheap.

　　Salad　色拉
　　It is usual to have a salad with your meal, and a separate plate is provided for this purpose. The normal practice in America is to eat the salad before the main course. A wonderful American invention is the salad bar. In restaurants that have these salad bars the waiter does not bring your salad. You go to the salad bar and help yourself, usually to as much as you want. This is normally done after you have ordered your meal; you eat the salad while the main course is being cooked.

　　Choosing from the Menu　选菜
　　American menus can look rather confusing at first sight, for they may use some terms which are unfamiliar to most vistors. Here are some points which may be useful.
　　Fried mushrooms, fried onion rings (洋葱圈) and fried zucchini (小胡瓜) are sometimes served as starters (第一道菜).
　　Potatoes most often come "French-fried" or baked. If you order a baked potato, the waiter will ask you what you want on it. The choice is butter and/or sour cream and sometimes chives (细香葱).
　　Very often vegetables do not come automatically with the meal, and you have to pay extra for them.
　　"Scrod" (小鳕鱼), "red snapper" (啮龟) and "mahi hahi" are all name of fish. "Seafood"means lobster (龙虾), shellfish and fish, including,funnily enough, freshwater fish! Prawns (对虾) are known as "shrimp".
　　American beef is usually good and often wonderful.
　　American salt and pepper (糊椒粉) pots are confusing until you realize that the salt pot may look like a pepper pot except that the salt pot's holes are bigger. Pepper is normally black rather than white. American mustard (芥末) is mild and normally eaten with hot dogs or hamburgers rather than meat.
　　And that stuff in a dish that looks ice cream is actually whipped (搅拌过的) butter.

　　Leftovers　吃剩的食物
　　You have probably heard that in American restaurants, if you can't finish your meal, you can put the remains in a "doggy bag" and take them home. This is quite true. If you leave some meat, in particular, your waiter may ask you if you'd like him to put it into "a little bag", or you can ask him to do this.

addjylUID: 171242

美国用餐常识

    中国菜着重色、香、味， 西餐讲究实惠。初到美国餐馆用餐，应该注意如下事项：
    1）选择合适的餐馆（如：家庭式餐馆、特色餐馆以及自助式餐馆等）；
    2）餐馆营业时间（上午11：30开门营业，直到夜晚）；
    3）一般都应事先预订餐位：
    4）到达餐馆后，不能径直地到餐桌旁入桌，除非餐厅有“随意就坐”的告示；
    5）付款时，别忘了留给服务员一定比例的小费（一般为实际总额的10%～15%）。
　
Eating out is one of the joy of being in the USA. The food is usually good and often excellent; the prices are reasonable ; and the service is mostly fine.

      Choosing a Restaurant 选择餐馆
      Some restaurants are open for breakfast; others are open twenty-four hours a day. A number of restaurants call themselves "family restaurants". Many of these serve no alcohol and have fairly restricted menus which include steaks, hamburgers, omelettes(炒蛋) and sandwiches, and all are at very reasonable prices. They may also serve smaller and cheaper children's portios(份餐). Note that many American restaurants are "speciatly" restaurants . They may serve only, or mainly , steaks , seafood, etc.

      When to Eat 供餐时间
      Many restaurants, especially the more expensive ones, open at about 11：30 a.m.(midday, rather than 1 p.m. , is the most normal time for lunch in the USA), and some remain open until the evening, so it is possible to order a meal throughout the afternoon.
      In many areas it is usual for people to leave work and go out for an evening meal at 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. , than waiting until later.

      Reserving a Table 预订餐位
      Eating out is rather popular in the USA. And it is often necessary to make a reservation. You will sometimes see short queues of people waiting for tables at restaurants-it's more pleasant to wait in the bar , of course, if there is one-but there queues more quickly.

      Arriving at Restaurant 到达餐馆
      When you arrive at most restaurant, you should not just go in and sit down-unless you see a sign saying "Please seat yourself" . Usually you will have to wait for a "hostess" or "captain"(领班) to escort(陪同) you to a table . Often there will be a sign that reads "Please wait to be seated".
      Do not expect to share a table with other parties, even if the restaurant is crowed . It just isn't done.
      Many restaurant have a no-smoking section, in some place by lows.
      One excellent American custom is that after you have sat down your waiter or waitress will often bring you a glass or water(with ice naturally) and will keep on refilling it throughout the meal. (Most American are incapable of eating a meal without drinking something at the same time.)
When your waiter or waitress takes your order, it is not very normal for one person to order for the whole table. Each person orders separately , except in the most expensive restaurants.

      Summoning a waiter 召唤侍者
      You may find your waiter unusually friendly. He may ask you how you are (You're supposed just to say "Fine"), inquire whether you have a good day and , later on say that he hopes you will enjoy your meal.
      To summon a waiter in a American restaurant you may call "Bill", or "Mary", or "Claude", or whatever. Waiters and waitresses often actually introduce themselves when they first come to your table or wear name tags, you are permitted to use their first names.

      Paying the Bill 付款
      The bill (often called the "check") comes usually with tax added but no service chare-though some restaurant do now add a service charge. The etiquette(规矩) books say that you should leave a ten per cent tip(小费) for lunch, fifteen per cent for dinner. The tip should be calculated on the basis of the total before the addition of tax.
      At many restaurant you can ask the waiter to bring the bill and than pay at a cash desk on the way out.

addjylUID: 171242

在美国租车

    在美国租车旅行既节省开支，又方便舒适，更是浪漫刺激。驾车旅行必须严格遵守交通规则：系上安全带；按交通灯指示行驶；如遇校车（一律为黄色）停下接送学生，双向行驶的所有车辆必须停止；按规定车速驾驶，车在高速公路上行驶时，其最低时速为40英里，最高时速只能在65英里左右，市内时速一般在25至35英里之间。停车也有许多限制，千万记住：绝不能将车停在消防龙头的前面。

　　 Rental Cars

　　 It costs surprisingly little to rent a car in the United States. You do not need an international or American driver's license （执照）to rent a car; you can use your national license in most cases.
　　 When you rent a car, we suggest getting a rate with unlimited mileage(无里程限制), you pay a fixed rate per day and can drive as many miles as you wish. Compare the company's rates--you may find interesting holiday or weekend rates, or international wisitor rates.
　　 Most Americans drive and rent cars with automatic transmission(自动变速), meaning you don't have to change gears(挡) manually.
　　 Note that , surprisingly enough, some car rental companies will not accept cash--you need a credit card. (They can then trace you if you've stolen or damaged the car.)
　　 It is vevy often possible to get a "one-way rental": you rent a car in one place and leave it in another. This can be extremely convenient, although it is normallly more expensive. Prices may vary according to what time of the week it is, as well whether mileage(里程) is included or not. It is worthwile checking around different firms to see which has the best arangemetns for you particular plans.
　　
    Choosing Your Car

　　 Ameerican cars are generally much larger and heavier than Japanese cars, although there is now a big increase in the production of smaller cars.
　　 The larger cars are extremely comfortable and relaxing to drive , but they do not generally handle or corner as well as smallr cars. Besides, they consume(消耗) large amount of gasoline(汽油).
　　 For larger American cars terms such as "economy", "mid-size" and "luxury" are used.
　　 If you are anxious about changing gear with the wrong hand, it is a good idea to choose and automatic, even if you are more familiar with a gear lever. it takes no time to adapt to (适应) automatic transmission.

　　 American Roads

　　 In some respects American roads are a good deal better than those in many other countries. They are , for instance, generally much wider and straighter.
　　 Driving on the Right
　　 When driving, you should always drive on the right side of the road. You will have to remember that the mirror, hand brake and gear lever are all on your right, and that you should look over you right shoulder when reversing(倒车).

　　 Rules of the Road

　　 You will learn these if you get a driver's license. Driving rules and customs vary from state to state, but these are some general respects in which they differ from those in other countries.
　　 Traffic lights American traffic lights go green-amber(琥珀色)-red-green. In most cities, you can make a right-hand turn at a red traffic light after you have stopped and verified(证实) that you can enter traffic safely. There are some places,like New York City, where you cannot make right-hand turns on red. You must also give way to pedestrians crossing at lights.
　　 American has four-way stop instead of round-about(环形路). A four-way stop is not a traffic light. it is indicated by a special stop sign thay says "4-way" beneath it. All cars must stop completely at a four-way stop before they continue throught the intersection(十字街口). The car that reaches the intersection first is the first one to leave(first-in , first-out for the computer scientists out there ). If two or more cars arriver at the same time, the one on the right leaves first . If you cars arrive at the same time, the bravest leaves first!

　　 Seat Belts

The wearing of seat belts is now not compulsory(强制的) in the USA, but it is in some of the states. You should also bear in mind that some insurance companies will not cover you for injuries if you are not wearing one.
　　 School Buses Because of the inadequacy of public transport systems in the USA, most areas hae special school bues(which take children to and from school lonce a day,five days a week, and do nothing at all for most of the rest of the time). These are usually painted yellow.When they stop to take on or drop off children they display flashing red lights, and it is then illegal(非法的) to pass the bus, even if you are going in the opposite direction on the other side of the road. All traffic must stop.

　　 The Police

If a policeman in a police car wants you to stop,he will not overtake(超过) you and stop you from in front. Instead he will drive aling behind you flashing his overhead lights, which are usually red(sometimes yellow or blue). Once you have stopped, you'd better stay in your car and let te policeman come to you.
　　 Keep your hand visible, and don't do anything that might look as if you were going for a gun. Have you driving license ready-it will be the first thing that the policeman asks for .

　　 Speed

The speed limit in cities is usually 25-35 miles per hour. On highways, it can vary between 55 and 65. On the highway, there is a minimum(最低的) speed limit as well as a maximum(最高的). This minimum speed limit is 40 miles(64 kilometers) per hour, unless otherwise indicated. If car trouble or bad weather forces you to drive more slowly than this, you should switch on you hazard-warning(危险警示) lights. The overall top speed limit is 65 miles( about 105 kilometers) per hour. This is rigidly enforced in many areas. If you really feel that you want to go faster, see what other drivers are doing.

　　 The Road Numbering System

The interstate(州际的) highway system use even(偶数的) numbers for east-west roads and odd(奇数) numbers for north-south roads(the I-80 goes from New York to San Francisco, for example, and I-55 from Chicago to New orleans).

　　 Parking Rules

You will see several types of paring regulation signs." No parking" means your can stop the car to let someone in or out , but you cannot park between the sign and the next one. "No stopping " and "No standing" mean you can't even stop to take or drop off passengers.
　　 You must no park in front of a fire-hydrant(消防龙头). It is important to remember this beacause there will be no signs anywhere to tell you. Fire-hydrants are easily recognized: they are large metal curbside(路边的) objects, perhaps two feet high, with parking spaces in front of them.
　　 You must park in the direction of traffic flow, even in the daytime . This means that there is no way you can get to a parking space on the other side of the road unless you go round the block and come back.
　　 At some urban parking lots you have to leave your car keys with an attendant and he parks your car for you.





　　

addjylUID: 171242

美国人的酒

酒的种类


    美国的酒大致可分为啤酒、鸡尾酒、威士忌和葡萄酒。啤酒有淡啤酒和浓啤酒之别；包装采用瓶装、听装和壶装。鸡尾酒和“混合饮料”含有很浓的酒精成分，饮用方式一般有加冰和不加冰两种，其配制方式各种各样。威士忌也是一种烈性酒，而且呈油状，分为黑麦威士忌和苏格兰威士忌。葡萄酒分为红、白两种，但值得注意的是：标有“Chablis”商标的葡萄酒并非法国所产的无甜味的白葡萄酒，而是美国加利弗尼亚州生产的白葡萄酒，该酒在美国享有盛誉。

　　Beer
　　American beer, with very few exceptions, varies from the mediocre(普通的) to the terrible. There are not many types of beer in the US—"light" and "dark" are two terms commonly used.
　　It is therefore normal to order beer simply by brand name. In a restaurant, in fact, it is quite all right to order "a beer", and they will tell you what they have.
　　It is not necessary, either, to specify quantity when ordering beer. If it comes in bottles or cans, you will get a bottle or can, and if it's "on tap"(可以随时取用的) you will get a glass, unless you order a "pitcher"(有嘴和柄的大酒罐 i.e.a jug). The latter is very convenient thing to do, since you can then take the jug and glasses to your table and keep filling up without going back to the bar. (It is harder, however, to know how much you have drunk.)
　　Some beer comes in bottles with tops that look as if they need an opener, but you can, in fact, screw(拧开) them off by hand—though you have to be very careful not to hurt yourself. It is possible, in some stores and bars, to find a wide selection of beer from all over the world, especially Western Europe and Australia, and it is good fun to experiment with these.

　　Cocktails
　　Cocktails and "mixed drinks" are much more popular and rather stronger in the USA than in Europe, and visitors may not be familiar with some of the terminology(术语). "On the rocks", as you probably know, means with ice, while "straight up" or "up" means neat and without ice.
There are hundreds of different cocktails, and there is no space here to list all the different names.

　　The Hard Stuff
　　In America "whiskey" means bourbon(一种烈性威士忌酒，最初为美国肯塔基州Bourbon地区所产) unless otherwise indicated. Bourbon is a rather oily spirit made from maize(玉米). Rye(黑麦威士忌酒) whiskey is called "rye" and Scotch whiskey "Scotch".

　　Wine
　　In bars wine can often be bought by the glass. Don't be misled by names such as "Chablis" is used to refer to white wine, and "Burgundy" to red—Americans seem never to have heard of white Burgundy..


饮酒与法律


    在美国及各州、市、县对饮酒都制定了相关的法律。顾客要饮酒必须达到法定的年龄，一般规定在18至21岁以上。顾客进酒吧时，常需接受保安人员对其年龄进行核实。此时，只需出示自己的驾照或其他有效证件即可，因为这些证件上注有持证人的出生日期。

Alcohol(含酒精的饮料) and the law

It is difficult to give a description of American laws concerning alcohol because they vary from state to state and city to city. The following, though, may be noted.
Some towns,even state are totally is sold at all except that they allow the sale of very weak (3.2 percent alcohol) beer,known as "three-two" beer. Some places do not allow the sale of alcohol on Sundays, even in shops—you may find a bar locked over the alcohol shelves. You can see it but not buy it! Other places permit alcohol to be sold on Sunday afternoons and evenings, but not on Sunday mornings. (Note that this means sales have to stop at midnight on Saturday.)In many parts of America, you are not allowed to drink alcohol in a public place.That is, you may not sit in a parkor walk along a street drinking beer, and you cannot even take a nice bottle of wine on your picnic. In some places, people can be seen taking drinks in public places from cans wrapped in brown-paper bags. These are not cans of Coca-Cola. And in many states you are not allowed to drink alcohol while driving, or even have an opened alcohol container in the car. Some bars have a license(执照) only for beer and wine. Others are also allowed to sell spirits(烈性酒) and thus, as Americans say, "mixed drinks".
Many bars have a period known as "happy hour", often longer than an hour, when they sell drinks at lower-than-usual prices. This is usually around 5 p.m. and may be only on certain days of the week.

The Legal Drinking Age

Legal drinking age varies from place to place but is generally between 18 to 21. Some places permit the consumption(消费) of beer at 18 but spirits only at 21. Others permit the consumption only of "three-two" beer from 18 to 21. (Young people therefore often drive from one place to another with more liberal drinking laws.) In any case, in some parts of the USA young people are allowed to vote, marry, raose children, keep full-time jobs, be tried in courts as adults, join the army and even buy guns—but NOT have a glass of beer. In some places people aged between 18 to 21 are allowed to go into bars but not allowed to drink.Another even more interesting aspect of American drinking-age laws is that in some places people below legal drinking age are not even allowed to sell alcohol.

Providing Proof of Your Age

In most places these drinking laws are fairly rigidly enforced(严格地实施). You may, for example, find people lining up to get into a bar and discover that the queue is caused by a guard on the door who is asking everybody for ID(身份证). If you ask him why he wants to know who you are, he will inform you that he actually wants confirmation(确认) of how old you are. On such occasions Americans often show their driving licenses, which have their date of birth written on them.

　





　　

addjylUID: 171242

生活在美国(七)--美国的航空运输

    美国地源辽阔，有无数的自然及人文景观让人流连忘返。我们给大家介绍在美国旅行的五种方式。在美国，乘飞机旅行省时、舒适、方便，而且便宜，从西海岸的旧金山或洛杉机飞越本土到达东海岸的波士顿或纽约需五个半小时，往返票价不倒五百美元。如逢优惠期或是旅游淡季，三百美元足矣。

　　Air Trave

　　Air services in the USA are generally excellent and relatively inexpensive, and travel by air is a very convenient(方便的) way of getting around such a large country.there are often cut-price arrangements that foreign visitors are able to get, especially if you book before you leave home, but these change from year to year, so you should check with a travel agent. There are also, from time to time, price-cutting wars and other competitive struggles between the different internal airlines, so it is sensible to make inquiries about what the b est deals are at any given time. (American travel agents will know better about these.) It may well be that some airlines are offering better prices or better arrangemengts than others for the particular journey you want to make.
　　Note that in America a return ticket is called a "round-trip" ticked, and a single ticket is called "one-way" ticket.

　　Major Internal(国内的) Airlines

　　The major airlines for internal flights include American Airlines, Coutinental, Delta, Eastern, Northwest Orient, Unite and Western. Airlines covering smaller areas of the country include Frontier(the West), Ozark(Midwest), Pacific(West Coast), Republic(the South and Midwest), Texas, and US Air(the Northest).

　　American Airports

　　American airports are organized on a rather different basis from those in China.For obvious reasons the international sections(国际航班区) are very small, and the domestic(国内的) sections, which normally include flights to Canada and Mexico, are very large by comparison. The airports are organized by different airlines; each has not only separate check-in desks but also separate gates, lounges(候机室) or even terminals(旅客集散地). It is especially important, therefore, to know which airline you are flying with.
　　At American airports it is very often possible for people who are not traveling themselves to accompany passengers on domestic flights right to the departure gate, provided that they also pass through the security check(安全检查). Similarly, arriving flights can be met right at the gate.

　　Baggage Allowance

　　Baggage regulations(规定) are the same as for international flights, and passengers are allowed to take free of charge two pieces of luggage, (each weighing no more than 70 pounds or 32 kilos) if the length＋height＋width of one does not exceed(超过) 65 inches(1.65 meters).

　　Checking in

　　When you check in at an airport you can request a smoking or a non-smoking seat. However, current(目前的) American law requires that everybody who wants a non-smoking seat must be given one. In other words, the non-smoking sections on planes must be made larger enough in order to meet the needs of everyone who wants this type of seating. And even in smoking secyions it is not permitted to smoke cigars or pipes.it is very possible to check in for a flight at the departure gate if you are taking only hand baggage.

　　Service on Board

　　Some internal flights are long-it takes seven or eight hours to fly from Seattle(西雅图) to Miami(迈阿密), for example, and five and a half hours to fly from Los Angeles(洛杉机) to Boston(波士顿). Service on longer flights is very much like that on international flights. Passengers are provided with meals, drinks and films. The longer flights usually offer frist class and tourist rates while short flights often make no difference in fares.




　

addjylUID: 171242

生活在美国(八)--美国的铁路网

    美国的铁路网在十九世纪中叶经历了它的鼎盛时期之后便逐渐衰败。如今幸存下来的铁路已为数不多，而且年久失修，路况很糟。现在，火车主要用来运送货物。不过，乘火车旅行非常舒适，可观赏沿途的自然风光，了解各地的民族风情。但是，火车的运行速度太慢慢，从纽约至旧金山需时三天。另外，火车票价并不比飞机票便宜。

　　Trains The rail network

    in the USA is not good enough.Many routes simply have to be traveled by road or air. The routes that are covered, moreover, have very few trains on them(e.g.Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, one train per day).By way of comparison, the journey from Los Angeles to San Francisco(about 400 miles:645 kilometers) takes about one hour by plane, nine hours by bus and about ten hours by train.The well-traveled East Coast route from Boston to Washington, however, is fast enough, comfortable, and has a frequent service.
　　Most of the long-distance trains are run by Amtrak, a nationawide Government-sponsored body(政府资助机构）, which owns the trains and tries very hard. However, for reasons not best known to us all, Amtark does not own the tracks that the trains run on. These are owned , generally, by private companies. On some routes , therefore, the tracks are in poor condition, and the trains, as a result, are often late.

　　Tickets and Reservations

　　Traveling by train in the USA is rather like traveling by air. For example, it is advisable on many routes, especially away from the East Coast, to buy your ticket in advance-most travel agents display Amtrak signs, and you can buy tickets from them. Some long-distance train are "reservatons required" trains; and you can make a reservation at the same time as buying your ticked(This can sometimes be done by phone). Having a reservation, however, does not mean that you are given a particular seat. It simply guarantees(保证) you a seat on the train-so, if you want to be sure of sitting with family or friends, get there early if you are boarding a teminus.(You may even have to line up to the platform)(站台), or wait in a lounge(候车室), as at an airport. )On some long-distance routes, particular in summer, it is a good idea to book well in advance. If trains are booked up no extra coaches(铁路客车) are added-there aren't any. And, of course, if you want sleeping accommoodation, you have to reserve that.

　　You Luggage

　　One thing you should know is that, again as at an airport, it is possible at larger stations and for longer journeys to check in any baggage you will not need with you on the journey.It then reappears at the other end. (If your luggage is large , you may be somewhat forced to check it in.)

　　facilities(设施) on Board

　　Once you get on , the trains are usually very comfortable, spacious(宽敞的) and relaxing, though extremely slow.
　　Smoking is often not allowed in the seating accommodation. (It is allowed,funnily enough, in the bus-room, which can be quite spacious, at least on the older trains, with the toilet seperate from the washing facilities and seats to sit on if you have to wait to get into the toilet. There are often separate bathrooms for men and women.) Smoking is also allowed , unfortunately for non-smokers, in the dining car, in bars.
　　The dining-cars(餐车) don't do a bad job, and you can often get drinks and snacks(小吃) all day long in the bar-car. Note , however , that the alcohol regulations of the state you are passing through apply also on the train.
　　In spite of obvious weaknesses, them , Amtrak offers the possiblilty of covering large distances in comfort and of seeing all the country in between rather than just a couple of airports at either end. However, train travel is not necessarily cheaper than air travel , especially if the airline happen to be offering cheap rates on the route.



　

addjylUID: 171242

美国的自行车一族

    进入本世纪中叶，自行车在美国作为旅行工具已被小车所取代，甚至中学生开始驾车上学。现在，美国人在马路上骑的自行车不是为了代步，而是以锻炼身体为目的。美国的街道上一般没有自行车专用道，因此，骑自行车时得特别小心才是。在行驶中，若要转弯时，需作出相应的手势：向左转弯伸出左手示意即可，向右转弯时，仍要伸出左手，弯肘，使前臂与地面形成角度，手臂与头部基本平齐。

　　Cycling

　　While the rest of the world carried on cycling during the 1950s and 1960s, America forgot how;even high-school children would drive to school. Recently there has been something of a renaissance in cycling, and in many areas it is a very useful way of getting around , especially where bike paths or bike routes have been established. You may well want to buy, hire or borrow a bike.
　　There are two important consequences(后果) of this earlier decline in cycling in the USA. One is that many people do not know how to cycle. That is , cyclists often behave more like pedestrians(行人) than motorists: they ride on the pavement(人行道) or on the wrong side of the road; they ignore stop signs and traffic lights; they ride without lights at night;they give no hand signal(示意). The other consequence is that cycling is regarded by many people not so much as a way of getting from A to B but as a way of life, a form of exercise, etc. As a result , large number of young Americans have ten-speed racing bikes. These are very hight and fast and great if you are cycling long distance , riding up mountains or racing. At first , though, you may find them awkward(笨拙) for cycling in town, sight-seeing or shopping--they are expensive, uncomfortable and hard to control until you get used to them, and unsuitable for bumpy(崎岖不平的) groundor stony roads.
　　There are also ordinary bikes around. If you get hold of one of these , you may find that the brake(刹车) work by pedaling(踩踏板) backwards. This is perhaps safer than ordinary brakes when it is wet, but it seems to be less effective. This arrangement also means you can't pedal backards in orderto get the pedals in the right place for getting on or moving off.

　　Hand Signals

　　One thing you should note is that the hand signals Americans are supposed to give differ from most other countries'. If you are turning left, you stick out your left hand. But if you are turning right, you do not stick out your right hand. Instead , you stick out your left arm and bend if at the elbow(肘) so your forearm is at right angles to the ground and your hand is about level with your head.

　　Cycling on the Right

　　When you travel by bike, always ride on the right of the road. The safest way to turn left is to stay at the edge of the road, stop opposite the point that you want to cross to and then go straight over when the road is clear.

　　Locking up Your Bike

　　Do be very careful about locking your bike up. You will notice many American cyclists carrying enormous chains(链条) for this purpose,and you will see that in many areas they take pains to pass the chain throught the frame and both wheels and to attach the bike to something fixed like a lamp post.You will even see people taking their front wheel off and carrying it with them when they leave the bike. Stealing bikes(especially ten-speed bikes) is obviously big business.

　　Cycling Gear

　　Because of the sporting/exercise-oriented associations of cycling, Americans very often wear sporting type clothing , Americans very often wear sporting type clothing when on a bike, and women very rarely wear skirts or dresses. Many cyclists also wear light crash helmets(防撞头盔).　  


　

addjylUID: 171242

生活在美国(十)--美国的州名来源

    美国州名的来源(1)潘恰 地名志或地名研究(Toponymy)属于历史语言学范畴。历史语言学家对地名的来源作了相当的研究。美国内务部曾汇集了一批能干的语言学家，成立了专门机构，其任务是对美国的地名来源进行研究，给以准确的解释。

    在美国的地名中，一半以上始源于印第安语。其余的始源于欧洲，如纪念皇帝皇后，或某一特殊地区，还有是为纪念历史重要人物及记载历史活动的。

    由于语言和文化是休戚相关的，人们通过研究地名的始源，可以了解关于这个国家的背景。历史活动，甚至价值观。

    笔者从不同的资料汇集了美国洲名的来源，供学习研究英语、美国历史与文化的人们参考。


ALABAMA（阿拉巴马）：来源于巧克陶印第安语，意思是 "thicket-clearers" 或者 "vegetation-gatherers"，"拓荒者"或者"打草人"。

AlASKA（阿拉斯加）:来源于阿留申语，意思是"great land"或"that which the seas breaks against"，"伟大的土地"或"分割海的地方"。

ARIZONA（亚利桑那）：来源于印第安语 "Arimnac"，意思是"hule spring"，"小泉水"。

ARKANSAS（阿肯色）：来源于印第安语，意思是"a breeze near the ground"，"靠近地面的微风"。

CALIFORNIA（加利福尼亚）：来源于法语 "Califerne"，是一部11世纪法国史诗中所想象的地方。

COLORADO（科罗拉多）：来源于西班牙语，意思是"ruddy"或"red"，"红色的"。

CONNETICUT（康涅狄格）：来源于印第安语，意思是"beside the long tidal river", "在长长的潮河旁"。

DELAWARE（德拉华）：纪念托马斯·魏斯特爵士"Sir Thomas West, Lord De La Warr"，德拉华河和德拉华湾也以此命名。

FRORIDA（佛罗里达）：来源于西班牙语，意思是"feast flowers(Easter)"，"花的节日"，即复活节。

GEORGIA（乔治亚）：纪念英国的乔治二世皇帝。In honor of George II of England.

HAWAII（夏威夷）：来源不确定。这个群岛可能是以其发现者夏威夷·罗亚(Hawaii Loa) 命名，也可能以传统的波利尼西亚人的家乡Hawaii or Hawaiki命名。

IDAHO（爱达荷）：来源于印第安语，意思是："gem of the mountains", "山中的宝石"；另一种说法的意思是"Good morning""早上好"。

ILLINOIS（伊利诺）：来源于印第安语加上法语后缀，意思是"tribe of superior men"，"贵人的土地"。

INDIANA（印第安纳）：来源于印第安语，意思是:"land of Indians"，"印第安人的土地"。

IOWA（依阿华）：来源于印第安语，意思是"the beatiful land"，"这块美丽的地方"，另一种说法是"the sleepy ones"，"爱睡觉的人们"。

KANSAS（堪萨斯）：来源于苏族印第安语，意思是"people of the south wind", "南风的人们"。

KENTUCKY（肯塔基）：来源于易洛魁印第安语"Ken-tah-ten"，意思是"land of tomorrow"or"the dark or bolldy ground"，"希望的土地"，或"黑色的沃上"。

LOUISIANA（路易斯安那）：纪念法国路易十四世皇帝，"In honor of Louis XIV fo France".

MAINE（缅因）：纪念英国查理一世皇后海丽塔·玛丽亚，"Henrietta Maria, Queen fo Charles I of England"据说她拥有过法国的缅因省，"Theprovince of Mayne in France"

MARYLAND（马里兰）：纪念英国查理一世皇后海丽塔·玛丽"In honor of Henrietta Maria, Queen of Charles I of England".

MASSACHUSETTS（麻萨诸塞）：来源于印第安语，意思是"great mountain place"，"伟大的山地"。
MICHIGAN（密执安）：来源于印第安语，意思是"great lake"or"big water"，"大湖"。

MINNESOTA（明尼苏达）：来源于达科他印第安语，意思是"sky-tinted water","天色的水域"。

MISSISSIPPI（密西西比）：来源于印第安语，意思是"father of waters"，"水之父"。

MISSOURI（密苏里）：来源于印第安语, 意思是"town of the Large canoes"，"大独木舟之乡"。

MONTANA（蒙大拿）：由J.M.阿西从拉丁词典中选的词，是拉丁化的西班牙语，意思不详。

NEBRASKA（内布拉斯加）：来源于澳托印第安语，意思是"flat water"，"平川之水"。

NEVADA（内华达）：来源于西班牙语，意思是"snow-capped"，"雪山"。

NEW HAMPSHIRE（新罕布什尔）：来源于英国的罕布什尔郡，"Hampshire"。

NEW JERSEY（新泽西）：来源于海峡的泽西岛，"the Channel Isle of Jersey"。

NEW MEXICO（新墨西哥）：来源于墨西哥，"the country of Mexico"。

NEW YORK（纽约）：纪念英国的约克公爵，"In honor of the English Duke of York"。

NORTH CAROLINA（北卡罗来纳）：纪念英国的查理一世，"In honor of Charles I of England".

NORTH DAKOTA（北达科他）：来源于达科他印第安语，意思是"allies"or"leagued"，"同盟"或"联盟"。

OHIO（俄亥俄）：来源于印第安语，意思是"great river"，"大河"。

OKLAHOMA（俄克拉荷马）：来源于巧克陶印第安语，意思是"red people"，"红种人"。

OREGON（俄勒冈）：来源不明。人们一般认为这个名字第一次在1778年由乔那森·卡佛(Jonathan Carver)使用，取自于英国军官罗伯特·罗杰斯(Robert Rogers)之书。

PENNSYLVANIA（宾夕法尼亚）：纪念维廉·宾爵士"Sir William Penn”，意思是"penn's Woodland"，"宾的树林"。

RHODE ISLAND（罗德岛）：来源于希腊的罗德岛，"the Greek Island of Rhodes"。

SOUTH CAROLINA（南卡罗来纳）：纪念英国的查理一世皇帝，"In honor of Charles I of England"。

SOUTH DAKOTA（南达科他）：同北达科他。

TENNESSEE（田纳西）：来源于柴罗基印第安语，意思是："the vines of the big bend"，"大弯的蔓藤"。

TEXAS（德克萨斯）：来源于印第安语，意思是"friends"，"朋友"。

UTAH（犹他）：来源于犹特印第安语，意思是"people of the mountains"，"山里人"。

VERMONT（佛蒙特）：来源于法语"vert mont"，意思是"green mountain"，"绿山"。

VIRGINIA（佛吉尼亚）：纪念伊丽莎白一世英国圣洁女皇，"In honor of Elizabeth I，'Virgin Queen' of England"。

WASHINGTON（华盛顿）：纪念乔治·华盛顿，"In honor of George Washington"。

WEST VIRGINIA（西佛吉尼亚）：同佛吉尼亚。

WISCONSIN（威斯康辛）：法语化的印第安语，意思不详。

WYOMING（怀俄明）：德拉华印第安语，意思是"mountains and valleys alternating"，"起伏的山谷"。




　

addjylUID: 171242

完了。。。

哈哈，挺有总结意义的。。。。

bell_linUID: 2107166

是啊.特别好/谢谢