One summer, I drove from my hometown of Tahoe, California, to New Orleans. Deep in the desert, I met a young man standing by the road. He made a thumbs out gesture with one hand and held a gasoline can in the other. I drove directly past him. Others will stop, I think.
一年夏天，我从家乡加利福尼亚州的塔霍城开车前往新奥尔良。在沙漠深处，我碰到一个年轻人站在路旁。他一只手打出拇指向外的手势，另一只手里拿着一-个汽油罐。我直接从他身边开过去了。别人会停下来的，我想。
Besides, the gas tank is just a cover to stop the car and rob the driver. There was a time in this country when people would think you were a jerk if you ignored people in need, and now you are a fool if you helped them. There are criminal gangs, drug addicts, murderers, rapists, thieves and carjackers lurking everywhere. Why take risks? "I don't want to be involved" has become a national creed.
再说，那汽油罐只是个让车停下、好抢劫司机的幌子而已。在这个国家，曾有那么一段时间，你要是对需要帮助的人置之不理，大家会认为你是混蛋，而如今你要是帮了你就是笨蛋。到处潜伏着犯罪团伙、吸毒上瘾者、杀人犯、强奸犯、盗窃犯还有劫车犯，为什么要冒险呢?“ 我不想卷进去”已经成为全国性的信条。
After driving a few states, I was still thinking about the man who wanted to hitchhike. Leaving him alone in the desert didn't upset me much. What bothers me is how easily I made this decision. I didn't even lift my foot off the gas. I'd like to know if anyone can park now?
开过 了几个州以后，我还在想着那个想搭便车的人。把他一-个人留在沙漠中倒并没有让我有多么不安。让我不安的是,我多么轻易地就做出了这个决定。我甚至根本没把脚从油门上抬起来。我很想知道，现在还有人会停车吗?
I think of the destination of my trip --- New Orleans. It's the setting for Tennessee Williams' streetcar desire. I will think of Blanche DuBois's famous saying: "I always rely on the kindness of strangers." The kindness of strangers. That sounds strange. Who else can count on the kindness of strangers these days?
我想到我此行的目的地- - -新奥尔良。那里是田纳西.威廉姆斯的剧作《欲望号街车》的背景地。我会想起布兰奇.杜波依斯的名句:“我总是依赖陌生人的善意。”陌生人的善意。听起来好怪。如今这年头还有谁能指望陌生人的善意吗?
One way to test this is for a person to travel from the east coast to the west coast, without a cent, entirely on the goodwill of his fellow Americans. What kind of America will he find? Who will give him food, rest and a ride? This idea aroused my curiosity. But who would be so impractical and willing to try this trip? Well, I think, why don't I try it?
要验证这一点，一个办法是一-个人从东海岸旅行到西海岸，不带一分钱，完全依靠美国同胞的善意。他会发现一个什么样的美国?谁会给他饭吃、让他歇脚、捎他一程呢?这个念头激起了我的好奇心。但谁会这么不切实际、 愿意去尝试这样-次旅行呢?好吧，我想，那不如我来试试?
The week I turned 37, I realized that I had never risked anything in my life. So I decided to make a conceptual leap. The American continent is so wide - from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean, without any money. If someone gives me money, I will refuse.
满37岁那个星期，我意识到我这辈子还从没冒过什么险呢。所以我决定来个观念的跨越，美洲大陆那么宽一-从太平洋去大西洋，不带一分钱。要是有人给我钱，我会拒绝。
I only accept the help of hitchhiking, providing food and resting my feet. It will be a journey without money through this land of money. My final destination is the Cape Fear in North Carolina, which symbolizes all the fears I have to overcome along the way.
我只接受搭顺风车、提供食物和让我歇脚的帮助。这将是穿越这片金钱至上的土地上一次无钱的旅行。我的最终目的地是北卡罗来纳州的“恐惧角”(即开普菲尔)，它象征着我沿途必须克服的所有恐惧。
扩展资料
这部分内容主要考察的是表语从句的知识点：
表语的作用是说明主语是什么，可以由名词、形容词或相当于名词或形容词的词或短语充当表语的成分。然而要注意，表语从句属于名词性从句，只是表语的其中一种情况——由名词充当表语。
常见的引导表语从句的从属连词（Subordinating Conjunction）有when，where，why，who，how，that。它们都有代词（Pronoun）词性，即具备名词（Noun）性质，所以可以引导主语从句、同位语从句、宾语从句、表语从句全部四种名词性从句。
英语里一个词可以同时拥有多种词性—— 如：表语从句 This is where he lives。where在主句中作表语，是代词词性；where引导表语从句，是（从属）连词词性；where在从句中充当状语，是副词词性。