讲解人 · Ronan
原文
But this arrangement of obligatory driving is making many Americans actively unhappy, new research has found.
It found that while having a car is better than not for overall life satisfaction, having to drive for more than 50% of the time for out-of-home activities is linked to a decrease in life satisfaction.
Planning policies and mandatory car parking construction have encouraged suburban sprawl, strip malls with more space for cars than people and the erosion of shared “third places” where Americans can congregate.
As a result, even very short journeys outside the house require a car, with half of all car trips being under three miles.
A small sliver of the American public actively chooses to live without a car because they are able to live in the few remaining walkable communities in the US, but for most of those without a car it is a forced deprivation due to poverty or disability.
Being without a car can itself be expensive and isolating, according to Anna Zivarts, who was born with a neurological condition that prevents her from driving.
Zivarts, based in Seattle, is the author of the book When Driving Is Not an Option and advocates on behalf of those unable to drive.
“We need to get the voices of those who can’t drive — disabled people, seniors, immigrants, poor folks — into the room because the people making decisions drive everywhere, “ she said.
“They don’t know what it’s like to have to spend two hours riding the bus.”
带着问题听讲解
- 如何理解 sprawling 这个词？
- 文章中的 deprivation 是什么意思？
- 根据文章，为什么过度依赖汽车会影响美国人的幸福感？
讲解
重点词汇
sprawling
/ˈsprɑː.lɪŋ/
adj.（尤指城市建筑）杂乱无序的，散乱延伸的
- 英文释义：spreading in an untidy way例句：The city has seen sprawling development in the past decade.文化补充：compact city（紧凑型城市）
obligatory
/əˈblɪɡ.ə.tɔːr.i/
adj.（因为常发生而）必然的；强制的
- 相关词汇：obligation（n. 义务、责任）
- 同义词：commitment
- 例句：We have a moral obligation to protect the environment.
同义词：compulsory例句：It is obligatory to wear a seatbelt while driving.
mandatory
/ˈmæn.də.tɔːr.i/
adj. 强制的，法定的
- 词义辨析：mandatory, obligatory
- 两者都表示强制性。obligatory 的应用更灵活，除了法律要求，也可以指约定俗成的要求。
- 例句：It's mandatory to wear a seatbelt while driving.
- 例句：It's obligatory to send thank-you notes after receiving gifts.
strip mall
沿公路商业区
erosion
/ɪˈroʊ.ʒən/
n. 削弱，减少；侵蚀
- 搭配短语：the erosion of the coastline搭配短语：a dramatic erosion of support for the program
congregate
/ˈkɑːŋ.ɡrə.ɡeɪt/
v. 聚集，集合
- 词根词缀：con-（表示与……一起，即 together）英文释义：to come together in a group
sliver
/ˈslɪv.ɚ/
n. 少量；一点；小薄片；碎片
- 相关词汇：silver搭配短语：slivers of glass例句：Just a sliver of cake for me, please.搭配短语：a sliver of hope（一线希望）
walkable
/ˈwɑː.kə.bəl/
adj. 适于步行的；会走路的
- 搭配短语：a walkable child搭配短语：a walkable distance搭配短语：a very walkable city [=a city where you can easily walk to different places]英文释义：of an area, pleasant, easy, and safe to walk in
deprivation
/ˌdep.rəˈveɪ.ʃən/
n. 贫困；匮乏；剥夺
- 相关词汇：deprive（v.）
- 搭配短语：deprive (someone or something) of (something)（剥夺；使丧失）
- 例句：deprive sb. of his property
- 搭配短语：(be) deprived of
- 例句：You can't function properly when you're deprived of sleep.
英文释义：the state of not having something that people need : the state of being deprived of something搭配短语：sleep deprivation；economic deprivation
neurological
/ˌnʊr.əˈlɑː.dʒɪ.kəl/
adj. 神经系统的；神经病学的
- 相关词汇：neurology（n. 神经病学）
condition
/kənˈdɪʃ.ən/
n. 疾病；健康状况
- 例句：Do you suffer from any medical condition?搭配短语：heart/liver/lung condition
advocate
/ˈæd.və.keɪt/
v. 拥护；提倡；主张
- 例句：They advocate reducing the use of plastic bags.词性拓展：advocate（/'ædvəkət/，提倡者，拥护者，鼓吹者）
- 搭配短语：an advocate for the disabled
voice
/vɔɪs/
n. 观点；看法；声音
- 英文释义：the opinion of a person or group搭配短语：make your voice heard
