Some love to cycle for the speed, some for the fitness, some for the camaraderie, some for environmental protection and others for the freedom of the open road.
人们爱骑自行车,有的是为了方便快捷,有的是为了健身,有的是为了与朋友休闲娱乐,有的是为了环保,还有的是喜欢在开阔公路上的自由。
To maintain social distance to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the two-wheel business, already gaining popularity in recent years, has once again witnessed a boom around the world.
为了防止新冠病毒传播,保持社交距离,近年来日益受到欢迎的“两轮”行业再次在全球范围内迅速发展。
US adult leisure bike sales jumped 121 percent in March on a yearly basis and many other countries like the UK, Canada and Germany added new, wider bike lanes for people to cycle, according to the market research company NPD Group.
市场研究公司NPD集团的数据显示,今年三月,美国成人休闲自行车的销量上涨了121%,而包括英国、加拿大、德国在内的多国都新建了更宽阔的全新自行车道,供民众骑行。
For many people, cycling has also become a symbol of freedom in the pandemic – an opportunity for physical as well as mental release. During lockdowns, people unable to go to their gyms look for other ways to exercise and families try to find ways to keep kids active. And cycling gives people the chance to exercise and enjoy fresh air.
对于许多人而言,骑自行车也成为了疫情期间一种自由的象征 —— 一次身心放松的机会。在隔离期间,不能去健身房的人需要寻找其他方式锻炼,家长们也在想方设法让孩子们保持运动。而骑自行车让人们有机会在锻炼的同时呼吸新鲜空气。
“You’re moving faster, you’re going further, but you’re not moving so fast that you can’t notice the little things,” Ken McLeod, policy director at The League of American Bicyclists, told the Guardian.
“你前进的速度变得更快了,能去到更远的地方,但你又不至于太快,从而忽略了周遭的小事,” 美国骑车者联盟政策总监肯•麦克劳德在接受《卫报》采访时如此表示。
The trend also brings other advantages. The environmental benefits are obvious. According to the SFGATE website, cycling cuts your fuel emissions completely and provides a cleaner form of transportation than cars, buses or other forms of public transportation.
这一趋势还带来了其他的好处。环保方面的好处显而易见。据《旧金山纪事报》网站介绍,骑自行车彻底减少了燃料排放,提供了一个比汽车、公交车或者其他公共交通更清洁的交通方式。
Increased biking can boost local economy too. Compared with drivers, cyclists tend to spend more money in stores, bars and restaurants, according to HuffPost.
越来越多人骑自行车也能促进当地经济。据《赫芬顿邮报》报道,和驾驶员相比,骑行者在商店、酒吧、餐厅的消费会更多。
“When you make an area appealing for people on foot or on a bike – when you slow down the pace of life in that neighborhood just a little – suddenly visitors are lingering longer and stopping in more stores,” Rachel Quednau wrote for Strong Towns.
“当人们拥有了一块适宜步行或者骑行的区域 —— 当人们在那里稍微放慢生活的节奏 —— 突然之间(会发现),人们逗留的时间变长了,逛的商店也更多了,”瑞秋·奎德瑙在Strong Towns网站上如此写道。
21英语网站版权说明 (Translator & Editor: Wang Xingwei AND Luo Sitian)
以上文章内容选自《21世纪学生英文报高中版》,详情请见《21世纪学生英文报高中版》高二798期