开车有时会让人紧张，尤其是遇到蛮不讲理、不守规则的司机时，可能会让人情绪失控，甚至大发雷霆。强行超车、跟车过近、言语粗鲁……你遇到过鲁莽的驾驶行为吗？造成司机之间大动肝火的主要原因有哪些？听 “随身英语” 节目讨论 “路怒症”。

词汇：road rage 路怒

We all know driving can be stressful. One minute you’re minding your own business and the next someone cuts you up. Manoeuvres like that can be annoying and irritating, but for some of us, it can make us incandescent with rage. So what is road rage, and what things can cause it?

Road rage, simply put, is a sudden burst of anger that motorists experience when they feel angered by something another driver, cyclist or pedestrian has done. Road rage can manifest itself in several ways, including verbal or physical threats, insults, and even dangerous driving. The drivers themselves may feel anxiety and stress, which can cause them to speed or swerve across the road. Experts like Leon James, a professor of traffic psychology at the University of Hawaii, US, warn that experiencing these moments, especially repeatedly, could be harmful to our health due to the number of stress hormones entering our bodies.

So, what can cause us to experience road rage? Being tailgated, undertaken on a busy motorway, seeing someone swooping across several lanes, chatting on their phone, or hogging the middle lane in front of us are just some of the things that may stress us. And what about parking? Someone stealing the space we wanted at the last second could tip us over the edge! Being aware of what can trigger these feelings of rage may be key to controlling it.

So what can we do to keep relaxed? Try driving in a good mood, and if you see a traffic jam, just remember that they can’t be avoided. And try leaving a little earlier in future. Also, if you see someone who is really angry, try not to maintain eye contact, and don’t get out of the car to confront them. And if you feel stressed and anxious, try pulling over somewhere and resting while you calm down.

So the next time you feel stressed while driving, just remember road rage can happen to anyone – and relaxing a bit when you feel that way may not just make it safer for you, but for others too.

词汇表

cut someone up 超车抢到某人前面
manoeuvre 开车动作
incandescent with rage 大发雷霆，怒不可遏
motorist 开车的人，司机
manifest 显现
dangerous driving 危险驾驶
speed （开车）超速
swerve （开车）急转弯
tailgate 紧随（前车）行驶，跟车太近
undertake 强行超车
motorway 高速公路
swoop 猛地开过
lane 车道
hogging 占路
parking 停车，驻车
space 车位
tip someone over the edge 把某人逼疯
trigger 触发，诱发
traffic jam 交通堵塞
confront 与…当面对质
pull over 停车

测验与练习

1.  阅读课文并回答问题。

1. What is road rage?

2. How can road rage manifest itself?

3. Why can road rage be harmful to our bodies?

4. What can cause road rage?

5. What can we do to avoid road rage?

2.  选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。

1. One more question and it might tip her _______ the edge.

over                       up                               on                          off

2. Reduce your speed and stop _______ the car in front.

hogging                  incandescent             tailgating                swerving

3. He was cautioned for _______ on the road.

speeding                motorist                      motorway               space

4. Oh, no! There’s a traffic _______. I’ll never get to work on time now!

plan                        ham                            spam                      jam

5. Stop _______ the middle lane if you’re going to drive that slowly!

lane                        speeding                    hogging                  swooping

答案

1.  阅读课文并回答问题。

1. What is road rage?
Road rage, simply put, is a sudden burst of anger that motorists experience when they feel angered by something another driver, cyclist or pedestrian has done.

2. How can road rage manifest itself?
Road rage can manifest itself in several ways, including verbal or physical threats, insults, and even dangerous driving.

3. Why can road rage be harmful to our bodies?
Experiencing these stressful moments, especially repeatedly, could be harmful to our health due to the number of stress hormones entering our bodies.

4. What can cause road rage?
Being tailgated, undertaken on a busy motorway, seeing someone swooping across several lanes, chatting on their phone, or hogging the middle lane in front of us are just some of the things that may stress us.

5. What can we do to avoid road rage?
There are several things we can do involving remembering problems are inevitable, relaxing when we feel stressed and avoiding conflict.

2.  选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。

1. One more question and it might tip her over the edge.

2. Reduce your speed and stop tailgating the car in front.

3. He was cautioned for speeding on the road.

4. Oh, no! There’s a traffic jam. I’ll never get to work on time now!

5. Stop hogging the middle lane if you’re going to drive that slowly!