如何避免塞車：英語精讀講義

There are 4 billion hours of travel delays in America each year

美國每年因交通延誤損失的時間累計達40億小時，

contributing to pollution, fossil fuel waste, 文法

這不僅加劇污染、浪費化石燃料，

and costing us all money.

還讓我們所有人蒙受經濟損失。

An estimated 87.2 billion dollars.

據估計，損失高達872億美元。

Not to mention traffic is just plain annoying. 片語搭配

更別提塞車本身就很惱人。

But is there a solution to your traffic woes?

但你的塞車困擾有解決辦法嗎？

Traffic is often due to construction,

塞車通常源於道路施工、

an accident, or bottlenecks created by on-ramps and tunnels.

交通事故，或入口匝道和隧道形成的瓶頸。

But do you ever feel like congestion just seems to appear for no reason? 表達脈絡

但你是否也覺得，有時壅塞似乎毫無理由地就出現了？

You aren't imagining it. 語氣意圖

這不是你的錯覺。

In a 2008 experiment,

在2008年的一項實驗中，

drivers were instructed to drive along a circular road 文法

駕駛人被要求沿著一條環形道路行駛，

following the car in front of them while trying to maintain a constant speed.

跟著前車，同時盡量維持固定車速。

As the participants drove,

隨著參與者持續行駛，

they started to have fluctuations in the speed.

他們的車速開始出現波動。

These fluctuations increased,

這些波動越來越大，

eventually causing cars to stop completely,

最終導致車輛完全停下，

which broke the free flow and led to traffic jams without any added factors.

打破了順暢的車流，即使沒有任何額外因素也造成了塞車。

Researchers compare traffic jams to the particles in a liquid and a solid. 表達脈絡

研究人員把交通壅塞比作液體和固體中的粒子。

Moving cars are like the free-flowing particles in a liquid,

行駛中的汽車就像液體裡自由流動的粒子，

but can undergo a phase transition to that of a compacted solid. 講解

但也可能發生相變，成為緊密排列的固體狀態。

Once the particles or cars reach a critical density, 片語搭配

一旦粒子或汽車達到臨界密度，

gridlock happens.

就會出現交通癱瘓。

One of the key reasons gridlock happens is our inability to maintain a constant speed. 文法

交通癱瘓的一個關鍵原因，是我們無法維持固定車速。

When a traffic break happens,

當前方車流出現空隙時，

most accelerate to catch up to the vehicle ahead, 片語動詞

大多數人會加速追上前車，

resulting in eventual braking that forces the drivers behind to slow down, 文法

隨後又不得不煞車，迫使後方駕駛人減速，

only causing the jam to grow. 文法

結果只會讓壅塞越來越嚴重。

When you're in a traffic jam,

當你身陷塞車時，

you're part of the problem. 片語搭配

你也是問題的一部分。

Studies show that 80 to 90% of drivers think they're better than the average driver,

研究顯示，80%到90%的駕駛人認為自己的駕駛技術高於平均，

which is impossible.

但這顯然不可能。

Additionally, as humans,

此外，身為人類，

our attention is selective,

我們的注意力具有選擇性，

and we tend to forget that other drivers are people too.

而且往往會忘記其他駕駛人也是人。

Kind of like commenting online. 表達脈絡

這有點像在網路上留言。

We can dehumanize other drivers in ways we wouldn't face-to-face.

我們會不把其他駕駛人當人看，面對面時卻不會這樣。

This leads to jerks on the road, 用詞

這會讓一些人在路上變得蠻橫無理，

following too closely, or constantly changing lanes,

例如跟車太近或不停變換車道，

which contributes directly to the congestion that creates traffic jams.

而這些行為會直接加劇車流壅塞，進而造成塞車。

Thankfully, as the good driver you are,

好在，身為一名優秀的駕駛人，

you can make a difference.

你可以帶來改變。

Pay attention to the car ahead and behind you

留意前車和後車，

to keep a buffer of space around you. 片語搭配

在自己四周保留緩衝空間。

This way, if the driver in front of you brakes, 表達脈絡

這樣一來，如果前車煞車，

you have room to slow down and won't pass the braking tension along the chain of traffic. 講解

你就有餘裕減速，也不會讓煞車效應沿著車流一層層傳下去。

Drive slower.

開慢一點。

Set your car to cruise control to try driving at a consistent speed. 講解

開啟定速巡航，盡量以穩定的速度行駛。

In Belgium and the Netherlands,

在比利時和荷蘭，

there's a technique implemented at times of high volume known as block driving, 講解

車流量大時，有時會採用一種叫做「車隊行駛」的方法，

where a chain of cars drive at a consistent speed to help others keep pace. 片語搭配

也就是讓一串車輛維持一致車速，幫助其他車輛跟上節奏。

Police have also used this strategy for 15 years, 文法

15年來，警方也一直採用這種策略，

driving at an appropriate pace in groups to keep the flow of traffic moving. 文法

讓警車成組以適當速度行駛，維持車流順暢。

Of course,

當然，

the advent of autonomous self-driving cars 用詞

自動駕駛車的出現

will see automobiles that are able to connect and communicate with one another vehicle-to-vehicle,

將讓汽車能透過車對車通訊彼此連線、互相溝通，

and is expected to reduce traffic jams significantly. 文法

預計這會大幅減少交通壅塞。

Additionally,

此外，

researchers are using biologically inspired algorithms to reduce travel times. 用詞

研究人員還在運用受生物學啟發的演算法來縮短交通時間。

In one study,

在一項研究中，

researchers applied a model based on ant travel behavior as a way to route traffic. 文法

研究人員採用一個以螞蟻移動方式為基礎的模型來規劃車流路線。

Changes in infrastructure work too. 用詞

改善基礎建設也有效。

Recently,

最近，

Los Angeles became the first city to synchronize every street light, 文法

洛杉磯成為第一個讓所有交通號誌同步運作的城市，

causing lights to make automatic adjustments based on flow,

讓號誌能依車流自動調整，

which has reduced travel time by 14%. 文法

因而將交通時間縮短了14%。

Traffic aside, 表達脈絡

除了因應塞車，

another solution is taking public transit when possible.

另一個辦法是在可行時搭乘大眾運輸。

An MIT study of Boston traffic

麻省理工學院一項針對波士頓交通的研究

found that if 1% of current drivers took transit, 文法

發現，如果目前1%的駕駛人改搭大眾運輸，

everyone's commute would be reduced by 18%.

每個人的通勤時間都會縮短18%。

Of course, companies like Toyota,

當然，像Toyota這樣的公司

who supported this episode,

（Toyota贊助了本集節目）

are finding new ways to address mobility challenges, 片語搭配

正在尋找因應移動挑戰的新方法，

developing future technologies to interconnect drivers and vehicles with road infrastructure.

並開發未來技術，將駕駛人和車輛與道路基礎建設互相連結。

Toyota is launching their new Corolla iM hatchback

Toyota即將推出全新的Corolla iM掀背車，

with the Toyota Safety Sense technologies

配備Toyota Safety Sense安全科技，

like pre-collision systems,

例如預碰撞系統、

automatic high beams,

自動遠光燈

and lane departure alert,

和車道偏離警示系統，

all of which will be standard and launching across Canada this September. 文法

這些技術都將成為標準配備，並於今年9月在加拿大全面推出。

They also have a goal to produce vehicles with zero emissions by 2050,

Toyota也訂下目標，要在2050年前生產零排放車輛，

which is something we really support.

這是我們非常支持的願景。

So,

所以，

special thanks to Toyota for supporting our channel

特別感謝Toyota對我們頻道的支持，

and being a leader in the science and technology space. 用詞

也感謝他們在科學與科技領域發揮領導作用。

And subscribe for more weekly science videos.

也請訂閱我們的頻道，每週收看更多科學影片。