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.
壹年夏天，我從家鄉加利福尼亞州的塔霍城開車前往新奧爾良。在沙漠深處，我碰到壹個年輕人站在路旁。他壹只手打出拇指向外的手勢，另壹只手裏拿著壹-個汽油罐。我直接從他身邊開過去了。別人會停下來的，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.
再說，那汽油罐只是個讓車停下、好搶劫司機的幌子而已。在這個國家，曾有那麽壹段時間，妳要是對需要幫助的人置之不理，大家會認為妳是混蛋，而如今妳要是幫了妳就是笨蛋。到處潛伏著犯罪團夥、吸毒上癮者、殺人犯、強奸犯、盜竊犯還有劫車犯，為什麽要冒險呢?“ 我不想卷進去”已經成為全國性的信條。
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?
開過 了幾個州以後，我還在想著那個想搭便車的人。把他壹-個人留在沙漠中倒並沒有讓我有多麽不安。讓我不安的是,我多麽輕易地就做出了這個決定。我甚至根本沒把腳從油門上擡起來。我很想知道，現在還有人會停車嗎?
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- - -新奧爾良。那裏是田納西.威廉姆斯的劇作《欲望號街車》的背景地。我會想起布蘭奇.杜波依斯的名句:“我總是依賴陌生人的善意。”陌生人的善意。聽起來好怪。如今這年頭還有誰能指望陌生人的善意嗎?
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?
要驗證這壹點，壹個辦法是壹-個人從東海岸旅行到西海岸，不帶壹分錢，完全依靠美國同胞的善意。他會發現壹個什麽樣的美國?誰會給他飯吃、讓他歇腳、捎他壹程呢?這個念頭激起了我的好奇心。但誰會這麽不切實際、 願意去嘗試這樣-次旅行呢?好吧，我想，那不如我來試試?
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.
滿37歲那個星期，我意識到我這輩子還從沒冒過什麽險呢。所以我決定來個觀念的跨越，美洲大陸那麽寬壹-從太平洋去大西洋，不帶壹分錢。要是有人給我錢，我會拒絕。
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.
我只接受搭順風車、提供食物和讓我歇腳的幫助。這將是穿越這片金錢至上的土地上壹次無錢的旅行。我的最終目的地是北卡羅來納州的“恐懼角”(即開普菲爾)，它象征著我沿途必須克服的所有恐懼。
擴展資料這部分內容主要考察的是表語從句的知識點：
表語的作用是說明主語是什麽，可以由名詞、形容詞或相當於名詞或形容詞的詞或短語充當表語的成分。然而要註意，表語從句屬於名詞性從句，只是表語的其中壹種情況——由名詞充當表語。
常見的引導表語從句的從屬連詞（Subordinating Conjunction）有when，where，why，who，how，that。它們都有代詞（Pronoun）詞性，即具備名詞（Noun）性質，所以可以引導主語從句、同位語從句、賓語從句、表語從句全部四種名詞性從句。
英語裏壹個詞可以同時擁有多種詞性—— 如：表語從句 This is where he lives。where在主句中作表語，是代詞詞性；where引導表語從句，是（從屬）連詞詞性；where在從句中充當狀語，是副詞詞性。