PETS－2语法讲解(251)

　　How much is on the clock?
　　对 话 　　Jean: Could you please take me to the Five Star Hotel?
　　Taxi driver: No problem. Please get in and don't forget to fasten your safety belt.
　　Jean: Please step on it. I'm in a hurry.
　　Taxi driver: I'll do my best but I can't go over the speed limit. The police around here are very strict about that.
　　Taxi driver: Here we are.
　　Jean: Many thanks, I'm well in time. How much is on the clock?
　　Taxi driver: $36.20.
　　Jean: Here's $40. You can keep the change.
　　珍：请送我到五星酒店好吗？
　　出租车司机：没问题。请上车吧，别忘了系好安全带。
　　珍：请开快点，我赶时间。
　　出租车司机：我会尽力而为，但可不能超速驾驶。警方在这一带对超速车辆十分严厉。
　　出租车司机：到了。 　　珍：谢谢你让我准时到达。里程表上的金额是多少？
　　出租车司机：三十六元二角。
　　珍：这是四十元，剩下的给你当小费。
　　搭出租车，看里程表付钱。这里程表叫odometer，英式英文则叫mileometer 或milometer。但无论英美，口头上往往称为clock。那当然是因为里程表针盘的形状和钟相似。例如：(1) The odometer reads 88,008 miles（里程表录得八万八千零八英里）。(2) According to the clock, we've traveled 2.5 miles（根据里程表，我们走了二英里半）。
　　珍对出租车司机说：Please step on it，这等于Please step on the gas，都是口语，这gas指‘油门’(gas pedal)。Step on the gas即 ‘加快油门’，例如：Step on the gas, time's running out（加快油门，时间无多了）。珍要求出租车司机开快一点，司机说：I can't go over the speed limit。开车超速，英文叫做speeding；速度计则叫speedometer，例如：(1) He had his driver's license revoked for speeding（他开车超速，驾驶执照被吊销了）。(2) The speedometer shows that you are 12 miles an hour above the speed limit（速度计显示，你开车时速比限定时速高出十二英里）。
　　在外国搭出租车，首先须懂得说要到哪里。你可用以下句式：Could you please take me to the Five Star Hotel? 或 Take me to the Five Star Hotel please 或 I need to go to the Five Star Hotel 或To the Five Star Hotel please。假如地址复杂，可抄在纸上递给司机说：Take me to this address please（请送我去这个地址）。