▲ 機慢車優先道。（圖／記者李毓康攝）
文／Buffy Kao
台灣交通亂象已經成為國安危機的一部分，尤其近年多起危險駕駛事件造成人民安全受到威脅，引發國人的不安，紛紛要求政府提出更有力的制裁方法。如今就連日本也警告在台日人需特別注意生命財產的危害。今天我們就來看看台灣各種交通亂象的英文說法，也期望未來我們能邁向道路更安全的社會！
交通違規前三名
Statistics show that the top three traffic offenses are illegal parking, not following road markings and running a red light.
（統計數據顯示，前三名的交通違法行為分別是違規停車、不遵守道交通號誌和闖紅燈。）
1. illegal parking「違停」
illegal是「違法」的意思，反義詞為legal，在多益測驗經常出現。許多單字在字首加上「-un」就變成否定的意思，例如familiar「熟悉的」反義字就是unfamiliar「陌生的」，但如果單字開頭是唇音b、p、m的話，就必須將字首改用「-im」來代表否定，如possible「可能的」否定詞就是impossible「不可能的」。
legal則是因為單字開頭為l，因此要改成「il-」作為否定字首，因此要特別注意否定字首必須根據單字的開頭字母來判斷變化。legal加上字尾「-ity」的名詞變化變成legality「合法性、法律義務」；加上字尾「-ize」則變成動詞變化legalize「合法化」；改為字尾「-ly」illegally就是標準的副詞變化。
2. not following road markings「不遵守交通號誌」
marking英文解釋 為a mark that makes it possible to recognize something（一個讓人們能夠辨認某件事的標示），因此交通號誌就是一個人們一看可以輕易辨認目的的標示。這邊有個文法觀念跟大家特別說明，當使用動名詞變化時，若要表達否定概念，前面加上not即可，不可以用no，因為雖然following是名詞詞性，但還是必須遵照動詞用法。另外，road markings「交通號誌」指的就是road signs，mark當動詞時是「標示、（老師）打分數」的意思。
I was up half the night marking exam papers.
（我晚上熬夜改考卷。）
I'd like everyone to mark their progress on the chart every week.
（我要大家每周在表格上標示自己的進步。）
3. running a red light「闖紅燈」
意思就是看到紅燈時，還執意開過去。因為違規時大部分的人是快速通過，因此英文用run而非drive，若是要用drive，後方則要加上介系詞through，就是「開車穿越紅燈」的意思。
車輛優先還是行人優先？
Taiwanese media gives extensive coverage to vehicular and pedestrian fatalities and injuries while reproducing a persistent narrative that Taiwanese roads are some of the most lethal in the world. (thenewslens)
（台灣媒體大量報導車輛和行人的傷亡情況，同時不斷強調台灣某些道路是世界上最致命的道路之一。）
vehicular and pedestrian fatalities「車輛和行人死亡」，vehicular來自於vehicle的形容詞變化，vehicle就是「車輛」的意思，字尾「-cular」是形容詞的字尾變化，類似變化如circle變成circular、triangle變成triangular。
Barricades were put in place to block all vehicular traffic.
（路障被放置在路上來阻擋所有的車輛交通。）
pedestrian是「行人」的意思，而斑馬線因為是供行人穿越的，除了crosswalk的說法，也可用pedestrian crossing來形容。
The death rate for pedestrians hit by cars is unacceptably high.
（行人被車子撞的死亡率太高而令人無法接受。）
fatality「死亡」來自於形容詞fatal，字尾「-ity」是名詞字尾變化，fatality rate「死亡率」的同義詞是death rate。
The first fatalities of the war were civilians.
（這場戰爭第一批死亡的人都是平民。）
lethal「 致命的」和fatal是同義詞，要注意多益測驗其中一項重要的考試內容便是同義詞的運用，掌握同義詞的使用，許多題目都能迎刃而解。
Three minutes after the fire started, the house was full of lethal fumes.
（就在火災發生三分鐘後，這間房子就充滿了致命的煙霧。）
【多益模擬試題】
INTELICOM
Kingston, Ontario
October 22
Ms. Susan Newman
320 Victoria Street
Toronto, Ontario M5H 3N2
Dear Ms. Newman:
This is to confirm that the completed forms from your pre-employment health assessment have now been received. Therefore, I confirm that you will be able to start employment with INTELICOM as an interim administrative assistant in the research department on October 30.
The terms and conditions of your appointment are as follows:
Salary: Actual salary $22,000 per year (based on $44,000 a year full time).
Working Pattern: Working commitment is 50 percent of full time. This equates to 128 days to be scheduled as agreed with the head of the research department and is inclusive of 6 days of annual leave.
Duration of Service: One year.
Payment of Salary: Please complete a bank authorization form (enclosed) and bring it, together with proof of identity, to the payroll office (fourth floor, Connaught Building) as soon as possible.
Please sign and date the duplicate copy of this agreement and mail it back to me by October 25. Only when the signed document is received in this office will a contract exist between you and INTELICOM according to the conditions set out above.
We look forward to having you with us at INTELICOM.
Yours sincerely,
Ms. R.A. Palermo
Director of Human Resource Management
ENDORSEMENT
I have received the original of this letter dated October 22 and accept the appointment on the terms and conditions specified.
Signature: ……………………………..… Date: …………………………………
1. According to the letter, what has Ms. Newman already done?
(A) She has visited the payroll office.
(B) She has had a health checkup.
(C) She has signed a contract.
(D) She has submitted some research.
2. When will Ms. Newman start work?
(A) On October 10
(B) On October 22
(C) On October 25
(D) On October 30
3. What is NOT indicated in the letter?
(A) A part-time position is being offered to Ms. Newman.
(B) The contract will take effect as soon as Ms. Newman signs it.
(C) Ms. Newman will be entitled to six days of vacation each year.
(D) Ms. Newman’s appointment will be for a limited period.
解析：
1. 正解為(B)。題目問「根據這封信的內容，Ms. Newman已經做了什麼呢？」由於第一段的開頭已說明「這封信要跟您確認我們已經收到您在到職前完成的健康評估報告。」故(B)為正確答案。
2. 正解為(D)。題目問「Ms. Newman何時開始工作？」因為第一段第二句已經告知對方資訊「我確認你可以在10月30號開始擔任INTELICOM研究部門的臨時行政助理一職。」故(D)為正確答案。請注意10月22號是這封信書寫的日期，因此答案不能選(B)。
3. 正解為(B)。題目問「信中沒有說明什麼？」首先，從單字interim可知道這是個臨時職務，因此(A)提到part-time position 不能選。而信中提到「請簽名並且標示日期在合約副本上，並在10月25號前寄回給我。只有將已簽名的副本寄回我們辦公室，您與INTELICOM公司的合約才會生效。」由此可知並不是簽完名馬上就生效，而是要辦公室人員收到後才算有效。故(B)為正確答案。
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