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Foreign Motorists
外國司機
The chief problem in coping with foreign motorists is not so much remembering that they are different from yourself,but that they are enormously variable.
應對外國司機問題的主要困難不是要記住他們與你不同，而是記住他們極其多變，各不相同。
Cross a frontier without adjusting and you can be in deep trouble.
不作些調整就通過邊界，你會遇到大麻煩。
One of the greatest gulfs separating the driving nations is the Atlantic Ocean.
大西洋是個例具有不同駕駛習慣的國度的最大的鴻溝之一。
More precisely, it is the mental distance between the European and the American motorist,particularly the South American motorist.
更精確地講，它是歐洲司機與美洲司機尤其是南美司機之間的心理距離。
Compare, for example,an English driver at a set of traffic lights with a Brazilian.
比如，比較一下交通信號燈前的英國司機和巴西司機。
Very rarely will an English man try to anticipate the green light by moving off prematurely.
英國人很少會看到要變綠燈而提前開動。
You will find the occasional sharpie who watches for the amber to come up on the adjacent set of lights.
你會發現偶爾有某個機靈的司機會留心紅綠燈間的黃燈信號。
However, he will not go until he receives the lawful signal.
然而，他也是接到法律規定通行的信號才會開動。
Brazilians view the thing quite differently.
巴西人對這一點有點截然不同的看法。
If, in fact, they see traffic lights at all,they regard them as a kind of roadside decoration.
實際上，如果他們看到交通燈了，他們只是把它們看作是路邊的裝飾。
The natives of North America are much more disciplined.
北美人更嚴于律己。
They demonstrate this in their addiction to driving in one lane and sticking to it—even if it means settling behind some great truck for many miles.
這一點體現在他們習慣并堅持在某個車道行駛—即使那意味著要跟在大卡車后面行駛數英里。
To prevent other drivers from falling into reckless ways,American motorists try always to stay close behind the vehicle in front,which can make it impossible,when all the vehicles are moving at about 55 mph,to make a real lane change.
為了防止其他司機魯莽沖動，美國司機總是盡量緊跟前面的車，這樣當所有車以每小時55英里的速度行駛時，想換道行駛是不可能的。
European visitors are constantly falling into this trap.
歐洲游客們經常中計。
They return to the Old World still flapping their arms in frustration because while driving in the States in their car they kept failing to get off the highway when they wanted to and were swept along to the next city.
他們回答歐洲后仍然沮喪地揮舞胳膊，因為在美國開車時他們想下高速路卻總是下不去而被車流帶到了下一個城市。
However, one nation above all others lives scrupulously by its traffic regulations—the Swiss.
然而，比起所有其他民族，有一個民族總是一絲不茍地遵守交通規則—瑞士人。
In Switzerland, if you were simply to anticipate a traffic light,the chances are that the motorist behind you would take your number and report you to the police.
在瑞士，如果你僅僅看到要變綠燈就提前開動，很可能后面的司機就會記下你的車號并報告給警察局。
What is more, the police would visit you;and you would be convicted.
而且，警察會找你，你會被判刑。
The Swiss take their rules of the road so seriously that a driver can be ordered to appear in court and charged for speeding on hearsay alone,and very likely found guilty.
瑞士人對待道路規則十分認真，僅僅因為道聽途說而無需確鑿證據，一個司機就會被要求到庭并被控超速，之后這名司機很可能被判有罪。
There are slight regional variations among the French, German and Italian speaking areas,but it is generally safe to assume that any car bearing a CH sticker will be driven with a high degree of discipline.
在講法語，德語和意大利語的不同地區，情況存在微小的地區差異，但一般可以肯定地說，任何貼有瑞士標志的車都特別地遵守規則。
