Bikingest Workplace (2)
SUMMARY
Ueda says biking to work lets people avoid the crowds, save money and get to work on time. Grace says that New York has the biggest bike-sharing program in the country. And McMillian says the number of people who mainly cycle to work doubled in the 10 years to 2015. Salmans adds that over a hundred cities have introduced protected lanes for bicycles.
VIGNETTE
Ueda Shota: Just look at the way pedestrians in a hurry have started walking on the streets instead of the jam-packed sidewalks. But commuting by train has become more expensive. If you bike, you can avoid the crowds, save money, and get to work on time.
Lidia Grace: Biking has become part of New York's commuting infrastructure. Not only are there more designated bike routes, but the city now has a fleet of 10,000 share bikes. They're available for people to use at more than 600 locations around town. It's the biggest bike-sharing program in the country.
Pat McMillan: Yes. I recently read that New York now has more bike commuters than any other American city. As of 2015, more than 46,000 people said bicycles were their main means of getting to and from work. That's double the number from 10 years before. The bike-commuting trend has outpaced population and employment growth.
Chuck Salmans: That trends can be seen all over the country. Local authorities are becoming more aware that bicycles have an important role to play as a form of transportation. So they're taking steps such as an investing more in bike-friendly infrastructure and improving the safety of bike routes. More than 100 cities have introduced protected lanes that place buffers between bicycles and cars.
WORDS AND PHRASES
pedestrian
in a hurry
Or in a rush. That would be fine too. Things like "I'm in a hurry to finish this translation". Or "I'm in a terrible rush to get to the airport".
反対は:
in no rush/in no hurry
I'm in no hurry. Take your time.
get to work on time
Arrive at work by time we're supposed to be there. "On time" refers to meeting a schedule whether they’re arriving or leaving, starting or finishing. The trains in Japan are almost always on time. Or "I managed to leave on time this morning".
commuting infrastructure 通勤インフラ/通学インフラ
Up at the top, Grace says, "Biking has become part of New York's commuting infrastructure".
designated
Selected and set aside for some duty or purpose. When people go out drinking, there's a designated driver, the person who doesn't drink so they can safely drive everyone home. Or "This land has been designated a national park".
go out drinking
designated driver
designated hitter 指名打者
fleet 同一の会社などが所有する全車両/保有車両
share bike
outpace ～をしのぐ/上回る
population and employment growth 人口や雇用の増加
We often use this kind of construction. "Growth" is connected to both "population" and "employment". This lets us avoid repeating the word "growth". Likewise "He's taking French and German lessons". Or "She has stock and real estate investments".
local authorities
Down at the bottom, Salmans says, "Local authorities are becoming more aware that bicycles have an important role to play as a form of transportation".
protected lane 防護レーン
"Protected" is "guarded in some way". A protected species is guarded under the law from trafficking and such". Or "They store important data on a protected server".
buffer
Salmans means a physical item used to reduce shock or damage. It can also mean a barrier against financial or other kinds of danger. Savings are buffer against financial emergencies. And "buffer" can be a verb too. "Her savings help buffer her finance against emergencies".
bike
Ueda says, "If you bike, you can avoid the crowds, save money, and get to work on time". Here, Ueda's using "bike" as a verb, you know, meaning "to take a bicycle somewhere". We also say cycle this way. And according to the dictionary, "bicycle" also can be a verb like this, but it feels less natural to me than "cycle" or "bike". I'd say things like "He bikes 20 miles to work every day". Or "She likes to cycle around the park on weekends".
動詞としてのbike
unicycle 一輪車
main means 主な手段
McMillan says, "As of 2015, more than 46,000 people said bicycles were their main means of getting to and from work". Their primary method. For many people in America, car is their main means for transportation. We also say "main source". Like "Freelancing is his main source of income". Or "This book was my main source of information for the report".
このmeansは単数扱い a means
a means of communication コミュニケーションの手段
同じmeansでも複数として扱う場合もある
live beyond one's means 分不相応に暮らす
生活の手段としての財産・収入などを意味する場合にmeansという複数形を使う
invest in ～に投資する
Down at the bottom, Salmans says, "they're taking steps such as an investing more in bike-friendly infrastructure". "Invest in" can mean put money into a financial item like stocks or real-estate in a hope of profit. But it can also refer to spending money in the hope of a non-monetary benefit or at least a monetary benefit that can't be quantified that easily. Like "I decided to invest in a humidifier, to spend the money on a humidifier, to help me sleep and improve my skin".
invest in
invest time and energy in studying English 英語学習のために時間とエネルギーをつぎ込む
WORD WATCH
jam-packed
ぎゅうぎゅう詰めになった/すし詰めの
「jamは｢雑踏｣｢身動きができない[立錐の余地がない]ほどの混雑｣の意味で、traffic jamは｢交通渋滞｣Trains were｣am-packed with vacationers｡(列車は行楽客で満員だった)、The reception hall was jam-packed with flowers and presents. (レセプションホールは花やプレゼントでいっぱいだった)のように場所を主語にした場合、前置詞はwithを使う｡｢すし詰め｣になっている状況はbe packed like sardinesと言う｡ sardineは｢イワシ｣で、イワシの缶詰のように隙間なく詰められている状態を表す｡｢すし詰め｣も、そのような状態を重箱などにきっちり詰めたすしにたとえた表現｡」http://gogakuru.com/english/phrase/105056
SAY WHAT YOU MEAN
pedestrian
A person who is walking is a pedestrian. For example, "They've added a new pedestrian trail to the park".
fleet
This vignette uses the noun fleet to mean a group of vehicles. As in "The Company has a fleet of 500 taxis".
outpace
That verb outpace means outdo, surpass. Such as "Demand for that product has outpaced supply".
QUOTE UNQUOTE
Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely. - Auguste Rodin (French sculptor)