And we begin with American drivers taking the price of gasoline into their own hands. The government said today that Americans drove nearly 10 billion fewer miles - that’s billion with a “b” - this past May as compared to May a year ago. That’s just one month. The reduction in miles driven has helped reduce the price of gas. A gallon of gas dropped nearly 11 cents in the past week alone.
Our driving habits are in reverse. ABC's Lisa Stark is in Washington tonight. Lisa? Well Charlie, this drop in driving is unprecedented. The government says it has never seen so big a drop in so short a time. Today’s figures are just the latest and most dramatic in a trend that began late last year.
In just seven months Americans have driven 40 billion miles less than they did the year before. 40 billion miles - that’s the same as 215 trips to the sun and back. “What we’re seeing is a fundamentalshift in the way Americans are making decisions about their travel habits.
What’s fueling the decline is not just higher gasoline prices but also tougher economic times generally putting the squeeze on the family budget. “It’s just very expensive now to... to do anything.” But where are all those drivers going? Some are flooding public transit. For the first three months of this year Americans took 2.6 billon trips on public transit, 88 million more than the year before.
Where they can, commuters are also carpooling more and working from home, and most significantly avoiding trips whenever possible. “I think a lot of people are simply staying at home. They’re postponing their travel. They’re curtailing their trips. They’re reducing their travel. And...and I think it’s a very negative thing for the society. Less driving, more public transit, switching to smaller cars - will it all evaporate if gas prices plummet?
"I see this as a permanent change. I think it’s a shift in our culture and shift away from doing things the gas-guzzling way." And why might these changes be permanent? Well, some believe it’s because Americans aren’t driving less just to save on the gas bill, but also to help save the environment. And they also say it’s easier than ever these days to drive less when you can do everything from shopping to socializing on-line. Charlie?
※ 부사적 대격: 현대 영어에서 방법, 시간, 거리, 장소 등을 나타낼 때는 전치사없이 쓰기도 하는데 전치사가 없으면 명사가 되지만 부사구의 역할을 하기 때문에 이를 부사적 대격이라고 합니다. ex. Don't look at me [in] that way. ex. I met him again [on] the next day. / ex. I waited for him [for] a long time. ex. She walked [for] two miles. ex. He lives [on] next door. / Let's go [to] some place.
take ~ into one's own hands : ~을 직접 처리하다 (to deal with something yourself) * take the law into one's own hands : (법률에 의하지 않고) 사적 제재를 가하다 ex. Citizens don't have the right to take the law into their own hands. 시 민에게는 사적 제재를 가할 권리가 없다. (as) compared to ~ : ~ 과 비교해서(with), ~ 과 비유해서, ~ 에 비하 면 * compare A with/to B : A 와 B 를 비교하다 ex. The results are then compared to the results of previous studies. * compare A to B: A 를 B 에 비유하다 ex. Shakespeare compared the world to a stage. 셰익스피어는 세상을 무대에 비유하였다. reverse : 반대의, 역의, 거꾸로 된, [정] 반대, 역으로 돌리다, 뒤집 다, 뒤엎다. * in the reverse direction (order) 반대 방향으로 (순서로). * reverse the decision(sentence) of a lower court 하급 법원의 판결 (선 고) 을 파기하다. unprecedented : 전례가 없는 (opp. precedented) fundamental : 기본적인, 근본적인 shift : (위치 방향 상태 등의) 변화, 이동, 교대, 교대조, (위치 방 향 상태 등)을 바꾸다, 바뀌다 ex. Companies were reacting too slowly to shifts in consumer demand. / ex. a 12-hour shift ex. Public opinion had shifted sharply to the left following the war. ex. The government has shifted its attention away from the fight against crime. fuel : 연료, <감정을> 돋구는 것, ~ 에 연료를 공급하다, ~ 을 타오르게 하다 , 자극하다 ex. fuel suspicion 의심을 부추기다 /ex. Graf's back problem fuelled speculation that she might soon retire. * add fuel to (the fire) : ~ 에 기름을 끼얹다 , 불난데 부채질하다 ex. His comments are bound to add fuel to the debate. /ex. The decision to raise tariffs on imports will only add fuel to the fire. squeeze : 밀어[쑤셔]넣다 (into), ~ 을 짜다 [압착하다], ~ 을 경 제적으로 압박하다, <돈·물품을> (남에게서) 억지로 빼앗다, 압착 (하기[되기]), 짜기, 꽉 쥐기, 갈취, 협박, 강요, 궁지, 곤경 ex. Small businesses are being squeezed by heavy taxation. budget : 예산, 예산안, 예산에 계상(計上)하다, 예산을 세우다 ((for)) ex. As a student, you have to learn how to budget. flood : 홍수, 범람 , 쇄도, 범람시키다, 홍수지게 하다, ~ 에 많이 몰려들다, 쇄도하다 ex. a flood of tears 마구 쏟아지는 눈물 / ex. Applicants flooded the office. 지원자들이 사무실에 쇄도했다. ex. The station was flooded with refugees. 역에는 피난민들이 몰려 들 었다. transit : 운송, 운반 ex. transit strike 교통파업 ex. mass transit (= public transit) 대량 수송 수단(철도, 전차, 지하철, 버 스 등의 공공 수송 수단) commute : 통근[통학]하다, 통근, 통학 * commuter (철도의) 정기권 [회수권] 이용자, 통근자 carpool : 합승식으로 태워주다, 카풀하다 * car pool 카풀 significant : 의미 있는, 뜻 깊은, 상당한, 현저한, 두드러진 postpone : 연기하다 curtail : 삭감하다, 축소하다, 줄이다 evaporate : <물 등을> 증발시키다, 증발하다, <희망 열의 등이> 사라지다 * vapor : 증기 plummet : 수직으로 떨어지다[뛰어들다], 폭락[급락]하다 ex. The airplane plummeted to the sea. 비행기는 바다에 곤두박질쳤 다. guzzle : 폭음하다, 게걸스럽게 먹다, (술을) 꿀꺽꿀꺽 마시다 socialize : vt. 사교적[사회적]으로 만들다, 사회화하다 vi. 교제하다 save on ~ : 1. to spend less money on something than you would normally 2. ~을 절약하다 ex. Using eco-friendly lightbulbs will help you save on electricity bills. 환경친화적인 전구를 사용하면 전기료 절약에 도 움이 될 것이다. ex. save on gasoline by taking the train 기차를 이용하여 휘발유를 절약 하다.