All Aboard the Night Train!|夜宿卧车，FUN心旅行

by Timothy Laird

Overnight trains make traveling long distances easier.

Have you ever spent a night on a train? In the world of high-speed railways and low-fare airlines, traveling by night train sounds old-fashioned. The prime of railway travel is long gone in most European countries and the United States. In China and India, on the other hand, night trains are quite common. They are considered rather effective ways of traveling from city to city as the fares are a lot lower than flights and traveling between cities usually takes many hours or even days.

The first extensive use of sleeping cars started in the 1830s in the US. A name worth mentioning here is George Pullman, an American industrialist. In the 1860s, Pullman successfully launched his sleeping car business by offering a wide range of first-rate services. The food provided on the luxurious Pullman sleepers was said to rival that from the best restaurants of that era. Night trains took off as a result of his ingenuity.

Considering the time spent, businesspeople may prefer to travel by plane, but modern sleeping cars provide an alternative and comfortable way of traveling. One advantage of overnight trains is that you are getting a night's rest while traveling. Since you stay on the train overnight, there are no hotel costs. Moreover, sleeping cars take you directly to major metropolitan stations, while most airports are usually located far away from the city centers and shuttle buses are required. Therefore, if you are not in a rush, overnight trains are a great way to get around.

1.  What does the article imply about train travel in the US?

(A) Many people have resorted to traveling by train since the economy is bad.

(B) It's the most convenient way to move from city to city in the US.

(C) It's actually faster to go by train than by plane.

(D) It's not as popular as it once was.

2.  Why was Pullman successful?

(A) He hired chefs from the best restaurants.

(B) His food and services were always first-class.

(C) He operated the first sleeping car business in the US.

(D) He was the only person to provide sleeping car service at the time.

3.  What advantage does taking night trains have over planes?

(A) Trains are much faster nowadays.

(B) It's easier to fall asleep on trains than it is on planes.

(C) There is no need to pay for lodging for the night.

(D) People can take a tour of every city by shuttle bus.

夜宿卧车，FUN心旅行

搭夜车让长途旅行更为便捷。

　　你曾经在火车上过夜吗？在这高速铁路和廉价航空盛行的世界里，搭夜车旅行听起来有些落伍。在大部分欧洲国家及美国，铁路旅行的极盛时期已不复存在。另一方面，夜车在中国和印度却相当普遍。搭夜车被认为是往来城市颇为有效的方式，因为火车票比机票的费用便宜许多，加上城市间的往返通常得花上好几个小时甚至好几天。

　　卧车在 1830 年代的美国开始首度被广泛使用。在此值得一提的人是名叫乔治‧普曼的美国实业家。1860年代，普曼开始提供各式各样一流的服务，将他的卧车公司经营地相当成功。奢华的普曼卧车所提供的餐点，据说可以媲美当时顶级餐厅的料理。由于他的独创性，夜车开始蓬勃发展。

　　就通车时间而言，商务人士可能比较喜欢搭飞机旅行，但现代的卧车提供另一种舒适的旅行方式。搭夜车的好处之一是，旅行的同时你能在车里睡上一夜。由于夜宿在火车上，所以旅客省下旅馆住宿费。此外，卧车会直接开往主要大城市的车站，而大多数机场则通常位于离市中心相距甚远之地，于是需要搭乘接驳车。因此，如果你不赶时间的话，搭夜车会是个带你到处趴趴走的绝佳方式。

答案：1. (D)2. (B)3. (C)

东方快车（Orient Express）是横贯欧洲大陆的长程列车，主要行驶巴黎至伊斯坦堡。历史上东方快车曾有不同的路线，但大致不离最初东西贯向的起讫点。虽然东方快车最初是指通往东方（近东、土耳其）的国际列车，但后来在各种通俗文学中，均已用来指激情的异国旅行或豪华旅游。（数据源：维基百科）