Upper-Intermediate - New Traffic Regulations (D2100)

A: 我昨天倒霉死了。
wǒ zuótiān dǎoméi sǐ le.
I had the worst luck yesterday.
B: 怎么了?
zěnmele?
What happened?
A: 哎,尝了新交规的苦头。
āi, cháng le xīn jiāoguī de kǔtou.
Well, I got a nasty taste of the new traffic regulations.
B: 被警察抓了?
bèi jǐngchá zhuā le?
Busted by the police?
A: 那倒没有。闯黄灯,被扣分了。
nà dào méiyǒu. chuǎng huángdēng, bèi kòufēn le.
No, not that bad. I ran a yellow light and got ticketed.
B: 昨天还讨论过这个,你怎么这么不小心呢?
zuótiān hái tǎolùn guo zhè ge, nǐ zěnme zhème bù xiǎoxīn ne?
We were just talking about that yesterday. How could you be so careless?
A: 我不是有意的。大概是习惯了,一不留神就冲过去了。
wǒ bùshì yǒuyì de. dàgài shì xíguàn le, yībùliúshén jiù chōng guòqu le.
It wasn't on purpose. I guess I'm just used to it, and wasn't paying attention and just rushed through.
B: 是不是要去接女朋友,激动的?
shìbushì yào qù jiē nǚpéngyou, jīdòng de?
Were you going to pick up your girlfriend and got too excited?
A: 别取笑我了。
bié qǔxiào wǒ le.
Don't make fun of me.
B: 那要扣6分的!
nà yào kòu liù fēn de!
So you get 6 points for that!
A: 是啊!这是什么破规定啊!
shì a! zhè shì shénme pò guīdìng a!
I know! What kind of stupid regulations are these!
B: 一年内扣12分的话,要扣留驾驶证,重考交规。
yī nián nèi kòu shíèr fēn dehuà, yào kòuliú jiàshǐzhèng, chóngkǎo jiāoguī.
If you get 12 points in a year, you get your license suspended and have to retake the traffic regulations test.
A: 我知道。新交规真严格。遮挡号牌扣12分,酒驾12分,闯红灯6分,超速6分,抽烟,接打电话,不系安全带都要扣分。这样下去的话,我的驾照很快就要被扣了。
wǒ zhīdào. xīn jiāoguī zhēn yángé. zhēdǎng hàopái kòu shíèr fēn, jiǔjià shíèr fēn, chuǎng hóngdēng liù fēn, chāosù liù fēn, chōuyān, jiē dǎ diànhuà, bù jì ānquándài dōuyào kòufēn. zhèyàng xiàqu dehuà, wǒ de jiàzhào hěnkuài jiùyào bèi kòu le.
I know. The new regulations are so strict. 12 points for obscuring a license plate, 12 points for drunk driving, 6 points for running a red light, 6 points for speeding, and smoking, answering the phone, and not wearing a seat belt all get you points. At this rate I'm definitely going to lose my license soon.
B: 这么扣分的话,说不定会有一批卖分、替考的黄牛。其实严格一些是好事。以前我们都不系安全带的,现在我上车第一件事就是把安全带系上。
zhème kòufēn dehuà, shuōbudìng huì yǒu yī pī màifēn、 tìkǎo de huángniú. qíshí yángé yīxiē shì hǎoshì. yǐqián wǒmen dōu bù jì ānquándài de, xiànzài wǒ shàngchē dìyī jiàn shì jiùshì bǎ ānquándài jìshang.
If all those get you points, a new black market for removing points and retaking the test might crop up. But actually getting stricter is a good thing. Before we never wore our seat belts, but now buckling up is the first thing I do when I get in the car.
A: 也是。现在车多,事故太频繁了。
yě shì. xiànzài chē duō, shìgù tài pínfán le.
That's true. There are so many cars now, accidents are more frequent.
B: 你也别想了,扣就扣了,以后注意就行了。你今天没开车?
nǐ yě bié xiǎng le, kòu jiù kòu le, yǐhòu zhùyì jiù xíng le. nǐ jīntiān méi kāichē?
Anyway, don't think about it. It is what it is. Be more careful in the future. So you didn't drive today?
A: 没开。昨天快到家的时候,我把车停在路边去买了个东西,就几分钟的时间,结果吃了罚单。违章停车罚款200。我觉得我这几天可能在走背运,不敢开了。
méi kāi. zuótiān kuài dàojiā de shíhou, wǒ bǎ chē tíng zài lùbiān qù mǎi le ge dōngxi, jiù jǐ fēnzhōng de shíjiān, jiéguǒ chī le fádān. wéizhāng tíngchē fákuǎn èrbǎi. wǒ juéde wǒ zhèjǐtiān kěnéng zài zǒubèiyùn, bùgǎn kāi le.
Nope. Yesterday when I got close to home I parked on the street for just a few minutes to buy something, and got a ticket. Illegal parking fine: 200. I think I'm just down on my luck these days, and don't dare drive.
B: 哎,你真是够悲催的。
āi, nǐ zhēn shì gòu bēicuī de.
Wow, you really are having a rough time.

Key Vocabulary

交规 jiāoguī traffic rules
尝了……苦头 chángle......kǔtou to get a nasty taste of something
zhuā to catch
闯黄灯 chuǎng huángdēng to run a yellow light
扣分 kòufēn to lose points (from one's license)
一不留神 yībùliúshén to not pay attention
取笑 qǔxiào to make fun (of someone)
扣留 kòuliú to suspend
驾驶证 jiàshǐzhèng driver's license
遮挡 zhēdǎng to block, cover
酒驾 jiǔjià drunk driving
闯红灯 chuǎng hóngdēng to run through a red light
超速 chāosù to speed
频繁 pínfán frequent
吃罚单 chīfádān to get a ticket
违章 wéizhāng illegal
走背运 zǒubèiyùn to be down on one's luck
悲催 bēicuī suffering

Supplementary Vocabulary

交通规则 jiāotōngguīzé traffic regulations
吃苦头 chīkǔtou to have a hard time
吃到甜头 chīdàotiántou to have a good experience
违反 wéifǎn to go against
法规 fǎguī laws and regulations
加速 jiāsù to speed up
驾照 jiàzhào driver's license
驾驶执照 jiàshǐzhízhào driver's license
酒后驾车 jiǔhòujiàchē drinking and driving
代替 dàitì to substitute
副词 fùcí adverb
形容词 xíngróngcí adjective
导致 dǎozhì to lead to
规章 guīzhāng regulations
处罚 chǔfá to punish

Online Review and Discussion .   ©2013 Praxis Language Ltd.