What's the furthest you have ever cycled?
Perhaps you cycle to school or to work, or maybe at most a short cycling trip with friends?
How would you feel about spending months on the roadtravelling solofrom the UK to China, by bike?
For British cyclist Pete Jones,camping roughand cycling long distances throughinhospitable terrainaresecond nature.
Aveteranof expeditions through places such as the Tianshan mountains and the Tibetan plateau, Mr Jones is currently undertaking a mammoth trip across the Eurasian continent from Britain to China.
Having livedon and offin Xinjiang for three years, and having visited the country many times since 1992, Pete Jones is no stranger to China.
But he says many people there are puzzled by his passion for cycling, asking why he would choose to cycle when he can afford a car.
Indeed, while there are an estimated 400 million bicycles in China, where it has long been the preferred form of transport,rapid economic growthhas fuelled anexplosive expansionin car ownership.
Edward Genochio, another British cyclist who completed a 41,000km trip to China and back, said one of his aims was to "promote cycling as a safe, sustainable andenvironmentally benignmeans of getting about."
In the UK, the last few years have seen a rise in the number of people choosing two wheels over four, with some estimates saying the number of people cycling to work has almost doubled in the last five years.
Politicians also see cycling as a way to boost their eco-credentials, with people such as London mayor Boris Johnson often riding to workunder his own steam.
But we may have to wait some time before we see him emulating Pete Jones in attempting to cycle all the way to China.
你骑自行车到达的最远的地方是哪里呢?
或许你骑自行车去上学或去上班,或者最多与朋友一起骑自行车旅行?
如果你花费数月的时间独自骑自行车从英国去中国,你会有什么样的感觉呢?
对英国自行车手Pete Jones来说,野外露营和骑自行车穿越无人居住的地带是第二天性。
Pete Jones是经验丰富的探险家,曾经穿越天山和青藏高原。现在,他正在进行从英国到中国的贯穿欧亚大陆的巨大旅行。
他曾经断断续续地在新疆居住过三年时间,自1992年开始,多次访问中国。因此,中国对Pete Jones来说并不陌生。
但是他说,中国的许多人为他骑自行车的热情感到疑惑,问他明明可以开得起汽车,为什么却要骑自行车。
实际上,中国拥有大约4亿辆自行车。自行车一直是首选的交通方式。但是经济的快速增长使汽车拥有率出现爆发性的增长。
另外一名英国自行车手Edward Genochio已经完成了往返中国的长达41,000千米的旅程。他说,他的其中一个目标就是“宣传自行车作为一种安全,可持续环保的出行方式的观念。”
在英国,最近几年,选择自行车优于汽车的人数出现上涨。有人估计,在过去的五年,骑自行车去上班的人数翻倍。
政治家也将骑自行车作为促进他们的环保凭据的方式。例如,伦敦市长Boris Johnson等政治家经常靠自己的力量骑自行车去上班。
但是,要看到他效仿Pete Jones骑自行车来中国,估计还要等很长时间。
trip 旅行,旅游
travelling solo 单人旅行
camping rough 野外露宿
inhospitable terrain 不适合人居住的地带
second nature 第二天性
veteran 经验丰富的人
expeditions 远征,探险
plateau 高原
mammoth 巨大的,庞大的
on and off 断断续续的
puzzled 不明白,感到疑惑
rapid economic growth 快速的经济发展
fuelled 刺激
explosive expansion 爆发性的扩张
car ownership 汽车拥有率
sustainable 可持续性
environmentally benign 有利于环境
boost their eco-credentials 促进他们的环保凭据
under his own steam 靠自己的力量来完成某件事
emulating 仿效