英语经典美文诵读100篇：063.cars
[00:13.10]My friend said cars are a pain. What he meant was that his car was a lot of trouble.
[00:20.70]I suppose he must have bought a “lemon”, that is, a car full of problems and not worth its keep.
[00:28.81]Not everybody feels the same way about cars. To some, cars are just machines on wheels.
[00:36.88]These people hunt for the best value. They look for vehicles that are affordable but reliable,
[00:43.06]gas efficient, comfortable enough, reasonably safe and not too expensive to repair.
[00:50.37]In contrast, you have also seen owners who lovingly polished their machines, dressing them in fancy seat covers,
[00:57.20]and attaching cute little doodads to the windows.
[01:01.11]To some, cars are not machines. They are the emotional extensions of their owners.
[01:07.51]Think about the adrenalin high when one looks at a BMW.
[01:11.66]The status, speed and wealth identified with the BMW are certainly tempting.
[01:17.29]Think Jaguar, and we picture the sleek, dangerous, fast and powerful black cat with rippling muscles leaping after its prey.
[01:26.77]What about the latest hot wheels - the mini-vans and jeeps?
[01:31.51]They spell outdoors, young, sporty, carefree, cool. Or cute little Smart cars - trendy, city, efficient, modern.
[01:43.65]There is also a special class of car owners - the sentimental.
[01:48.29]To them, modern day vehicles are artistic disasters - tasteless and boring.
[01:55.34]For them, the only real cars are vintage - those really old-fashion vehicles you see in movies
[02:01.78]about the days of our great grandparents. These cars may be antique but not ugly.
[02:09.02]They are polished to a dazzling shine, with spotless chrome and bright clean tires.
[02:14.85]As for me, I shudder at the cost of a new vehicle. So for now,
[02:20.16]just get me a sturdy used car that can bring me from here to there without breaking down.
[02:25.82]Besides, I do not have to fret about someone running an initiation scratch on the new paint job.
