Helen: 大家好，我是Helen。

Neil: Today we’re going to look at words and phrases that have recently become part of the English language.

Helen: 在今天的地道英語中，我們來學一些英語中新出現的習慣表達。

Neil: New words enter the English language all the time.

Helen: 所以跟著Real English學習英語，及時更新，保持新鮮的英語詞匯是很重要的.

Neil: Of course.

Helen: 那Neil，我們今天要學的是什么新詞呢？

Neil: Today’s new expression is 'the school run'.

Helen: The school run. School 學校，run 跑步？這難道是一種體育運動？

Neil: No, actually! The school run is when mothers drive their children to school in the morning and collect them again in the evening.

Helen: 這個school run 原來專門指的是媽媽們接送小孩兒上學，放學啊。但是，為什么要專門弄個短語來特指這個意思呢？

Neil: Well, many people complain about the school run because it means there is a lot of extra traffic on the roads when they are trying to drive to work.

Helen: 這個school run 的時間一到，路上一下子多了好多車，在上下班高峰期的時候，就造成堵車。

Neil: Nowadays most children are taken to school by one of their parents in a car.

Helen: 這樣啊，就造成了交通堵塞，給上下班的人帶來了不少麻煩。

Neil: That’s right. It’s caused by the school run.

Insert

A: You’re early. You don’t normally arrive till 9.30!

B: I know, but it’s school holidays so I avoided the school run traffic and it took me much less time than normal.

Helen: 你以前是走路上學嗎？Neil?

Neil: No, I took the bus. I lived about 2 miles from my school.

Helen: 我住的地方到是離學校很近，只要用20分鐘就走到了。

Neil: The school run is a problem if you live near a school.

Helen: 對，送完孩子，想要去哪兒去都不太容易，因為好多車都擠在一起了。

Neil: Yes – it can be difficult to park your car, or it will take you longer in the morning to get to work.

Helen: That’s a problem.

Neil: Yes, Helen. I wish the kids and their parents all took a bus or walked.

Helen: 好啦，我們來復習一下今天學的 the school run – 就是家長們開車接送孩子上下學，因此而導致了擁擠的交通。

Neil: Well, it’s time to go. You’ve been listening to Real English from BBC Learning English. Join us again soon for more up-to-the-minute Real English. Bye.

Helen: See you next time.