近年來隨選服務興起
尤其在家隔離檢疫的民眾更需要這個服務
外送員馬上把熱騰騰的美食送到家
一機在手,不用出門也可以購物
一起用英文聊聊現在最夯的美食外送服務吧
有天下午,Hector 跟朋友在家玩桌遊,三個人不知不覺就玩到了傍晚……
Hector: Oh, I’m famished after playing board games!
Hector:噢,玩完桌遊之後快餓死了!Amber: Let’s go get something to eat.
Amber:我們可以去找點什麼來吃。Hector: No way! The wind outside is biting—I’ll be frozen as soon I step out the door!
Hector:我才不要!外面寒風刺骨欸,我只要一踏出門就會被凍僵。Selena: Shall we try the food delivery service?
Selena:我們要試試美食外送服務嗎?Amber: Sure. What number is it?
Amber:好啊,要打哪支電話?Selena: No, we order food via the app. The courier will pick up our order and deliver it to our doorstep.
Selena:不,我們是用 app 點餐,外送員會幫我們取餐,然後送到家門口。Amber: That’s so convenient! People don’t have to waste time waiting in line anymore.
Amber:真方便!再也不用浪費時間排隊了。Selena: Yeah, but the price you pay instead is the delivery fee.
Selena:對,不過是以運費為代價的。
famished (adj.) 非常飢餓的
famished /ˈfæmɪʃt/ 是形容人「非常飢餓的」,為口語用法,饑餓感遠比 hungry 還要強烈。另外 starving 也有「餓得要命;十分飢餓」的意思。
That beggar must be famished. He said he hasn’t eaten for a week.
那名乞丐一定餓壞了,他說他已經一個禮拜沒吃東西了。
food delivery (n.) 美食外送
名詞 delivery 有「運送;遞送」的意思,因此 food delivery 就是「美食外送」。另外 delivery 還有「分娩」之意,所以 delivery room 跟外送沒有關係,而是指「產房」。
The number of food delivery platforms is on the rise.
美食外送平台的數量正不斷增加。
courier (n.) 外送員
courier /ˈkɚrijɚ/ 原本是指送信件或包裹的「信差 ;遞送員」,另外也可指美食「外送員」,此外 food delivery rider/driver/person 也都是指美食外送員。
You want to work as a part-time courier? You don’t even have a driver’s license!
你想兼差當外送員?你連駕照都沒有耶!
delivery fee (n.) 運費
fee 是享受特定服務後的「費用」,所以 delivery fee「運費」。雖然 shipping fee 也是「運費」,但較常用來指「海運的運費」;freight fee 則較常指「貨物、貨品的運費」。
The delivery fee depends on the distance between your address and the restaurant.
運費是取決於你的地址跟餐廳的距離。
點完餐後,大夥兒興奮地盯著螢幕,想知道他們的炸雞分享餐什麼時候送到…
Hector: The platform promises that the courier will pick up and drop off the meal within 30 minutes.
Hector:這個平台保證他們的外送員從取餐到送餐不超過 30 分鐘。Selena: We can also track our orders in real time through the app.
Selena:我們也可以用 app 來即時掌握我們的訂單。Amber: Technology is awesome! But how much do delivery drivers earn?
Amber:科技真是太讚了!可是這些外送員的薪水多少啊?Selena: It’s said that they earn 6 USD to 10 USD per delivery. They also receive incentives to meet trip targets.
Selena:據說他們一個訂單可以賺 6 至10 美金,如果達到一定的趟數,還會有獎勵。Amber: Not bad. No wonder you see so many scooters with insulated delivery bags these days.
Amber:聽起來不賴,難怪很多摩托車都載著保溫袋。Selena: Yeah, and because these kinds of on-demand services are growing rapidly, more and more people are jumping on the bandwagon.
Selena:對啊,而且因為這類隨選服務正蓬勃發展,所以越來越多人也想趕上這波潮流。Hector: I’m sure it is alright for some, but I couldn’t bear to weave in and out of traffic like I see these delivery drivers doing. It looks especially dangerous during rush hour.
Hector:我想對某新人來說 OK,但我沒辦法忍受像我看到的外送員這樣在車陣間來回穿梭,而且在尖峰時段這麼做好像很危險。Amber: True. But for lazy people like us these types of services are a godsend.
Amber:對呀,但美食外送服務對我們這種懶人而言真的是一大福音。
Hector: Too right!
Hector: 沒錯!
in real time (phr.) 即時地
副詞片語 in real time 的意思是「即時地」,其形容詞是 real-time (即時的),例如:real-time traffic information (即時路況)。
Google Maps can show you traffic conditions in real time.
Google Maps 可以顯示即時的交通狀況。
incentive (n.) 獎勵
incentive 是指達到某目標後發放的「獎勵」或「刺激;誘因」。
This incentive program is really efficient. Most of the employees meet their sales targets.
這項獎勵計劃非常有效,多數員工都有達到業績。
insulated (adj.) 隔熱的;保溫的
動詞 insulate /ˈɪnsəˌlet/ 意為「使隔熱、隔音、絕緣」,其過去分詞 insulated 可當形容詞用,表示「隔熱的;保溫的」或「隔音的;絕緣的」。外送員機車上的保溫/冷袋就是 insulated delivery bag。
Mom put the meat and fish into an insulated bag.
媽媽把肉和魚放進保冷袋。
on-demand (adj.) 隨選的
demand 意為「要求」,on-demand 就是指在顧客要求後就可以提供的,稱為「隨選的」。像是提供叫車服務的 Uber 和專營雜貨配送和取貨的 Instacart 都屬於 on-demand service (隨選服務)。
On-demand services have significantly changed the way we live.
隨選服務已經大大地改變了我們的生活方式。
美食外送服務真的是居家隔離檢疫者的救星,在疫情未減緩前大家還是減少出門,三餐可以多叫美食外送,大家一起度過艱難時刻!
迫不及待想馬上開始練習嗎?
快打開 VoiceTube App 練英文!
✦ 立即下載 >>> https://bit.ly/myenglishissogood
英文單字不要硬背! 藉由 VoiceTube App 看影片,不會的單字反覆聆聽,加上單字測驗練習,聽寫齊下,立刻熟記!
文/ Vivian Chen
審/ Eunice Lin
圖/ Pixabay
作者簡介/ VoiceTube 看影片學英語
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iTunes:https://apple.co/38h1b6j
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