原文

People travelling long distances frequently have to decide whether they would prefer to go by land, sea, or air. Hardly anyone can positively enjoy sitting in a train for more than a few hours. Train compartments soon get cramped and stuffy. It is almost impossible to take your mind off the journey. Reading is only a partial solution, for the monotonous rhythm of the wheels clicking on the rails soon lulls you to sleep. During the day, sleep comes in snatches. At night, when you really wish to go to sleep, you rarely manage to do so. If you are lucky enough to get a sleeper, you spend half the night staring at the small blue light in the ceiling, or fumbling to find you ticket for inspection. Inevitably you arrive at your destination almost exhausted. Long car journeys are even less pleasant, for it is quite impossible even to read. On motorways you can, at least, travel fairly safely at high speeds, but more often than not, the greater part of the journey is spent on roads with few service stations and too much traffic. By comparison, ferry trips or cruises offer a great variety of civilized comforts. You can stretch your legs on the spacious decks, play games, meet interesting people and enjoy good food -- always assuming, of course, that the sea is calm. If it is not, and you are likely to get seasick, no form of transport could be worse. Even if you travel in ideal weather, sea journeys take a long time. Relatively few people are prepared to sacrifice holiday time for the pleasure of travlling by sea.

Aeroplanes have the reputation of being dangerous and even hardened travellers are intimidated by them. They also have the disadvantage of being an expensive form of transport. But nothing can match them for speed and comfort. Travelling at a height of 30,000 feet, far above the clouds, and at over 500 miles an hour is an exhilarating experience. You do not have to devise ways of taking your mind off the journey, for an aeroplane gets you to your destination rapidly. For a few hours, you settle back in a deep armchair to enjoy the flight. The real escapist can watch a film and sip champagne on some services. But even when such refinements are not available, there is plenty to keep you occupied. An aeroplane offers you an unusual and breathtaking view of the world. You soar effortlessly over high mountains and deep valleys. You really see the shape of the land. If the landscape is hidden from view, you can enjoy the extraordinary sight of unbroken cloud plains that stretch out for miles before you, while the sun shines brilliantly in a clear sky. The journey is so smooth that there is nothing to prevent you from reading or sleeping. However you decide to spend your time, one thing is certain: you will arrive at your destination fresh and uncrumpled. You will not have to spend the next few days recovering from a long and arduous journey.

译文

长途旅行的人们常常不得不决定是选择陆路、海路还是空路。几乎没有人能真正享受在火车上坐上几个小时以上。火车车厢很快就会变得拥挤和闷热。几乎不可能不去想旅程。阅读只是一个部分的解决办法，因为车轮在铁轨上单调的节奏很快就会使你入睡。白天，睡眠断断续续。晚上，当你真正想睡觉时，你很少能做到。如果幸运地得到一个卧铺，你会花半夜时间盯着天花板上的小蓝灯，或者摸索着找你的票检查。不可避免地，你到达目的地时几乎精疲力尽。

长途汽车旅行甚至更不愉快，因为甚至阅读都不可能。在高速公路上，你至少可以相对安全地高速行驶，但更多时候，旅程的大部分时间是在服务站很少且交通拥挤的道路上度过的。相比之下，轮渡旅行或游轮提供各种文明的舒适。你可以在宽敞的甲板上伸展双腿，玩游戏，结识有趣的人，并享受美食——当然，前提是海面平静。如果不是这样，而且你容易晕船，没有任何交通工具比这更糟。即使在理想的天气下，海路旅行也需要很长时间。很少有人愿意为了海路旅行的乐趣而牺牲假期时间。

飞机以危险闻名，甚至老练的旅行者也对它们心存畏惧。它们也有昂贵的交通工具的缺点。但在速度和舒适方面，没有什么能与它们媲美。在3万英尺的高空，远在云层之上，以每小时500多英里的速度旅行是一种令人兴奋的经历。你不必想办法不去想旅程，因为飞机很快就会把你带到目的地。在几个小时内，你可以靠在深 armchair 上享受飞行。真正的逃避现实者可以在某些航班上观看电影并品尝香槟。但即使这些精致的服务不可用，也有 plenty 的事情可以让你忙碌。飞机为你提供世界的一个不同寻常且 breathtaking 的景观。你毫不费力地飞越高山和深谷。你真正看到了土地的形状。如果景观被隐藏起来，你可以欣赏那连绵不断的云海，在你面前延伸数英里，而太阳在晴朗的天空灿烂地照耀着。旅程如此平稳，以至于没有什么能阻止你阅读或睡觉。不管你决定如何度过你的时间，有一点是肯定的：你会精神焕发地到达目的地，不会疲惫。你不必花接下来的几天时间从漫长而艰辛的旅程中恢复。