Andrea: Which is the most popular?

Jean: The busiest?

Andrea: And the most crowded shopping street in the whole of the UK?

Jean: 那當然要數倫敦的牛津街了

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You can get anything at Oxford^{1 Street. Anything you might want you can get there.}

Andrea: Hello, Im Andrea Rose.

Jean: 大伙好，我是董征。在大家今天的BBC Learning English節目當中，大家回來給大伙好好介紹一下倫敦最著名的 Oxford Street牛津街。

Andrea: We met up with Eve Kutner who used to live in the UK but who now lives in Paris, in France. When she comes home for her holiday, Oxford Street is one of the first places she heads for.

Jean: To head for something 就是直奔某個地方

Andrea: Heres Eve describing what Oxford Street is like.

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Its a very long straight road with lots of red double-decker buses going up and down all the time. Lots of noise, people milling about. Its just very intense. You have to be brave and just walk through otherwise youll get crushed.

Jean: Eve她說這條Oxford Street是一條又長又直的街道。而且街上總有不少的英國雙層大巴。

Andrea: On Oxford Street there are always many people milling or wandering about. But youd better be careful otherwise you might get crushed or squashed^2.

Jean: Eve說在牛津街購物感覺很激烈和熱烈 intense. 由于在這里購物的人都是購物熱情相當之高的。

Andrea: But Oxford Street wasnt always a shopping street. From the 12th to the 18th centuries the street was well-known as the route prisoners were taken on their way to being executed or killed.

Jean: How awful. 奇怪的是以前的絞刑架就搭在牛津街一頭的Marble Arch^{3大理石拱門，而這里卻正是Eve最喜歡的購物區！}

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One of my favourite sTOPs when I come to London is Marks and Spencers. I love the big Marks up at Marble Arch.

Andrea: Marks is short for Marks and Spencer and its one of Eves favourite shops on Oxford Street.

Jean: 這里是Eve購物的必到一站A sTOP

Andrea: In fact Marks and Spencer is exactly where the old Pantheon used to be in the 18th century.

Jean: 這條街道過去以那里的雜耍娛樂演出而聞名，譬如斗老虎 tiger-baiting

Andrea: Fetes or fairs

Jean: 還有masquerades, 就是假面化妝舞會。

Andrea: For Eve, one of her earliest memories of coming to Oxford Street was when she was a child and visited the street with her parents.

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I remember as a child coming up to London was a big treat, coming on the tube up to town with my parents. And Oxford Street was always one of the highlights. I do remember it being a big deal when I was little.

Jean: Eve還記得以前她小時候到牛津街來是件特別要緊特別特殊的事情。

Andrea: She says that Oxford Street was a highlight. It was somewhere special. Did you catch the other phrase Eve used to describe how exciting Oxford Street was, Jean?

Jean: She said it was a big deal 他說那可是件特別要緊的事情。

Andrea: Nowadays, its still a very popular shopping district. Its also one of the best places to go when the are sales on.

Jean: 不過要想參加這類大的減價拍賣，大伙可要有的膽量才行！

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To be honest I would never go to Oxford Street on the first day of the sales because I think you would get killed. Everybody tries to rush for the first item on sale. I never go on the first day but then theres nothing left unfortunately. So you have to get there early to get the good stuff.

Andrea: Eve says that she wouldnt want to go to Oxford Street on the first day of the sales. She uses the expression to be honest

Jean: To be honest, I think I agree with Eve. It sounds dangerous!

Andrea: Well Eve says that people almost kill each other trying to get a bargain, so its better to leave it and go another time.

Jean: Eve 說假如大伙想買到價廉物美的實惠貨，第一需要當天要起個大早。Youve got to get there early to get the good stuff.

Andrea: Sadly in recent times sales have been suffering. People have sTOPped going to Oxford Street as much as they did. The bombs in London last year affected^{4 shopping.}

Jean: Evelyn是Oxford Street上一家服飾商店的經理。

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This time of the year we have a lot of tourists but now we dont see that many. Its not really like last year. Last year was really busy and the figure was up but now its down.

Andrea: She says that the figures or the money made on Oxford Street used to be much higher.

Jean: 不少的游客都愛到這里來。

Andrea: But at the moment, the numbers of people are down. Thats not sTOPping Eve. Shes about to go there right now!

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Im actually going to Oxford Street this afternoon. Id like to go there and see if I can pick up some bargains on CDs and DVDs.

Jean: 那大家就接著讓Eve繼續她的瘋狂購物吧。 So until the next time its goodbye from both of us at BBC Learning English.

Andrea: Bye.