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0Episode: Sunshine Act: Should Clocks Stop Changing?
Duration: approximately 7 minutes
Level: B1 (Intermediate)
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[Mike]: Welcome back to Learn English with Podcasts! Sarah, imagine you wake up on Sunday, and your clock says 1 a.m. twice in one night. Confusing, right?
zh:欢迎回到 Learn English with Podcasts！Sarah，想象一下，周日早上醒来，你的时钟在一晚上出现了两次凌晨1点。很混乱吧？
[Sarah]: Twice? That sounds like time travel. Did my phone break?
zh:两次？听起来像时间旅行。是我手机坏了吗？
[Mike]: No, your phone is fine. That is daylight saving time ending. In most of the US, on November 1, at 2 a.m., clocks go back to 1 a.m. One extra hour of sleep.
zh:不，手机没坏。那是夏令时结束。在美国大部分地区，11月1日凌晨2点，时钟拨回凌晨1点。多睡一小时。
[Sarah]: Ah, the famous spring forward, fall back. In spring we move clocks forward one hour, in fall we move them back. But why do we do this at all?
zh:啊，著名的春天拨快、秋天拨回。春天把钟拨快一小时，秋天再拨回来。但我们为什么要这么做？
[Mike]: Good question. The idea is simple. Move sunlight to the evening. In summer, you get light until 8 or 9 p.m. People can shop, play, and use less lamp light.
zh:问得好。想法很简单。把阳光移到晚上。夏天晚上八九点天还亮。人们可以逛街、玩耍，少开灯。
[Sarah]: So it started to save energy? Like save candles long ago, and save electricity later?
zh:所以一开始是为了省能源？比如很久以前省蜡烛，后来省电？
[Mike]: Exactly. It became popular during the First World War. Later, the US made rules. Now clocks go forward on the second Sunday in March, and back on the first Sunday in November.
zh:没错。它在第一次世界大战期间流行起来。后来美国定了规则。现在每年三月第二个周日拨快，十一月第一个周日拨回。
[Sarah]: That explains one thing for our listeners in China. From November 2, US stocks trade from 22:30 to 5:00 Beijing time. One hour later than before.
zh:这就解释了一件事。中国听众注意，从11月2日起，美股交易时间变成北京时间22点30到次日5点。比之前晚了一小时。
[Mike]: Right. One small clock change moves money, meetings, and sleep. And that is why President 川普 says this whole thing is ridiculous.
zh:对。小小的拨钟会影响金钱、会议和睡眠。所以特朗普总统说这整件事很荒唐。
[Sarah]: He really hates it? What did he say?
zh:他真这么讨厌？他说了什么？
[Mike]: Last Saturday, he talked to reporters for only five minutes. He spent more than half the time on this. He said it makes everyone confused.
zh:上周六，他和记者只聊了五分钟。有一多半时间都在抱怨这件事。他说这把所有人都搞晕了。
[Sarah]: Confused about what? Missing meetings?
zh:什么搞晕了？开会迟到吗？
[Mike]: Yes. He said shorter afternoon light makes people late for meetings and dinner. And for golf lovers, after fourteen holes, it is already too dark. A normal game has eighteen holes.
zh:对。他说下午天黑得早，让人开会、吃晚饭迟到。对高尔夫爱好者来说，打完十四洞天就黑了。正常一轮要打十八洞。
[Sarah]: Wait, fourteen holes? That sounds so personal. He really loves golf.
zh:等等，十四洞？这理由太个人了吧。他是真爱高尔夫。
[Mike]: He does. But it is not only about golf. On July 14, the House passed a law called the Sunshine Protection Act. The vote was 308 to 117. It wants permanent daylight saving time. No more clock changes.
zh:他确实爱。但不只是高尔夫。7月14日，众议院通过了一部叫《阳光保护法案》的法律。投票是308比117。想永久实行夏令时。再也不拨钟了。
[Sarah]: 308 to 117? That is a big win. So it is done?
zh:308比117？大胜啊。那不是成了？
[Mike]: Not yet. It is stuck in the Senate. And one man blocking it is Senator Tom Cotton from Arkansas. He is from Trump's own party.
zh:还没。它卡在参议院了。其中一个阻挠的人是阿肯色州参议员汤姆·科顿。他还是特朗普自己党的人。
[Sarah]: Oh, that is awkward. Friends fighting. What did Trump do?
zh:哦，这就尴尬了。朋友打架。特朗普做了什么？
[Mike]: He posted online. He said, my friend Cotton is blocking a very important bill. He asked people in Arkansas to call Cotton and change his mind. Then he posted what he said was Cotton's personal phone number.
zh:他在网上发帖。他说，我的朋友科顿在阻挠一项非常重要的法案。他让阿肯色州人民给科顿打电话，劝他改变立场。然后他公开了据称是科顿的个人手机号。
[Sarah]: His real phone number? That is wild. Did people really call?
zh:真实手机号？太猛了。真有人打吗？
[Mike]: Local news said yes. Two officials confirmed it was really his number. Now that phone goes straight to voicemail.
zh:当地媒体说有。两名官员证实那确实是他的号码。现在那个电话直接转语音留言了。
[Sarah]: Poor Cotton. How did he answer?
zh:可怜的科顿。他怎么回应的？
[Mike]: He said he also dislikes changing clocks. But full-year daylight saving means winter mornings stay dark longer. Many people must go to work and school in the dark.
zh:他说他也不喜欢每年调表。但全年夏令时意味着冬天早上天亮更晚。很多人要摸黑上班上学。
[Sarah]: As a parent, I get that. He said people in Arkansas do not want their kids to go to school in total darkness. He will always put Arkansas first.
zh:作为家长，我能理解。他说阿肯色人不想让孩子摸黑上学。他会始终把阿肯色州放在首位。
[Mike]: And Trump hit back fast. He said, if you really put Arkansas first, support this bill. Give Republicans a Senate win. You need it, our beloved party needs it.
zh:特朗普迅速回击。他说，如果你真把阿肯色州放在首位，就该支持这项法案。给共和党一次参议院的胜利吧。你需要它，我们深爱的党也需要它。
[Sarah]: So it is not only about time. It is about politics now. Is Cotton alone?
zh:所以现在不只是时间问题。是政治问题了。只有科顿反对吗？
[Mike]: No. Senator John Kennedy from Louisiana said this week the bill is already dead. He thinks the Senate leader John Thune will not even bring it to a vote.
zh:不是。路易斯安那州参议员约翰·肯尼迪本周说这法案已经没戏了。他认为参议院领袖约翰·图恩根本不会把它拿出来表决。
[Sarah]: Interesting. Has America tried permanent daylight saving before? It sounds familiar.
zh:有意思。美国以前试过永久夏令时吗？听起来很耳熟。
[Mike]: Yes, and it failed in less than a year. During the 1973 oil crisis, America wanted to save electricity. Congress passed a law in December 1973. The trial started on January 6, 1974.
zh:试过，不到一年就失败了。1973年石油危机时，美国想省电。国会在1973年12月通过法律。1974年1月6日开始试行。
[Sarah]: More light in the evening, less lamp use. Did it work?
zh:晚上多一小时光，少开灯。有效果吗？
[Mike]: Evenings were brighter, but winter mornings became much darker. Parents worried about kids waiting for school buses in the dark. Support fell fast, from 79% in December 1973 to 42% in February 1974.
zh:晚上是亮了，但冬天早晨变得更黑。家长担心孩子摸黑等校车。支持率掉得飞快，从1973年12月的79%跌到1974年2月的42%。
[Sarah]: From 79% to 42% in two months? That is a huge drop.
zh:两个月从79%跌到42%？掉得太狠了。
[Mike]: Right. Congress gave up. In October 1974, they changed the law back. From October 27 to February 23, America used standard time again, then switched back to daylight saving. The all-year plan did not survive one year.
zh:对。国会放弃了。1974年10月，他们改回法律。从10月27日到次年2月23日，美国恢复用标准时间，再切回夏令时。全年计划连一年都没撑住。
[Sarah]: So fifty years later, we are having the same argument. Dark evenings or dark mornings? You cannot have both.
zh:所以五十年后，我们在吵同一个问题。要么晚上黑，要么早上黑。你不可能都要。
[Mike]: Exactly. You can move the clock, but you cannot move the sun. Take one hour from the morning, give it to the evening. Someone will always be unhappy.
zh:没错。你能拨动时钟，但拨不动太阳。从早上拿走一小时，给晚上。总有人不高兴。
[Sarah]: And this time, the fight even includes a phone number on the internet. Mike, if someone posted your number, would you change your mind?
zh:而这一次，争吵里还多了一个被挂到网上的手机号。Mike，如果有人公开你的号码，你会改主意吗？
[Mike]: I would just change my number. And keep my golf clubs ready. Thanks for listening to Learn English with Podcasts. Tell us, do you prefer bright mornings or bright evenings? See you next time.
zh:我只会换个号码。顺便把高尔夫球杆准备好。感谢收听 Learn English with Podcasts。告诉我们，你更喜欢明亮的早晨还是明亮的傍晚？下期见。
