Part 3 Biking across China

Lance： Are you ready honey？ Should we go down the checklist one more time？

Tina： No need. I’m 1）raring to go！

Lance： Are you all stretched out？ Bikes all tuned？ ①We need to make sure our bodies， and our bikes， are in tip-top shape before we set off.

Tina： As you well know， my beloved husband， my body is a 2）finely tuned machine. I’ve gotten out all the 3）kinks， stretched out all my muscles， and feel even more prepared than when we did that 4）triathlon back in ’08. ②And the bikes are in mint condition as well.

Lance： Alright. This is gonna be so much better than our last vacation！

Tina： Definitely！ We don’t have to follow some 5）clueless tour guide this time around. We will be the masters of our own destiny.

Lance： ③And in China， there are so many lesser known spots， well off the beaten path， that tour groups miss out on due to their remote location.

Tina： The only real challenge will be the language barrier. But we’ve got a pretty reliable phrasebook， which I’m sure will come in handy down the road.

Lance： Plus， I’ve been brushing up on my 6）colloquial Chinese ever since we started planning this trip last year.

Tina： We certainly researched the hell out of our travel route in preparation. I never knew there were so many ways to see a country， especially one that’s so large and is home to so many different types of landscapes and cultures.

Lance： It’s true. I mean， we could’ve taken a train， but it would’ve been too crowded.

Tina： The bus would be too slow and uncomfortable.

Lance： Flying would have been too expensive and lazy. Tina： A cruise would’ve been nice…

Lance： If not for my sea-sickness…

Tina： I told you we could get some 7）nausea medication. Lance： But here we are， with our trusty TREKs. And I really think we ended up choosing the most fun， educational， healthy and rewarding way to see all the sights on our 8）bucket list.

Tina： I agree. This is absolutely the best way to experience China.

Lance： ④I can’t think of anything better than throwing caution to the wind， and leaving all our worries behind in the dust， as we head north and 9）traverse the hilly roads ahead.

Tina： I’m excited to visit all the local villages， and see how we’ll be received by all the rural residents， who may or may not have seen a white person before.

Lance： Well， when we flew into Shenzhen， nobody seemed all that fazed by our ivory 10）complexions.

Tina： That’s because Shenzhen， which used to be a small fishing town just a few decades ago， has become a truly international 11）hub for shipping and commerce. Lance： And the food is great too！

Tina： Yeah， the dimsum here is much better than in New York’s Chinatown.

Lance： ⑤So， without further ado， my love， shall we 12）embark on the greatest adventure of our lives？

Tina： Let’s do it. On the count of three…

Lance： One…

Tina： Two…

Both： THREE！！！

Smart Sentences

① We need to make sure our bodies， and our bikes， are in tip-top shape before we set off. 出發(fā)前，我們需要確定我們的身體、我們的自行車都處于良好的狀態(tài)。

in tip-top shape： in excellent condition（一流的條件，非常良好的情形）。例如：

After being used for five years， the pen is still in tip-top shape.

這支鋼筆用了五年，依舊狀態(tài)良好。

② And the bikes are in mint condition as well.而自行車也是完好無損。

mint condition： perfect condition（完美的狀態(tài)）。例如：

The 100-year-old silk tapestry is practically in mint condition.

這幅百年絲錦幾乎完好無損。

③ And in China， there are so many lesser known spots， well off the beaten path， that tour groups miss out on due to their remote location. 在中國，有很多不太出名，非熱門路線的景點，因為它們所處位置偏遠(yuǎn)，得不到旅游團(tuán)的青睞。

off the beaten path： not known or popular with many people（不出名的，不落俗套，不守常規(guī)）。例如：

She enjoyed going to foreign language movies that were a little bit off the beaten path.

她喜歡去看那些不怎么為人所知的外語片。

④ I can’t think of anything better than throwing caution to the wind， and leaving all our worries behind in the dust， as we head north and traverse the hilly roads ahead. 當(dāng)我們向北進(jìn)發(fā)，翻越前方的盤山公路的時候，我認(rèn)為沒有什么比不顧一切、把一切擔(dān)心拋諸腦后更美妙的了。

throw caution to the wind： behave in a way that is not considered sensible or careful（不顧一切，莽撞從事）。例如：

When I was in college， I often threw caution to the wind and got drunk almost every weekend.

上大學(xué)的時候，我常常不管不顧，幾乎每個周末都要酩酊大醉。

⑤ So， without further ado， my love， shall we embark on the greatest adventure of our lives？ 那么，親愛的，廢話少說，開始我們?nèi)松顐ゴ蟮穆贸蹋脝幔?/p>

without further ado： do sth. at once and do not discuss or delay it any longer（沒有再費周折；干脆痛快，立即）。例如：

Okay， without further ado， let the party begin.好，不再啰嗦了，讓派對開始吧。