44. Do you travel alone or with a companion?

The biggest inconveniences of traveling are high expenses and safety concerns. Traveling with a companion may solve both of these problems and at the same time adds to the enjoyment of the trip.

Part of the joy of traveling is the sense of discovery felt when seeing a completely new place. Traveling with someone else compounds that sense of wonder. When you see or experience something new you can share it with your travel companion. Likewise, when you are traveling with someone else you get the benefit of another pair of eyes and ears, and you are more likely to notice interesting things when you are not traveling alone. When I was hiking in Yunnan province with a friend, she spied a frog sitting by the edge of the trail. Had my friend not been there, I would not have seen it, and missed part of the natural beauty of Yunnan.

Traveling companions not only enrich the experience of travel, but also make it safer. According to police statistics, thieves, rapists, and murderers are all much more likely to target a single person walking alone than to target a group of two or more people. To save money, a person traveling alone might sleep in a dorm room. Apart from the noise and inconvenience of sharing a room with a large number of strangers, travelers also have to be constantly vigilant to prevent other people from stealing your belongings. When traveling with a companion you can take turns watching each other's valuables on trains, restaurants, parks, and other public places frequented by tourists.

Finally, traveling with a companion is also cheaper than traveling alone. A hotel room for one person might cost 100 yuan, while a room for two at the same hotel might cost 120 yuan. If you have a companion you can each spend 60 yuan per night, rather than both spending 100 yuan if you traveled separately. It is also cheaper to eat in restaurants and you get to sample more kinds of food when two people order. When bargaining for souvenirs, each person can save a little money if you offer to buy more than one. Traveling with a companion can easily cut your travel expenses in half, while doubling the fun of trip.

译文

44. 你独自旅行或结伴而行？

旅行的最大麻烦是高额费用和安全问题。与人结伴旅行就会解决这两个问题，同时为旅行增添乐趣。

旅行的一部分乐趣来自于看到一个全新的地方时有所发现的感觉。与他人同游使这种惊奇更强烈。看到或经历新事物时你会与游伴一起分享。同样，与他人同游你也会得益于他的眼见耳闻， 你比独自旅行更有可能注意到有趣的事物。我与一个朋友在云南徒步游玩时，她突然看见一只坐在小路边上的青蛙。如果我朋友没在那儿，我就不会看见，也就会错过云南的一些自然美景。

游伴不仅丰富旅游阅历，也会让游程更安全。根据警方资料，小偷、强奸犯和杀人犯锁定单人独行比锁定两人或更多人的团体为作案目标的可能性要大得多。为了省钱，独自出游的人可能在宿舍里睡觉。除了噪音和同很多陌生人共住一间屋的不方便，游客还要保持警惕，防止别人偷窃财物。与人同游，你们就可以在火车、餐馆、公园和其他游人常到的公共场所轮流看管双方的贵重物品。

Word List

• inconvenience ［ˌinkənˈvi:njəns］ n. 麻烦，不方便之处
• companion ［kəmˈpænjən］ n. 同伴；共事者
• enrich ［enˈritʃ］ vt. 使富足，使肥沃
• statistics ［stəˈtistiks］ n. 统计学；统计表
• rapist ［ˈreipist］ n. 强奸者，强奸犯
• vigilant ［ˈvidʒələnt］ adj. 警惕着的，警醒的
• belongings ［biˈlɔ:ŋiŋz］ n. 财产
• bargain ［ˈba:gin］ v. 议价，讨价
• souvenir［ˈsu:vəniə］ n. 纪念品