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Drive across America and you’ll see every type of vehicle on the road. But one kind that massively outnumbers the rest is the pickup truck. So, why do Americans love trucks so darn much? They’re big, gas-guzzling haulers. But they’re also the ultimate symbol of American values — a cross between work, play, and lending a hand.
驾车穿越美国，您会看到路上行驶的各种车辆。但数量远远超过其余的一种是皮卡车。那么，为什么美国人如此热爱卡车？他们是大而耗油的搬运工。但它们也是美国价值观的终极象征——工作、娱乐和伸出援手的结合。
The truck’s farm-to-market independence
卡车从农场到市场的独立性
To understand America’s love of trucks, you must know where the U.S. came from. In the early 1800s, when many Americans were farmers, the dream was simple: a land so big and so rich with fertile soil that every family could have their own farm. Of course, homesteads aren’t free.
要了解美国人对卡车的热爱，您必须知道美国的起源。在 1800 年代初期，当许多美国人是农民时，梦想很简单：一块土地大而肥沃，每个家庭都可以拥有自己的农场。当然，宅基地不是免费的。
It took a lot of hard work to produce food and then take the excess to market. The first pickup truck equipped the common farmer — 35% of the population in the early 1900s — to haul a thousand pounds of produce instead of a few hundred. Add headlights, and the workday extended into the night.
生产食物需要付出很多努力，然后才能将多余的产品推向市场。第一辆皮卡车让普通农民——1900 年代初期人口的 35%——能够运送一千磅的农产品，而不是几百磅。添加前灯，工作日就延长到了晚上。
The pickup may be a glorified wheelbarrow, but it was the best thing that ever happened to American independent homesteading.
皮卡可能是一辆美化的独轮手推车，但它是美国独立宅基地发生过的最好的事情。
America paves the highways
美国铺设高速公路
Once every farm had a truck, roads were the next logical option. Unlike Europe, already paved with narrow cobblestone and brick roads, America had a chance to do it “right” for a new era of transportation. We built our roads wide, straight, and gloriously flat to cross the open countryside.
一旦每个农场都有一辆卡车，道路就是下一个合乎逻辑的选择。 与已经铺满狭窄鹅卵石和砖路的欧洲不同，美国有机会在新的交通时代“正确”地做到这一点。 我们修建了宽阔、笔直、光彩夺目的平坦的道路，以穿过开阔的乡村。
Trucks could travel at high-speeds with produce that no longer spoiled on the way to market. Without pickups, we may not have so many wonderful paved highways crisscrossing every shipping path in the nation.
卡车可以高速行驶，运送在上市途中不再变质的产品。 如果没有皮卡，我们可能不会有这么多美妙的公路纵横交错在全国的每条航线上。
The entrepreneurial spirit
企业家精神
You may think the pickup truck’s popularity would fade as the percentage of farmers decreased. But Americans have not forgotten the value of having a multi-purpose vehicle. In America, entrepreneurs are a respected group. What’s the single most utilitarian vehicle for providing local services? The truck.
你可能认为皮卡车的受欢迎程度会随着农民比例的下降而消退。 但美国人并没有忘记拥有一辆多功能车的价值。 在美国，企业家是一个受人尊敬的群体。 提供本地服务的最实用的工具是什么？ 是卡车。
From landscapers to electricians, a large percentage of pickup trucks you see today are sporting company logos. They’re still working but not for produce. In fact, high-end trucks were even considered exempt during days of vehicle luxury taxes.
从园艺师到电工，您今天看到的大部分皮卡车都带有运动公司徽标。 他们仍在工作，但不是为了生产。 事实上，在车辆奢侈税的日子里，高端卡车甚至被认为是免税的。
Trucks combine utility and luxury
卡车兼具实用性和奢华性
Trucks have since seen more than a few luxury upgrades. They have four doors and extended cabs to transport the whole family. They have USB chargers and BlueTooth connectors, touch-screen interfaces and drive-assist software because why skimp when it comes to your pickup?
此后，卡车经历了多次豪华升级。 他们有四扇门和加长的出租车，可以运送全家人。 他们有 USB 充电器和蓝牙连接器、触摸屏界面和驾驶辅助软件，因为为什么要吝啬你的皮卡呢？
Living the dream
为梦想而活
Americans own pickups because they are the ultimate union between the things we love most: utility and freedom. You can race or “mud” your pickup. You can start your own business or move your entire home with a full bed and a trailer hitch. Heck, you can pitch a tent in the bed and go truck-camping. Pickup trucks embody the American dream.
美国人拥有皮卡，因为它们是我们最喜欢的东西之间的终极结合：实用和自由。 您可以比赛或“弄脏”您的皮卡。 您可以自己创业，也可以用一张完整的床和拖车挂钩来搬家。 哎呀，你可以在床上搭个帐篷，然后去卡车露营。 皮卡车体现了美国梦。
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