我们已经学会了对火车准时到来抱有期望。
We have learnt to expect that trains will be punctual.
经过多年的习惯性训练，我们大多数人对铁路时刻表已经产生了一种不可动摇的信任。
After years of conditioning, most of us have developed an unshakable faith in railway timetables.
船只可能会因风暴而误点；航班可能会因恶劣天气而取消；但火车一定得准时。
Ships may be delayed by storms; flights may be cancelled because of bad weather; but trains must be on time.
只有遭遇异常大的降雪，铁路服务才有可能暂时中断。
Only an exceptionally heavy snowfall might temporarily dislocate railway services.
当事情真的出了差错的时候，把责任推到铁路部门身上实在是太容易了。
It is all too easy to blame the railway authorities when something does go wrong.
事实是，当错误发生时，往往更可能是我们的错，而不是他们的错。
The truth is that when mistakes occur, they are more likely to be ours than theirs.
查阅了铁路时刻表之后，我满意地注意到有一趟直达韦斯特黑文的快车。
After consulting my railway timetable, I noted with satisfaction that there was an express train to Westhaven.
那趟车从我当地的站直达，全程只需一小时十七分钟。
It went direct from my local station and the journey lasted a mere hour and seventeen minutes.
当我登上火车时，我不由得注意到有很多当地人也同时上了车。
When I boarded the train, I could not help noticing that a great many local people got on as well.
当时，这件事并没有让我觉得奇怪。
At the time, this did not strike me as odd.
我心想，除我之外，肯定还有许多人想要利用这趟出色的服务。
I reflected that there must be a great many people besides myself who wished to take advantage of this excellent service.
当火车在威德利——一个沿线几英里外的小站——停下来时，我也并不感到惊奇。
Neither was I surprised when the train stopped at Widley, a tiny station a few miles along the line.
即便是一辆强大的快车，也可能因信号灯而停下来。
Even a mighty express train can be held up by signals.
但当火车在一站又一站地磨磨蹭蹭时，我开始感到疑惑。
But when the train dawdled at station after station, I began to wonder.
我突然意识到，这趟"快车"并不是以每小时九十英里的速度呼啸而行，而是勉强以三十英里的速度突突地爬行。
It suddenly dawned on me that this express was not roaring down the line at ninety miles an hour, but barely chugging along at thirty.
一小时十七分钟过去了，我们甚至连一半的路程都还没有走完。
One hour and seventeen minutes passed and we had not even covered half the distance.
我向一位旅客询问这是否就是韦斯特黑文快车，但他甚至从未听说过这趟车。
I asked a passenger if this was the Westhaven Express, but he had not even heard of it.
我决定一到站就去投诉。
I determined to lodge a complaint as soon as we arrived.
两小时后，我正在韦斯特黑文站怒气冲冲地和站长交谈。
Two hours later, I was talking angrily to the station master at Westhaven.
当他否认有这趟车的时候，我借来了他的那份时刻表。
When he denied the train's existence, I borrowed his copy of the timetable.
当我告诉他时刻表上白纸黑字写着这趟车时，我的语气中带着一丝得意。
There was a note of triumph in my voice when I told him that it was there in black and white.
他粗略地瞥了一眼，然后让我再仔细看看。
Glancing at it briefly, he told me to look again.
一个小小的星号把我引到了那一页最下方的一条脚注。
A tiny asterisk conducted me to a footnote at the bottom of the page.
上面写道："此班次已停运。"
It said: 'This service has been suspended.'