Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a city without bikes or one without cars.
如果让我来决定我们要一个没有自行车的城市,还是要一个没的汽车的城市。
that misfortune might overtake us if the important events of our lives were not related to it.
要是我们不把生活中的重大的事件告诉那条河,就可能大祸临头。