汽车英语/口译 Day 4：Flying Cars

Flying Cars: High in the Sky

Firms such as e-volo, Lilium and Uber are reimagining the daily commute

“You may smile, but it will come,” said Henry Ford in 1940, predicting the arrival of a machine that was part-automobile and part-aeroplane. For decades, flying cars have obsessed technologists but eluded their mastery. Finally, there is reason to believe. Several firms have offered hope that flying people in small pods for short trips might become a reality in the next decade. These are not cars, as most are not fit to drive on land, but rather small vehicles, which can rise and land vertically, like quiet helicopters.

A prototype of a small electric plane that is capable of flying up to 300 kilometres per hour, made by Lilium, a German startup, completed a successful test over Bavaria on April 20th. Lilium is starting work on a five-seat vehicle and hopes to offer a ride-hailing service. Another German company, e-volo, has been testing a flying vehicle for several years. It recently showed off the second version of its electric Volocopter, which could be certified for flight as soon as next year.

There are at least a dozen firms experimenting with making small flying vehicles in different guises, including Airbus, an aerospace giant, in partnership with Italdesign Giugiaro, a division of Volkswagen, a carmaker. Many plan to have a certified pilot in command at the beginning and then move on to an autonomous set-up when regulations allow. Motorcycle-type vehicles, which you sit astride, are also in the works.

No matter which manufacturer is quickest to gain velocity, Uber, a ride-hailing firm, aims to be at the centre of things. On April 25th, it held an event in Dallas to announce its plan to offer a service where people can hail an electric “vertical takeoff and landing” vehicle and ride it quickly to destinations that would otherwise take hours in heavy traffic. Uber does not want to build these aircraft or landing pads itself, just as it does not own its own cars. Instead, it plans to collaborate with other companies. But Jeff Holden, Uber’s chief product officer, does not exclude the possibility that the firm may, at the outset, own some aircraft, which he estimates will cost around $1m each.

The firm plans to have a prototype of its service ready by 2020. It will launch it first in Dallas and in Dubai, both cities where the authorities have deep aviation expertise and where people commute long distances. The firm rather optimistically promises that the cost per aerial mile for passengers will be roughly that of its low-cost car service, UberX.

There is plenty for manufacturers and services like Uber to overcome beyond gravity. For battery-powered models, range is limited and the charging rate remains slow. Manufacturers will need to ensure that vehicles can take off and land quietly, if this new form of transport is to stand a chance in cities. How to oversee and license the new aircraft, which are subject to much tougher rules than cars, will be a subject of intense debate among rule-makers, who tend to move slowly and are just getting to grips with drones. Drivers of flying vehicles are also likely to require a pilot’s licence, albeit perhaps a simplified “sports” licence. The journey ahead will be a long one.

三级打卡任务清单：

一级任务：视译，热身准备。比做任务。

二级任务：必做的打卡任务，可提高英语听力、提高翻译能力；

三级任务：可选的打卡任务，可练习口译笔记、提高口译能力。

一级任务清单：

视译，热身准备。不听音频，只看文本，进行一遍视译，视译过程中说出你的译文。

二级打卡任务清单：

1 集中注意力仔细听一遍英文音频/视频，有意识地抓句子主干、概括大意；

2 看视频/听音频进行跟读影子练习；

3 再听一遍音频/视频，边听边做口译笔记；

4 对照文本记下文中没听懂和没看懂的发音和术语含义（通过在线搜索，积累专业术语储备）。

5 选一段你认为代表整个文本核心内容的句子进行笔译练习，以双语对照的形式贴在评论区。

三级打卡任务清单：

1 集中注意力仔细听一遍英文音频/视频，基础好的可以直接边听边练习记笔记；

2 看视频/听音频进行跟读影子练习；

3 再听一遍做口译笔记或补充之前的笔记，可根据具体情况适当停顿，希望比第一遍多抓住信息点；

4 打开音频或视频，对照文本进行实时视译，之后记下文中没听懂和没看懂的发音和术语含义，通过在线搜索，积累专业术语储备。

5 选一段你认为代表整个文本核心内容的句子进行笔译练习，以双语对照的形式贴在评论区。想练习交传和同传的小伙伴可以自己录音，自己听后评估或找partner反馈。

如果完成打卡任务，请在评论区，朋友圈评论区或文字发布区写下完成清单数字并附上一段话的双语对照译文。

口译练习打卡昨日回顾，可以随时开启你的汽车英语听力/口译打卡练习之旅，更多汽车翻译干货，可以回复“汽车翻译”至译匠公众号对话框。

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