「经济学人」电动滑板车的兴起
Electric invasion
How two-wheelers are weaving their way into urban transport
导语：Electric bikes and e-scooters are flummoxing regulators while exciting consumers and venture capitalists
不管是是电动车/自行车(electric bikes)，还是电动踏板车/滑板车(e-scooters)都属于标题中提及的two-wheelers，两轮车。
看到「flummox」是不是不知道啥意思？有点困惑？有点糊涂？别慌别慌，flummox就是这个意思「使困惑；使不知所措」，英文解释为to confuse someone so much that they do not know what to do.
举个🌰
I have to say that last question flummoxed me.
我得说最后一个问题让我不知所措。
从文章的标题和导语，我们可以大致了解文章要讲的主要内容。滑板车、电动车等的兴起，成为了不少上班族的代步工具，必然对城市交通管理产生一定影响，可以说是“消费者爽了，投资者赚了，而监管者慌了”。
下面看文章第一段，
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○ 第一句，The streets of Beijing are thronged with two-wheeled contraptions. 北京的街头都是些啥？两轮的(two-wheeled)新奇玩意儿？
「throng」在文中作动词表示“（人群）蜂拥，群集”，英文解释为to be or go somewhere in very large numbers.
举个🌰
The narrow streets were thronged with summer visitors.
狭窄的街道上挤满了夏天来此的游客。
「contraption」指的是“奇妙的装置；新奇玩意儿(尤指奇怪的或不知道用途的)”，英文解释为a device or machine that looks strange, complicated, awkward or old-fashioned, especially one that you do not know how to use.
还有两个词也有相同含义，分别是「gadget」和「gizmo」.
「gadget」小器具；小装置；小玩意儿 (a small device or machine with a particular purpose).
「gizmo」小装置；小玩意儿；小东西 (any small device with a particular purpose).
举个🌰
kitchen gadgets 厨房器具
electronic gizmos 小电子装置
○ 第二句，Some appear to be conventional petrol mopeds but as they zoom through red lights at pedestrian crossings their eerie silence and lack of exhaust reveals them as electric.
「zoom through」表示“快速通过某个地方”，也可以表示“快速完成某个工作或者任务”。
举个🌰
She zoomed through the reading assignment.
她很快就完成了阅读作业。
「pedestrian crossings」行人交叉路，就是“人行横道”。
「eerie」['ɪəri] 表示“怪异而令人恐惧的”，英文解释为strange in a frightening and mysterious way.
举个🌰
She heard the eerie noise of the wind howling through the trees.
她听到风吹过树丛发出怪异而可怕的呼啸声。
文章在这里用“eerie silence”和“lack of exhaust”来表示这类“两轮电动车”的特点，虽然看上去像传统的机动脚踏两用车，但当它们快速穿过红绿灯时，不仅基本没有发出声音(静得可怕)，也没有任何废气排放。
○ 第三句，Executives in suits cruise by on electric kick-scooters, looking like big kids on their way to school, though travelling much more enthusiastically.
「electric kick-scooters」还是“电动滑板车”。
「cruise」可以用来表示乘船游览，航行，巡航，以及比较轻松的行驶或者是以平稳的速度行驶。
举个🌰
We were cruising in the Caribbean.
我们在加勒比海乘船游览。
○ 最后一句，Electric bicycles, [hacked together with a battery strapped to the frame and wired to a back-wheel hub containing a motor,] crowd the edges of roads.
其实要讲的还是这样的“电动滑板车”满大街都是：Electric bicycles crowd the edges of roads. 中间一句则稍加介绍了电动滑板车上电池和电机所固定的位置。
接下来我们看第二段，
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○ 前两句，China's cities are at the forefront of a quiet swarm of electric two-wheeled vehicles. Millions now roam their centres.
「at the forefront of」表示“处于最前列、最前沿，处于重要地位、位置”
举个🌰
His team is at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines.
他的团队处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
「a swarm of」表示“一大群；一大堆”，可以指蜂拥的人群，也可以指昆虫之类的。
举个🌰
a swarm of bees/wasps/ants/locusts
一大群蜜蜂／黄蜂／蚂蚁／蝗虫
A swarm of/Swarms of photographers followed the star's car.
成群结队的记者跟在这位明星的车后。
「roam」与上文的「cruise」的含义比较相似，表示“闲逛（于）；漫步（于）；漫游（于）”，英文解释为to move about or travel, especially without a clear idea of what you are going to do.
举个🌰
After the bars close, a swarm of youths roam the city streets.
酒吧关门后，一大群年轻人在城里街道上游荡。
○ 后两句，This transformation of urban mobility is also happening in the West, albeit with a notable addition that has yet to take off in China: firms that rent out electric kick-scooters. These are taking many American cities by storm and are arriving in Europe.
「albeit」[ɔːl'biːɪt] 表示转折，“虽然，尽管”的意思，
举个🌰
The evening was very pleasant, albeit a little quiet.
那个夜晚过得非常愉快，尽管有点儿冷清。
「take sb/sth by storm」指的是“在（某处）大获成功；完全征服（一群人）”
举个🌰
Her performance has taken the critics by storm.
她的表演完全征服了伦敦评论界。
这一段主要讲，虽然这类“电动滑板车”在中国特别火热，西方国家也逐渐引入，但有一点比较不同的是，西方一些城市已经出现了类似“共享单车”的服务——共享电动滑板车，并且大获成功。
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以上就是今天的学习内容。
原文摘自最新一期《经济学人》(Jun 23rd 2018) Business 版块，完整全文见>>>「经济学人」共享电动滑板车的兴起，后面部分我们改天再学。
周末愉快。
- To Be Continued -