万花筒 2008-05-05&-05-06 通用汽车大秀氢燃料车

General Motors calls it one answer to the problem of America’s heavy dependence¹ on foreign oil--Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. At the only gas station in Washington capable of fueling the vehicles, GM showed off few of its hydrogen-fuel-cell powered versions of the Chevy Equinox. The cars, still in development, use no petroleum² and release zero greenhouse gases. They will be test-driven for the next two months by about a hundred motorists in Washington, New York and Southern California as part of GM’s Project Driveway.

 Frederick Henderson is GM’s president and Chief Operating Officer. Today, it wouldn’t be commercially viable³, but the objective is through circles of learning, through invention, through change, through integration⁴, and through inquiry⁵ (or enquiry), part of it is getting real feedback from the consumers. It’s about getting the commercialization in the future.

 The uniquely powered Chevy is not very cost-effective for GM. Each model costs more than 250,000 dollars, but GM is hoping that the federal government will provide incentives⁶ to one day make it affordable⁷ for consumers.

 These vehicles, er, they do have higher cost particularly to introduce them, and historically some incentives have been provided to consumers, to get the consumer into the equation, and we strongly support that.

 With gas approaching four dollars a gallon in much of the US, hydrogen cars could be in perhaps a decade a viable alternative to gas-powered vehicles, right now it’s more of a high price glimpse into the future.

 john Decker, Reuters.

1 dependence   

n.依靠，依赖；信任，信赖；隶属

参考例句：

• Doctors keep trying to break her dependence of the drug.医生们尽力使她戒除毒瘾。
• He was freed from financial dependence on his parents.他在经济上摆脱了对父母的依赖。

2 petroleum   

n.原油，石油

参考例句：

• The Government of Iran advanced the price of petroleum last week.上星期伊朗政府提高了石油价格。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。

3 viable   

adj.可行的，切实可行的，能活下去的

参考例句：

• The scheme is economically viable.这个计划从经济效益来看是可行的。
• The economy of the country is not viable.这个国家经济是难以维持的。

4 integration   

n.一体化，联合，结合

参考例句：

• We are working to bring about closer political integration in the EU.我们正在努力实现欧盟內部更加紧密的政治一体化。
• This was the greatest event in the annals of European integration.这是欧洲统一史上最重大的事件。

5 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

6 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

7 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。