VOA慢速英语2017 迪拜将于七月份推出自动飞行的空中出租车

 

Dubai officials say they plan to use Chinese-made drones to launch a self-flying air taxi as soon as July.

迪拜官员称他们计划引进中国制造的无人机，在七月推出自动飞行的空中出租车。

The Chinese-made EHang 184 drone has four propeller¹ wings.It is designed to carry one passenger - weighing up to 100 kilograms - and a small piece of luggage.

中国制造的亿航184无人机有四组旋翼。该无人机可以搭载一名体重最高达100公斤的乘客，以及一小件行李。

The head of Dubai’s Roads and Transportation Authority says the autonomous² taxi has already been tested in the city-state.He said regular service is expected to begin by July.

迪拜道路及交通管理局局长表示，自动飞行的出租车已在这个城市进行了测试。他说，这个系统计划于7月正式运营。

The egg-shaped aircraft can reach a top speed of 160 kilometers per hour.It can operate for up to 30 minutes on a single battery charge, with a flying range of 50 kilometers.

这个蛋壳状的飞行器最高时速可达每小时160公里。单块电池充好电可支撑飞行30分钟，飞行50公里。

A video demonstration³ of the air taxi shows the whole trip being automated⁴.Drones can be requested through an app to arrive at an approved pickup⁵ location.The passenger then climbs in and enters the desired destination into a device built into the seat.

空中出租车的演示视频显示整个飞行过程都是自动操作的。无人机可以通过手机应用软件受理请求，可抵达系统批准的地点。乘客爬上无人机，在座位上安装的设备中输入想抵达的地点。

The auto-piloted aircraft then powers up, takes off and heads to the drop-off location.

之后自动驾驶的飞行器会通启动，前往降落的位置。

Officials from EHang say all movements and functions of the drone will be monitored by people in a “Command and Control Center“ on the ground.The person inside the aircraft will also be able to communicate with the command center if needed.

亿航公司表示无人机所有的操作和功能都能被地面“指挥和控制中心”的人监控。飞行器内的乘客如有需要，也可和控制中心的人沟通。

EHang said it has done major testing on its 184 vehicle in China over the past few years.It has also developed and sells several consumer drone models controlled by remote devices.

亿航表示过去几年他们已经在中国完成了对184无人机的主要测试。该公司还开发和销售了几款由远程设备控制的消费型无人机模型。

Last year, EHang signed an agreement with officials in the western state of Nevada to conduct test flights of the EHang 184.Nevada operates a testing center in cooperation with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA.The goal is to get FAA approval for the EHang 184 to fly in the United States.

去年，亿航与美国内华达州的官员签署了协议，进行亿航184机型的测试。内华达州同美国联邦航空管理局（FAA）合作运营了一个测试中心。协议目的在于得到FAA的支持，允许亿航184无人机在美国飞行。

The company has said the drones could have other uses besides carrying passengers in the air in busy cities.They could also help in emergency rescue operations or deliver human organs.

亿航公司还表示，无人机除了可以在繁华城市上空搭载乘客外，也可作其他用途。无人机还可协助紧急营救或运输人体器官。

Dubai is the commercial capital of the oil-rich United Arab Emirates in the Persian Gulf⁶.Officials there have long been pushing to adopt high-tech⁷ transportation alternatives.The ruler of the city-state has said that by 2030,at least 25 percent of all passenger trips are to be completed with driverless vehicles.

迪拜是波斯湾蕴藏丰富石油资源的阿联酋的商业中心。当地官员一直以来推行采用高科技交通方式。迪拜的统治者曾说，到2030年，至少百分之二十五的出行都由无人驾驶车辆达成。

Dubai is already home to the world’s longest driverless rail line.It also signed a deal with American businessman Elon Musk⁸ to look into building his proposed super-fast Hyperloop system.

迪拜也拥有世界最长的无人驾驶铁路线。迪拜已和美国商人伊隆·马斯克达成协议，探讨建立他所提出的超级铁路系统Hyperloop。

Officials in Dubai have not outlined special regulations for the air taxi system.Currently, people who operate drones are required to register the aircraft.Last year, several drone incidents around Dubai International Airport,causing officials to briefly⁹ ground flights at the facility - one of the world’s busiest.

迪拜官员还未制定针对空中出租系统的规定。如今，操作无人机的人需要进行登记。去年迪拜国际机场附近发生的几例无人机事件，造成世界上最繁忙的机场之一暂停了服务。

Words in This Story

drone – n. a small flying machine flown remotely by a pilot

propeller – n. device with blades that turn quickly to make an aircraft move

luggage – n. bags people carry when they travel

autonomous – adj. existing separately from other things

destination – n. the place where is person is going to

consumer – n. someone who buys or uses goods and services

1 propeller   

n.螺旋桨，推进器

参考例句：

• The propeller started to spin around.螺旋桨开始飞快地旋转起来。
• A rope jammed the boat's propeller.一根绳子卡住了船的螺旋桨。

2 autonomous   

adj.自治的；独立的

参考例句：

• They proudly declared themselves part of a new autonomous province.他们自豪地宣布成为新自治省的一部分。
• This is a matter that comes within the jurisdiction of the autonomous region.这件事是属于自治区权限以内的事务。

3 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

4 automated   

a.自动化的

参考例句：

• The entire manufacturing process has been automated. 整个生产过程已自动化。
• Automated Highway System (AHS) is recently regarded as one subsystem of Intelligent Transport System (ITS). 近年来自动公路系统(Automated Highway System,AHS)，作为智能运输系统的子系统之一越来越受到重视。

5 pickup   

n.拾起，获得

参考例句：

• I would love to trade this car for a pickup truck.我愿意用这辆汽车换一辆小型轻便卡车。||The luck guy is a choice pickup for the girls.那位幸运的男孩是女孩子们想勾搭上的人。

6 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

7 high-tech   

adj.高科技的

参考例句：

• The economy is in the upswing which makes high-tech services in more demand too.经济在蓬勃发展，这就使对高科技服务的需求量也在加大。
• The quest of a cure for disease with high-tech has never ceased. 人们希望运用高科技治疗疾病的追求从未停止过。

8 musk   

n.麝香, 能发出麝香的各种各样的植物，香猫

参考例句：

• Musk is used for perfume and stimulant.麝香可以用作香料和兴奋剂。
• She scented her clothes with musk.她用麝香使衣服充满了香味。

9 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。