经济学人:云巅之上 畅想未来交通(下)

 　　No matter which manufacturer is quickest to gain velocity¹, Uber, a ride-hailing firm, aims to be at the centre of things. 无论哪家制造商最先让飞行器达到预期的速度，叫车公司优步的目标是成为该产业的核心。

　　On April 25th it held an event in Dallas to announce its plan to offer a service  4月25日优步在达拉斯举办发布会，公布其新服务计划

　　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. 使人们能叫到可以垂直起飞和降落的交通工具，避开几小时拥挤不堪的交通，快速地达到目的地。

　　Uber does not want to build these aircraft or landing pads itself, just as it does not own its own cars. 优步并不打算自己制造飞行器或者发射台，就像它没有汽车的所有权一样。

　　Instead, it plans to collaborate² with other companies. 相反，优步计划与其他公司合作。

　　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. 但是其首席产品官Jeff Holden说不排除公司会在一开始拥有部分飞机的可能，他估计每架的成本大约是100万美元。

　　The firm plans to have a prototype of its service ready by 2020. 优步计划在2020年之前推出这项服务。

　　It will launch it first in Dallas and in Dubai, both cities where the authorities have deep aviation expertise³ and where people commute⁴ long distances. 首先它会登陆达拉斯和迪拜，这两个城市有着优秀的航空专家和需要长距离出行的乘客。

　　The firm rather optimistically promises that the cost per aerial mile for passengers will be roughly that of its low-cost car service, UberX. 优步相当乐观地承诺，其每英里航空收费将大体上和价格相对低廉的汽车服务UberX差不多。

　　There is plenty for manufacturers and services like Uber to overcome beyond gravity. 对于制造商和优步之类的服务商来说除了重力还要攻克许多难关。

　　For battery-powered models, range is limited and the charging rate remains⁵ slow. 比如，能供电的电池型号范围有限而且充电速度慢。

　　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. 如果要在城市里占有一席之地，制造商要保证这种车辆能够安静地起飞降落。

　　How to oversee⁶ and license⁷ the new aircraft, which are subject to much tougher rules than cars, will be a subject of intense debate among rule-makers,  如何监管和授权这种新型飞机，其规则要比汽车严格得多，这些问题将成为规则制定者激烈探讨的主题，

　　who tend to move slowly and are just getting to grips with drones. 而他们往往行动迟缓，并且才刚开始着手应对无人机。

　　Drivers of flying vehicles are also likely to require a pilot's licence, albeit⁸ perhaps a simplified “sports” licence. 飞行车辆的驾驶人员可能也需要飞行执照，虽然可能就是个简化的“运动”证件。

　　The journey ahead will be a long one. 总之，这一切都还有很长的路要走。

1 velocity   

n.速度，速率

参考例句：

• Einstein's theory links energy with mass and velocity of light.爱因斯坦的理论把能量同质量和光速联系起来。
• The velocity of light is about 300000 kilometres per second.光速约为每秒300000公里。

2 collaborate   

vi.协作，合作；协调

参考例句：

• The work gets done more quickly when we collaborate.我们一旦合作，工作做起来就更快了。
• I would ask you to collaborate with us in this work.我们愿意请你们在这项工作中和我们合作。

3 expertise   

n.专门知识(或技能等)，专长

参考例句：

• We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
• You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。

4 commute   

vi.乘车上下班；vt.减(刑)；折合；n.上下班交通

参考例句：

• I spend much less time on my commute to work now.我现在工作的往返时间要节省好多。
• Most office workers commute from the suburbs.很多公司的职员都是从郊外来上班的。

5 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

6 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

7 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

8 albeit   

conj.即使；纵使；虽然

参考例句：

• Albeit fictional,she seemed to have resolved the problem.虽然是虚构的，但是在她看来好象是解决了问题。
• Albeit he has failed twice,he is not discouraged.虽然失败了两次，但他并没有气馁。