VOA慢速英语2019 电动汽车用创意声音取代引擎噪音（在线收听）

Electric Cars Get Creative Sounds to Replace Engine Noise

The world’s top automakers are increasingly offering more electric vehicle models, as they steadily back away from gasoline engines. This growth is expected to continue, with more people choosing to hit the road with clean-running electric-powered cars.

全球主要汽车制造商正在生产越来越多的电动汽车型号，同时逐步放弃汽油发动机。预计这种增长将持续下去，因为选择驾驶环保型电动汽车上路的民众在不断增加。

Environmentalists have praised the automakers for taking major steps to limit harmful pollutants linked to worldwide climate change.

环保人士对汽车制造商进行了称赞，因为他们采取重要举措限制了与全球气候变化有关的有害污染物。

But electric vehicles are also known for not producing another kind of pollution – noise. They run on batteries instead of fuel, and can operate in silence.

电动汽车还因不会产生另一种污染而闻名，这种污染就是噪音。电动汽车用电池提供动力，不使用燃料，可以安静地行驶。

While many people might consider this a good thing, quiet cars can also cause problems. The main danger is that people walking in areas around electric vehicles face a greater risk of being hit if they cannot hear the cars coming.

虽然许多人可能认为这是件好事，但是车辆行驶时过于安静也会引发问题。主要危险是，在电动汽车周围区域行走的人如果听不到车辆靠近的声音，其所面临的被撞风险会更大。

Governments in the United States and Europe have recognized this problem. So, they have set requirements for manufacturers to add warning sounds to vehicles operating on electricity.

美国和欧洲政府意识到了这个问题。因此，他们要求制造商在电动汽车上增加警示音。

The U.S. Department of Transportation finalized its rules a year ago. The rules require electric and hybrid vehicles to be equipped with some kind of warning sound when moving at speeds up to 30 kilometers per hour. The rules are aimed at preventing injuries among people walking or riding bicycles and to protect the blind.

美国运输部在一年前确定了相关规定。要求电动汽车和混合动力车在行驶速度达每小时30公里时发出警示音。这些规定旨在防止行人和骑自行车者受伤，同时保护盲人。

So what kinds of sounds can we expect to hear from the next generation of electric vehicles? While the development of such sounds is ongoing, some manufacturers have released examples of their car noise creations.

那我们可以期待下一代电动汽车发出哪种声音？虽然这种警示音还在研发阶段，不过一些制造商已经公布了车辆声音创意的示例。

That sound, released last year, was created for Jaguar’s electric I-Pace vehicle.

这是去年公开的声音，是为捷豹I-PACE电动汽车所设计的警示音。

Of course, one of the easiest solutions would be for carmakers to simply reproduce the sound a car would make if it actually did run on fuel. But many industry officials believe this would be a mistake. They say this would not support the electric vehicle’s true identity. It would also limit great possibilities to link the car’s sound to a whole new image, which could help increase sales.

当然，对汽车制造商来说，其中一个最简单的解决方法是复制车辆以燃油为动力行驶时所发出的声音。但是许多行业官员认为，这会成为错误。他们说，这种做法不能支持电动汽车的真实身份。而且还会限制将汽车声音与全新形象联系到一起的巨大可能性，而这种联系有助于增加销量。

Representatives from some major automakers spoke about the issue this week ahead of the Geneva International Motor Show in Switzerland.

日内瓦国际车展于本周在瑞士开幕，一些主要汽车制造商的代表在车展前谈论了这个问题。

Frank Welsch is head of technical development at Germany’s Volkswagen. He told Reuters that finding the perfect sound mix is not an easy process.

弗兰克·威尔斯是德国大众公司的技术开发负责人。他对路透社表示，找到完美的混合音不是一件简单的事情。

“The electric vehicle sound is its identity,” he said. “It cannot be too intrusive or annoying. It has to be futuristic and it cannot sound like anything we had in the past.”

他说，“电动汽车的声音就是它的身份证明。声音不能过于侵扰或令人厌烦。而是要充满未来气息，不能是我们以前听过的任何声音。”

Welsch said Volkswagen’s electric cars will have special speakers designed to get attention. The company is developing different sounds to correctly fit the size, make and overall image of each model, he added. For example, he said high-performance models and larger vehicles would have more bass added to their sound.

威尔斯表示，大众公司的电动汽车将配备旨在引起注意的特殊扬声器。他还表示，该公司正在研发不同的声音，以准确地适用于每个车型的大小、型号和整体形象。他说，举例来说，高性能车型和大型汽车会在警示音中添加更多低音。

An official from German competitor Mercedes-Benz said the company had developed a noise for its new EQC model. The official said the sound was designed to provide a safe warning without annoying passengers inside the vehicle. Developer Jochen Hermann said the goal was to create a car that remains completely quiet on the inside, but fills the sound requirements and supports the model’s image on the outside.

大众在德国的竞争对手梅赛德斯-奔驰的一名官员表示，公司已经研发出一种适用于全新车型EQC的提示音。该官员说，这种声音旨在不烦扰车内乘客的情况下发出安全警告。开发人员约亨·赫尔曼表示，他们希望制造的汽车是，车内继续保持绝对安静，但在外部满足警示音要求并为车辆的形象提供支持。

It might seem strange to think that part of our automotive future is currently being developed in the same kinds of recording studios used by musicians. But that is exactly what is happening.

汽车业的未来有一部分正在用音乐家使用的同一种录音工作室进行研发，这似乎有些奇怪。但是这确实是目前正在发生的情况。

Listen to the sound Nissan created in 2017 in an attempt to make one of its future electric models “sing.”

我们来听一下日产汽车公司在2017年创造的一种声音，该公司试图让一款未来电动汽车“唱歌”。

Mercedes-AMG offers its buyers high-performance vehicles that combine modern design with speed and power. The head of Mercedes-AMG, Tobias Moers, told Reuters that the company decided musical influences could help define how its future electric cars are heard. He said AMG is currently working with the American rock band Linkin Park to find exactly the right artificial sound.

梅赛德斯-AMG推出的高性能车辆将现代设计与速度和动力相结合。梅赛德斯-AMG负责人托比亚斯·莫尔斯对路透社表示，公司认为音乐的影响力有助于确定其未来电动汽车的声音。他说，AMG目前正在与美国摇滚乐队林肯公园合作，希望能准确地找出适合的人工声音。

A representative from BMW Group said the sound is being developed for one of its vehicles, a new electric Mini. Esther Bahne, Vice President of Strategy and Innovation at BMW’s Mini, said sound is something that will greatly shape the car’s identity.

宝马集团的一名代表表示，他们正在为新型电动版Mini研发提示音。宝马Mini车型的战略与创新副总裁埃斯特·巴内表示，声音对塑造车辆的身份极为重要。

Michael Pfadenhauer is head of sound development for German sports carmaker Porsche. He told the company’s official magazine that finding the right sound for a sports car can be very tricky. “There is no e-sound. It has to be invented,” he said.

Michael Pfadenhauer是德国跑车制造商保时捷的声音研发主管。他在接受公司官方杂志的采访时表示，找到适合跑车的声音可能非常困难。他说，“没有e-sound。必须发明。”

Pfadenhauer added that different sounds will be needed at low and high speeds to help drivers “experience the potential” of high-performance electric sports cars.

Pfadenhauer还表示，低速和高速需要不同的声音，这能帮助司机体验高性能电动跑车的潜能。

American manufacturer Harley-Davidson recently launched its first fully electric motorcycle, called LiveWire. The company is known for building large, powerful bikes with huge, loud motors. Here is what Harley’s sound development team created for its electric model.

美国制造商哈雷戴维森最近发布了首款电动摩托车 LiveWire。该公司以制造配备巨大且高噪音马达的大排量摩托车而闻名。我们来听听哈雷声音研发团队为其电动摩托车搭配的声音。

Words in This Story

hit the road – phrase: to leave a place or begin a trip

battery – n. object that provides and stores electricity for things

hybrid – n. vehicle that can run on either gasoline or electricity

intrusive – adj. causing disruption or annoyance by being unwelcome or uninvited

annoying – adj. causing irritation or annoyance

bass – n. sound producing the lowest tones

artificial – adj. not natural, but made by people

potential – n. qualities or abilities that may be developed and lead to something better in the future