VOA慢速英语2017 戴森公司拟2020年前推出电动汽车

Vacuum Company Dyson to Launch Electric Car by 2020

British company Dyson is known for inventing new vacuum cleaner technology and producing other devices for the home.

英国戴森公司以发明了新型吸尘器技术和生产其它家用设备而闻名。

Now the company has entered new territory by announcing plans to launch an electric vehicle by 2020.

现在该公司宣布在2020年之前推出一款电动车，进入了新的领域。

In a recent announcement to employees, company founder¹ James Dyson said about 400 engineers are working with other teams on the project.

公司创始人詹姆斯·戴森（James Dyson）最近在发给公司员工的公告中表示，大约有400名工程师正在同其它团队一起致力于该项目。

The company – based in Malmesbury, England - is known for creating innovative² product designs started by Dyson himself. Dyson is seen by many as having revolutionized the industry by engineering products that are powerful and easy to use. For example, the company makes fans and heating devices that do not use blades like most other products on the market.

这家总部位于英国马尔姆斯伯里的公司由戴森本人开办，该公司以创造创新产品设计而闻名。很多人认为戴森通过功能强大和易于使用的工程产品革新了这个行业。例如，该公司生产的风扇和加热设备不像市场上大多数其它产品一样使用叶片。

Dyson has been working on vehicle technology since 1990, when its engineers invented a way to trap diesel³ engine pollutants⁴. In recent years, the company has increased its research and development efforts for electric vehicles.

戴森自1990年以来就致力于汽车技术，当时该公司的工程师发明了一种捕捉柴油机污染物的办法。近年来，该公司加大了对电动汽车的研发力度。

According to Dyson, the company will invest at least $2.6 billion in the project. He said he looks forward to offering the world “a solution to the world’s largest single environmental risk.”

戴森表示，该公司将在该项目上至少投资26亿美元。他说，他希望为世界提供一种“解决全球最大单一环境风险的方案。”

In his message, Dyson said the company is now ready to use all of its technologies to produce an electric car. He said he has always believed that electrically-powered vehicles would help solve the world’s pollution problems. He added that this is why the company has developed battery technologies for many years.

戴森在公告中表示，该公司目前已经准备好利用它们所有技术来生产电动汽车。戴森说，他一直认为电动汽车将有助于解决全球的污染问题。他补充说，这就是该公司多年研发电池技术的原因。

The vehicles will not run on the same kind of lithium ion batteries currently used in electric cars. Instead, Dyson said the company chose solid-state technology in an effort to make the batteries smaller and easier to charge.

该汽车不会使用目前用于电动汽车的同类锂电池。相反，戴森称该公司选择固态技术，使电池更小更易于充电。

The company has not yet released specific details about the design of the vehicle. “Competition for new technology in the automotive industry is fierce and we must do everything we can to keep the specifics of our vehicle confidential⁵,” Dyson wrote in his company message.

该公司尚未公布有关汽车设计的具体细节。戴森在公司公告中写道：“汽车行业新技术的竞争激烈，我们必须竭尽全力保护我们汽车的细节不外泄。”

However, he did tell Britain’s The Guardian⁶ newspaper the vehicle “would not be a sports car.” He said the design was “all about the technology” and warned it would be an expensive vehicle to own.

然而，他告诉英国《卫报》，这款汽车不是跑车。他说，这款汽车的设计“充满科技含量”并且提醒该车将会售价不菲。

I’m Bryan Lynn.

Words in This Story

vacuum – n. electrical device used to clean floors by sucking up dust, dirt, etc.

innovative – adj. using new methods or ideas

blade – n. a flat spinning part used on some machines to push air or water

fierce – adj. strong, powerful

confidential – adj. secret or private

expensive – adj. costing a lot of money

1 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

2 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。

3 diesel   

n.柴油发动机，内燃机

参考例句：

• We experimented with diesel engines to drive the pumps.我们试着用柴油机来带动水泵。
• My tractor operates on diesel oil.我的那台拖拉机用柴油开动。

4 pollutants   

污染物质（尤指工业废物）( pollutant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Pollutants are constantly being released into the atmosphere. 污染物质正在不断地被排放到大气中去。
• The 1987 Amendments limit 301(g) discharges to a few well-studied nonconventional pollutants. 1987年的修正案把第301条（g）的普通排放限制施加在一些认真研究过的几种非常规污染物上。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

5 confidential   

adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的

参考例句：

• He refused to allow his secretary to handle confidential letters.他不让秘书处理机密文件。
• We have a confidential exchange of views.我们推心置腹地交换意见。

6 guardian   

n.监护人；守卫者，保护者

参考例句：

• The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
• The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。