實戰(zhàn)口語情景對話：Cars of the Future 未來的汽車

Todd: Now, Phil, you mentioned that you actually studied automotive engineering.

托德：菲爾，你說過你學(xué)過汽車工程。

Phil: Yeah, that's correct.

菲爾：對，沒錯。

Todd: OK, can you explain what automotive engineering is?

托德：好，請你解釋一下汽車工程。

Phil: It's basically car design and basically technology involved in cars in all aspects: the engine, the performance, the aerodynamics, so it's basically an overview of all kind of car aspects for the future.

菲爾：基本上來說，汽車工程就是汽車設(shè)計和汽車在各個環(huán)節(jié)所需要的技術(shù)：比如引擎、性能、空氣動力等等，所以基本上來說就是未來各種汽車的概論。

Todd: Cool, so you must know a lot about the cars of the future and stuff. I mean, how do you see cars in let's say twenty years, thirty years, forty years?

托德：真酷，那你一定了解與未來的汽車有關(guān)的情況。我是說，你認(rèn)為20年、30年或是40年后的汽車會怎么樣?

Phil: In the near future I think the big developments will be alternative fuels. At the moment petrol and diesel engines are causing a lot of damage to the planet and we're going to eventually run out of natural resources, so I think the developments will be towards electric or hybrid cars.

菲爾：我認(rèn)為在不久的未來替代燃料會取得巨大的發(fā)展。目前使用的汽油和柴油發(fā)動機對地球造成了很大的破壞，最后我們的自然資源可能會用盡，所以我認(rèn)為汽車一定要向電動汽車或混合動力車發(fā)展。

Todd: Right.

托德：對。

Phil: Maybe even using fuel cells such as hydrogen.

菲爾：甚至可以用氫燃料電池。

Todd: Well, like how many years away do you think this is?

托德：你認(rèn)為這一過程需要多少年?

Phil: Realistically, ten to fifteen years away before we start seeing the first ones in production but before we see everyone using them, it's going to be twenty years, I would have thought, I guess.

菲爾：距離第一輛新型汽車的生產(chǎn)可能還需要10至15年，而新型汽車的使用可能需要20年，這是我的想法。

Todd: Right.... Now, I once had a student who was an engineer for Chyrsler, Daimal-Chrystler, and he was saying that they already have cars that can drive without people, like you can just say your location and it'll go there. Have you heard about that?

托德：好……我曾經(jīng)教過一個在克萊斯勒當(dāng)工程師的學(xué)生，他說他們已經(jīng)生產(chǎn)出了無人駕駛汽車，你只要說出地點，就可以到達(dá)那里。你聽說過嗎?

Phil: I've seen the technology from a German company called Volkswagon as well. The problem with this technology — it's brilliant. It's amazing what it can do, but people's attitude is the problem. People like the sense of freedom from having a car.

菲爾：我在德國大眾公司那里見到過這種技術(shù)。問題是……這一技術(shù)非常棒。這種技術(shù)非常不可思議，不過現(xiàn)在的問題是人們的態(tài)度。人們喜歡開車帶來的自由。

Todd: Right.

托德：對。

Phil: And if your car is driving you then you lose that. It's like being on a train of something, so you lose that individual sense of freedom.

菲爾：如果你的車可以自動駕駛，那你就失去了那種自由。就好像坐火車一樣，人們會失去那種自由感。

Todd: Wow, that's right. That's a good point.

托德：哇，沒錯。這個觀點很不錯。

Phil : And then, there's the infrastructure.

菲爾：還有基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施問題。

Todd: Oh, so you think that basically, it'll never take off, that people will always want to drive their own cars?

托德：哦，所以你認(rèn)為無人駕駛汽車不可能獲得成功，因為人們都喜歡自己駕駛汽車?

Phil: Possibly, although maybe they could develop a system where in the inner cities the system is used, basically to help, because traffic flow and congestion is a problem.

菲爾：可能吧，也許他們可以開發(fā)一個在內(nèi)城區(qū)使用的系統(tǒng)，在內(nèi)城區(qū)進行輔助，因為車流量和交通擁堵也是個問題。

Todd: Right.

托德：沒錯。

Phil: So maybe within the cities, the system could be used, but outside the city, people would always want their freedom in the country roads — the thrill of driving, the excitement.

菲爾：所以這個系統(tǒng)可以在城市里使用，而出了城市以后，人們更喜歡在鄉(xiāng)村道路上享受自由、駕駛的快感和興奮感。

Todd: Right... Now when you watch movies, you often see cars that can fly, or cars that can go underwater like in a James Bond movie. Do you see that maybe in the future?

托德：好……我們經(jīng)常在電影中看到能飛起來的汽車，或者是《007》電影中可以在水下行駛的汽車。你認(rèn)為未來會有這樣的汽車嗎?

Phil: Underwater I think would be a bit pointless, and very difficult to achieve the engineering. It's possible now, but the engineering is just ridiculously hi-tech, but I don't know about the flying cars. Maybe in hundreds of years but certainly not in my lifetime and not in anyone's lifetime who's listening to this website, no.

菲爾：我認(rèn)為在水下行駛沒什么意義，而且要實現(xiàn)這項技術(shù)非常難。現(xiàn)在倒是有可能，不過這種高科技有點荒唐，我也不知道能飛起來的汽車。我想可能幾百年后能實現(xiàn)，不過在我有生之年是不可能的，當(dāng)然在各位聽眾的有生之年也是不可能實現(xiàn)的。

Todd: All right. Thanks a lot Phil.

托德：好。菲爾，非常謝謝你。