外刊轻松读 | 10 Ways Autonomous Driving Could Revolutionize Our W
外刊轻松读 | 10 Ways Autonomous Driving Could Revolutionize Our World，这期的文章选自 QDT，希望同学们在备考的时候，多阅读一些外刊，这对于大家的备考是非常有帮助的！
BY PATRICK PETERSON, AUGUST 5, 2020
10 Ways Autonomous Driving Could Revolutionize Our World
Autonomous vehicles (AV) are here and it's only a matter of time beforedriverless cars become the usual way of getting places.
autonomous [ɔ'tɑnəməs] vehicles: 自动驾驶车辆
only a matter of time: 只是时间问题
driverless cars: 无人驾驶汽车
It's only a matter of time before ... ……只是时间问题
Researchers project that by 2035 automakers will sell 12 million fully-autonomous vehicles globally. Another 18 million semi-autonomous cars are also part of the projection on the same timeframe.
project: 预测
fully-autonomous: 全自动
semi-autonomous: 半自动
on the same timeframe: 在同一时间段
Based on these projections (and a lot of other factors), autonomous vehicles couldcorner as much as 25% of the new car market. Researchers suggest that the automobile market growth could hover somewhere between $42 to $77 billion. There's no doubt that the self-driving vehicle revolution will bring about a paradigm shift in the auto world.
corner ... market: 垄断（市场）
the automobile market: 汽车市场
hover: 起伏；波动
self-driving vehicle: 自动驾驶汽车
a paradigm [ˈpɛrəˌdaɪm] shift: 范式转移（指行事或思维方式的重大变化）
图片来源网络
Self-Driving Vehicles Will End Car Ownership
The arrival of autonomous vehicles is sure to bring an end to our love affair withthe automobile. Since the first car rolled off the assembly line in 1885, humans have had a fascination for wheeled transport. The driving public has made, bought, and sold many vehicles over the past century. Carmakers have pushed the boundaries of speed, style, and cost.
bring an end to: 终结
rolled off the assembly line: 流水线生产
wheeled transport: 车辆交通
carmakers: 汽车制造商
pushed the boundaries of: 拓展了……的边界
The arrival of ... is sure to bring an end to ... ……的到来必定会终结……
Several years from now, the status quo will change. People won't fuss aboutowning the newest, fastest, and flashiest car anymore. When fleets of self-driving vehicles are on-call 24/7 and requesting one is easier than ordering a pizza,individual vehicle sales will plummet. Who wants to drive when you can sit back and enjoy the ride?
status quo [ˌsteɪtəs ˈkwəʊ] 现状
fuss about: 考虑；计较
individual [ˌɪndɪˈvɪdʒuəl] adj. 私人的
plummet ['plʌmɪt] v. 暴跌
Self-Driving Cars Will Replace Human Drivers
Economies will change when autonomous vehicles arrive. Human drivers will become obsolete as industries start to see the benefits of employing a fleet ofself-driving cars. Jobs held by human drivers (such as bus, train, and taxi drivers) could be in jeopardy as a result of driverless vehicles. Other commercial driving jobs such as trucking fleets, farming, and manufacturing are also in danger.
obsolete [.ɑbsə'lit] adj. 过时的；淘汰的
a fleet of ...: 一支（车）队
in jeopardy ['dʒepərdi]: 陷入危险
commercial: 商业的
trucking fleet: 卡车车队
as a result of ... 由于……；因为……
Autonomous Vehicles Can Change the Retirement Age
Generation X and Y will be close to retirement age when 2035 rolls around.Chances are, people in this age bracket have already moved to a quiet house in the suburbs. Driving and taking public transport to work in the city is easy when you're younger, but gets progressively harder as you age.
be close to retirement age: 临近退休年龄
rolls around: 到来
chances are: 很有可能
age bracket: 年龄段
gets progressively harder: 越来越难
age: 变老
Difficulties getting around can force some seniors to opt for early retirement. Self-driving cars will push the retirement age back a few more years and let seniors go out on their terms.
opt for: 选择
seniors: 年长者；老年人
on their terms: 依据他们的情况；按照他们希望的方式
AI-Powered Automobiles will Enable Businesses to Reach More People
If you live far enough from the city center, getting supplies can become a chore. Autonomous vehicles will help businesses become mobile, and people won't have to drive anymore. Stores on wheels will come to the people and provide much of the same shopping experience as a big store. For the hard-to-reach areas, dronescan offer delivery services to customers.
chore: 杂活；差事
stores on wheels: 车轮上的商店
hard-to-reach areas: 难以到达的地区
drones: 无人机
delivery services: 派送服务
Self-Driving Cars Can Help People Save Money and Time
A car is one of the most significant expenses in the household, second only tobuying a house. With people choosing to skip car purchases in-lieu of paying to use a self-driving car, families will be able to save a lot of money. Autonomous vehicles talk to one another and send information to the grid, re-routing, and even eliminating traffic.
the most significant expense: 最大的一笔开销
second only to: 仅次于
skip: 跳过
purchase [ˈpɜːrtʃəs] n. 购买
in lieu [luː] of: 取代
re-routing: 重新规划路线
eliminate [ɪˈlɪməˌnet] v. 消除
Autonomous Vehicles Will Lower the Rate of Road Accidents
In the United States, vehicle-related accidents claim more than 32,000 lives every year. Experts suggest that this number could fall by 90% when self-driving carshit the road. AI-powered vehicles will run on a grid and "talk" to each other. The smart grid computes and manages traffic flow. With a supercomputer overseeingthe traffic situation, the number of accidents on the road will drop.
this number could fall: 这个数字会下降
hit the road: 上路
AI-powered: AI (人工智能）赋能的
traffic flow: 交通流
oversee: 监督；监视
drop: (数据)下降
AI-Powered Automobiles Will Give Rise to "Smart" Urban Centers
Today, plenty of urban centers lack safe areas for biking and walking as cars and parking lots take the lion's share of attention. Autonomous vehicles will force governments to create "smart" urban centers for the population. With transportation automated, there won't be a need for miles and miles of parking lots.
plenty of: 很多
take the lion's share: 获取最大的份额
parking lots: 停车场
automate [ˈɔːtəmeɪt] v. 自动化
Streets can become narrower, giving more space for pedestrians and bikers. Crossing the road will become safer too, as self-driving cars can "see" oncomingpedestrians and stop at a safe distance.
pedestrians [pə'destriən] and bikers: 行人和骑自行车的人
oncoming: 迎面而来的
Self-Driving Cars Can Help People with Disabilities Become Self-Reliant
Much like senior citizens who find it hard to drive, people with disabilities could go anywhere they want, at any time. People with disabilities wouldn't have to relytoo much on other people to travel and can order a self-driving car within minutes.
people with disabilities: 残障人士；残疾人
rely on ... 依赖
Autonomous Vehicles will Depopulate Cities
Self-driving cars will make transportation a lot more convenient. The workplace is stressful as it is. People would much rather sleep, relax, or read while on the way to work and not get stressed out driving or commuting. With people no longer needing to drive or commute to work, cities will become less crowded. The ease of travel will encourage urban dwellers to move out of overcrowded cities and into suburbs or towns farther away.
depopulate: 使人口减少
get stressed out: 感到压力重重；充满压力
commute to work: 通勤
the ease of travel: 交通的便捷
urban dwellers: 城市居民
AI-Powered Automobiles Can Lead to an Organ Donor Shortage
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 13% of all organ donors are victims of car crashes. With self-driving cars lowering road fatalitiesby about 90%, there will be a shortage of organ donors. The medical community needs to look for alternative sources of vital organs. Appealing to the general public to become organ donors can also help ensure that there is help for people in need.
organ donors: 器官捐献者
victims of car crashes: 车祸的受害者
alternative [ɔl'tɜrnətɪv] adj. 替代的；不同的
appealing to: 呼吁；求助于
... can also help ensure that: 还能确保……
Summary
Autonomous vehicles will soon become mainstream and be as ubiquitous as taxis. People will stop buying cars, preferring to pay for the services of a robot driver so they can relax in the back seat. This "driverless utopia" is the future for both the auto world and the consumers it services. The outlook looks safer and brighter with AI doing the driving.
become mainstream: 成为主流
ubiquitous [ju'bɪkwɪtəs] adj. 无处不在；十分普遍
utopia: 乌托邦
consumers: 消费者
