本集内容

Driverless cars to be on UK roads? 英国或将批准无人驾驶汽车上路

学习要点

有关 “driving（驾驶）” 的词汇

边看边答

How many lives could be saved by using driverless cars within the next ten years?

文字稿

Nasty conditions on the roads today, so would you hand over the control of your car to a computer?

今天的路况很糟糕，那么你会把汽车的控制权交给一台电脑吗？

Jon Kay, BBC reporter
So, hands-free.

乔恩·凯     BBC通讯员
“就像这样，双手离开方向盘。”

At a private test track, with no other traffic, I tried out the technology as if I was on a motorway.

在一条没有其它车辆的私人试车道上，我试用了这项技术，模拟在高速公路上的情景。

Woah! So, that is a very strange feeling, especially for a control freak like me, but the car is driving itself. And it’s following the lines. The lane that’s there – it’s swerving around. My temptation is to touch it, but I’m not. This is really very odd. I’ve never done anything like this before.

“哇！这是一种很奇怪的感觉，特别是对于我这种控制欲很强的人来说，但这辆车在自动驾驶。它在沿线行驶。前方车道急转弯。我很想去握住方向盘，但我没有这样做。这种感觉很奇怪。我以前从没有体验过。”

At the moment, cars like this tell you to put your hands back on the steering wheel after fifteen seconds. But ministers [politicians] want to know if the technology is now reliable enough to let drivers go hands-free for extended periods of time.

目前，这类汽车会在15秒后告诉你把双手放回方向盘上。但英国政府相关部门的部长们想知道，这项技术现在是否足够可靠，能让司机在更长的时间内不用手动驾驶。

Edmund King, President, The AA
It could actually save lives. It's estimated within a decade this kind of technology could save almost 4,000 lives.

埃德蒙·金     英国汽车协会主席
“这项技术甚至可以救命。据估计，在十年内，这项技术可以挽救近4000人的生命。”

The government will be consulting safety organisations and the industry, but what do drivers think?

政府将就此技术向交通安全组织和汽车行业征求意见，但是司机们是怎么想的？

Female driver
Yeah, I do trust the technology. I [have] used most of what’s been invented, but I don’t like that humans don’t have to keep an eye.

女司机
“是的，我信任这项技术。我用过大部分已经被发明的驾驶技术，但我不大认可不需要有人盯着这一点。”

Male driver
I think it’s crazy to be fair, driverless cars – well, it’s madness.

男司机
“平心而论，我觉得无人驾驶汽车这个概念太疯狂了，就是疯狂之举。”

Ministers are not yet talking about entirely driverless cars, but if the UK goes further down the hands-free route it could still mean big changes for the law and insurance.

英国的部长们还没有开始考虑完全无人驾驶的汽车，但如果英国在无人驾驶技术的道路上走下去，这可能仍意味着在法律和保险方面的重大变化。

Mathew Avery, Thatcham Research
The difference between you driving and you being liable, and the car driving and the car being liable is huge, and unless the car can drive as well as a competent human being, the car cannot be classed as being automated.

马修·埃弗里     英国萨彻姆研究中心（Thatcham Research）
“你自己开车并承担法律责任，汽车自动驾驶并承担法律责任，这两者间的差别是巨大的，除非汽车能堪比一个有能力的驾驶员，否则汽车不能被归为自动驾驶。”

Jon Kay, BBC reporter
I’m resisting the temptation to hold the steering wheel. Woah! OK, so there we go.

乔恩·凯     BBC通讯员
“我在努力忍住不去握住方向盘。哎呀！好吧，我还是没忍住。”

Back on the test track there’s a lot to get used to, and for ministers a lot to consider.

在试车道上，有很多需要适应的地方，而官员们也有很多需要考虑的事情。

Driving will certainly be different in the future - the question is how fast do we want things to change?

未来的驾驶方式无疑会有所不同，但问题是我们希望它以多快的速度改变？

词汇

test track 测试跑道，试车道

control freak 控制欲很强的人，爱指挥别人的人

swerving 突然改变方向，急转弯

liable 负有法律责任的

competent 有能力的，称职的

问题答案

It is estimated within a decade, driverless technology could save almost 4,000 lives.