✸✸Chinese search engine Baidu has announced its self-driving car software isready foruse by anyone who wants to download it, for free, tolureusers to its open-source artificial intelligence platforms and gather data.
1） ready for 英 [ˈredi fɔ:] 美 [ˈrɛdi fɔr] 准备好干某事;准备供（某人、事）用的;准备应付;对付
EgI think he may be ready for a sleep soon.
我想他也许很快就要睡一觉了。
2） lure 英 [lʊə(r)] 美 [lʊr] n.诱饵;吸引力，魅力;诱惑物 vt.吸引，引诱;用引诱物召回（猎鹰）
EgHe lured her to his home and shot her with his father's gun
他把她哄到家里，用他父亲的枪射杀了她。
短语：lure into 英 [luə ˈɪntuː] 美 [lʊr ˈɪntu] 引诱（某人或某动物）进入（某处），诱骗（某人）（做某事）
EgThey are certainly competing harder than ever to lure shoppers into their stores.
要吸引顾客走进自家的商店，竞争无疑比以前更激烈了。
翻译：中国搜索引擎百度(Baidu)宣布，其自驾车软件可供任何想下载的人使用，而且免费，此举旨在把用户吸引到百度的开源人工智能平台，并收集数据。
✸✸Baidu’s new Apollo platform provides free autonomous driving software to any company, including Baidu’s competitors, which can thenbe customised todevelop their own autonomous vehicle.
1） be customised to 定制
EgKeyboards may be customised to suit a particular workstation.
键盘可能被订制适合一个特别的工作站。
翻译：百度新的“阿波罗”平台向任何公司（包括其竞争对手）免费提供自主驾驶软件，这些软件随后可被量身定制，开发他们自己的自主驾驶车辆。
✸✸The software is usable “out of the box”, according to Baidu engineers at the company’s annual developers’ conference on Wednesday. That means it can be used immediately with zero modification on a Lincoln MKZ hybrid and little modification on several other vehicle models.
1） out of the box 英 [aut ɔv ðə bɔks] 美 [aʊt ʌv ði bɑks] （澳/新西兰，非正式）非常好
EgRMC contains a lot of method and processes content out of the box.
RMC包含了很多现成的方法和过程内容。
翻译：根据百度工程师周三在该公司年度开发者大会上的说法，该软件“开箱即用”。这意味着它在林肯MKZ混合动力车上可以立即使用，无需任何修改，在其他几种车型上仅需少量修改。
✸✸Baidu founder Robin Liarrived atWednesday’s conference in a vehicle using Apollo’s self-driving software, a move that is being investigated by Beijing’s traffic police.
1) arrive at 英 [əˈraiv æt] 美 [əˈraɪv æt] 到达;来到;达成;获得
EgAs soon as you arrive at your destination, step out of the aircraft and reset your wristwatch.
你一到达目的地，就走出飞机并重新设置手表时间
翻译：百度创始人李彦宏(Robin Li)搭乘一辆采用“阿波罗”自动驾驶软件的汽车抵达周三会议的会场。此举正受到北京交警部门的调查。
✸✸The company also announced it waspartnering withAmerican chipmaker Nvidia to supply the hardware behind Baidu’s AI platforms.
1) partner with 英 [ˈpɑ:tnə wið] 美 [ˈpɑrtnɚ wɪð] v.做伙伴
EgJust partner with their ( former) partners.
直接与私募股权公司的（前）合伙人合伙就可以了。
翻译：该公司还宣布与美国芯片制造商英伟达(Nvidia)合作，为百度的人工智能平台提供硬件。
✸✸Baidu has placed its bets on AI as its future source of growth, after its search engine advertising revenues were hit by a medical scandal.
翻译：在百度搜索引擎的广告营收受到医疗丑闻的打击后，百度正押注于人工智能成为其未来增长来源。
✸✸The company isstriving tobe the Android of AI — to provide an open-source platform for all comers. In so doing it positions itself at the centre of users’ data flows, with Chinese tech companies in a pitched battle foraccess toconsumer data.
1) strive to 英 [straiv tu:] 美 [straɪv tu] 力图；力求
EgYou should always strive to achieve more, however well you have done before
无论之前取得何等辉煌的成就，都应该不断努力进取。
2) access to 英 [ˈækses tu:] 美 [ˈæksɛs tu] 有权使用
EgThey now have access to the mass markets of Japan and the UK.
他们现在进入了日本和英国的大众市场。
翻译：该公司正努力成为人工智能的Android，为所有来者提供一个开源平台。在此过程中，它把自己置身于用户的数据流中心；目前中国的高科技公司正在激烈争夺消费者数据。
✸✸Baidu also hopes it can use its vast amounts of user data — one of the most valuable inputs to creating effective AI programs — to regain a competitive edge against its international AI peers.
翻译：百度还希望能够利用其海量的用户数据（数据是创建有效人工智能程序的最宝贵要素之一），以重新获得相对于国际人工智能同行的竞争优势。
✸✸Baidu’s artificial intelligence framework, Paddle Paddle, isin competition withGoogle’s TensorFlow and Facebook’s Caffe2, which also provide developers withcomputing powerand a library of AI algorithms.
1) in competition with 与....竞争
EgThe newscaster was in competition with ten others for the job.
为了得到这份工作这位新闻播音员与十个人展开了竞争。
2) computing power （使用）计算（机的） 能力
EgIt provides more computing power and better interactive interfaces.
使用局域网可提供更多的计算能力和更好交互式接口。
翻译：百度的人工智能框架Paddle Paddle正在与谷歌(Google)的TensorFlow和Facebook的Caffe2展开竞争，后两者也为开发人员提供计算能力和人工智能算法库。
✸✸The company will share its data, generated largely from billions of daily search engine and map queries, with developers.
翻译：百度将与开发者分享其主要来自数十亿日常搜索引擎和地图查询的数据。
✸✸In recent years, Baidu has slipped behind more mobile-savvy competitors Alibaba and Tencent, while revenues from Baidu’s core search engine and online advertising businesses dipped.
翻译：近年来，百度相对于在移动业务上更拿手的竞争对手阿里巴巴(Alibaba)和腾讯(Tencent)有所落后，而百度核心搜索引擎和网络广告业务的营收出现下降。
✸✸"In the long run, if Baidupersists withits strategy of creating an open AI platform and an AI ecosystem, this willbe good forrevenues," said Zhang Zhuo, analyst at market research company IDC. Mr Zhang expected it would take five years before such AIendeavoursbecame Baidu's main source of revenue, as opposed to search-engine advertising.
1) in the long run 英 [in ðə lɔŋ rʌn] 美 [ɪn ði lɔŋ rʌn] 从长远来看， 终究;一来二去;归根到底
EgSometimes expensive drugs or other treatments can be economical in the long run
有时昂贵的药物或其他治疗方法从长远来看可能是比较划算的。
2) persist with 英 [pəˈsist wið] 美 [pɚˈsɪst wɪð] 坚持
EgHe urged the United States to persist with its efforts to bring about peace
他敦促美国继续进行和平斡旋。
3) be good for 英 [bi: ɡud fɔ:] 美 [bi ɡʊd fɔr] v.值得，有效;利于
EgThey argued all the time and thought it couldn't be good for the baby
他们一直在争论，认为这对孩子肯定不好。
4) endeavour 英 [ɪn'devə(r)] 美 [ɛnˈdɛvɚ] n.尽力，竭力 vi.&vt.努力，竭力
EgI will endeavour to arrange it
我会尽力安排。
短语：endeavour to 英 [inˈdevə tu:] 美 [ɛnˈdɛvɚ tu] 争取；勉
EgI will endeavour to arrange it
我会尽力安排。
翻译：市场研究公司IDC的分析师张卓说：“从长远来看，如果百度坚持其创建开放人工智能平台和人工智能生态系统的战略，那将有利于营收。”张卓预计，人工智能方面的这些努力需要五年时间，才能超过搜索引擎广告，成为百度的主要营收来源。
✸✸A version of Apollo the company plans to launch this December willbe capable ofenabling vehicles to drive autonomously in a quiet urban environment.
1） be capable of 英 [bi: ˈkeipəbl ɔv] 美 [bi ˈkepəbəl ʌv] v.能够
EgThey will be capable of speedier, more accurate diagnoses.
他们将能作出更快、更准确的诊断。
翻译：该公司计划在今年12月推出的一个阿波罗版本，将能够让车辆在安静的城市环境中自主驾驶。
✸✸“Baidu does not have its own car yet, so itis willing tooffer Chinese automakers free access to thealmightydriving data,” said Michael Dunne, the founder of consultancy Dunne Automotive, withreference tocommercial potential of such data. “Chinese state enterprises arefar behindin the autonomous tech race. They might be more willing to co-operate or even form partnerships with Baidu.”
1） is willing to 愿意
EgIt is not clear whether the president is willing to negotiate with the democrats
还不清楚总统是否愿意和民主人士洽谈。
2） almighty 英 [ɔ:lˈmaɪti] 美 [ɔlˈmaɪti] adj.全能的;万能的;有无限权力的;非常的 adv.非常 n.全能的神
EgAdam sought guidance from the Almighty
亚当寻求上帝的指引
3）reference to 英 [ˈrefrəns tu:] 美 [ˈrɛfərəns tu] 提到
EgHe summed up his philosophy, with reference to Calvin.
他总结了自己的哲学，还提及了加尔文。
4）far behind 英 [fɑ: biˈhaind] 美 [fɑr bɪˈhaɪnd] prep.与…相差很远
EgIf winter comes, can spring be far behind?
冬天来了，春天还会远吗？
翻译：咨询公司邓恩汽车(Dunne Automotive)的创始人邓凯(Michael Dunne)在谈到这些数据的商业潜力时表示：“百度还没有自己的汽车，所以它愿意为中国汽车制造商免费提供至关重要的驾驶数据。中国国有企业在自主驾驶技术的竞赛中远远落后。他们可能更愿意与百度合作，甚至与百度建立合作伙伴关系。”
✸✸Thepush forself-driving cars has not been a completely smooth ride for Baidu. A much-heralded partnership with BMWfell throughforundisclosedreasons last November. Meanwhile, Baidu isrubbing upagainst its publicly stated deadline of 2020 to sell fully autonomous cars.
1） push for 英 [puʃ fɔ:] 美 [pʊʃ fɔr] 急切、强烈地要求， 为…奋力争取
EgPush for all you're worth!
使足劲推！
2） fell through 英 [fel θru:] 美 [fɛl θru] 未能实现
EgHe fell through the window, breaking the glass
他撞破玻璃从窗口摔了下去。
3） undisclosed 英 [ˌʌndɪsˈkləʊzd] 美 [ˌʌndɪsˈkloʊzd] adj.秘密的，身份不明的;未泄露的
EgThe company has been sold for an undisclosed amount
那家公司已被卖掉，具体售价未公开。
4） rub up 英 [rʌb ʌp] 美 [rʌb ʌp] 擦亮，重温
EgI must rub up my French.
我得复习我的法语。
翻译：百度在自动驾驶领域的努力并不一帆风顺。去年11月，该公司与宝马(BMW)之间曾被大肆吹嘘的合作伙伴关系终止，原因没有公开。与此同时，百度设定的到2020年销售完全自主驾驶的汽车这一截止期限正扑面而来。
✸✸“Baidu’s driverless car programme still has a lot of kinks to work out, so is looking to bring as many major industry players into the fold as it can to help accelerate development,” said Mark Natkin, managing director for Marbridge Consulting.
翻译：“百度的无人驾驶汽车项目仍有很多问题要解决，所以该公司希望吸引尽可能多的大型行业参与者加入自己的努力，以帮助加快开发，”北京迈博瑞咨询(Marbridge Consulting)的董事总经理马克•纳特金(Mark Natkin)说。
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