2021.12.01
林禹
难度：CSE8
课程导读
人类对自动驾驶汽车的幻想从未停止，特别是近年来，多家科技公司和汽车行业的佼佼者都试图将这一想法付诸实践。上周，北京正式开放我国首个自动驾驶出行服务商业化试点，百度、小马智行两家公司运营的自动驾驶出租车获批收取服务费用。现在的自动驾驶技术能否确保人们的安全出行？其商业化将怎样改变我们的生活？一起进入今天的讲解。
本文封面图片来自Nikkei Asia，如有版权问题，请联系删除。
本篇课程首发于2021年12月1日
英文原文
Robotaxis: China seeks fare advantage over the US
By Lex
Beijing has become the first capital city to approve a big experiment in fare-charging autonomous taxis on its roads. Chinese search giant Baidu and self-driving start-up Pony.ai, which is backed by Toyota, can now begin operating a combined fleet of 100 cars. The licences give the two companies a head-start on rivals such as Uber of the US.
The trials, if successful, will bring closer an era when robotaxi rides are a routine part of city life. They will permit Baidu and Pony.ai to collect a wealth of data on driving conditions and passenger preferences. For ride-hailing companies, autonomous taxis represent a silver bullet for widening losses as labour costs rise.
Baidu holds two-thirds of the permits. Its robotaxis will cover more than 600 pick-up and drop-off points in a designated area in Beijing, which includes commercial and residential buildings, between 7am and 10pm.
Shares of Baidu rose 5 per cent, after a 40 per cent drop this year, following the licence approvals, reflecting the validation of its strategy shift.
Pony.ai's private valuation, which was about $5.3bn at its last funding round, should also get a boost. It has an opportunity, with Baidu, to eat into the market share of ride-hailing companies including Didi, Uber and Lyft.
生词好句
1.robotaxi
英 [ˈrəʊbəʊtæksi] 美 [ˈrəʊbəʊtæksi]
n. 机器人出租车，自动驾驶出租车（合成词）
拓展:
近义表达：robotic taxi; self-driving taxi
2.seek advantage over someone
寻求对……的优势
拓展:
As a major Chinese automaker, BYD is seeking advantage over the competitors in battery technology.
作为主要的中国汽车制造商，比亚迪寻求在电池技术领域超过竞争对手。
fare advantage
（本文）先发优势；费用优势；优惠的价格
fare n. 车费
Qantas offers fare advantage for residents of some areas.
澳航为部分地区居民提供了票价优惠。
3.approve
英 [əˈpruːv] 美 [əˈpruːv]
vi. 赞成；vt. 批准
拓展:
词义辨析：赞成 vs. 批准
赞成一般是个人层面的（类似于个人倾向性），批准则比较正式或官方。
① 表示"赞成"时，approve后面通常加"of"
He doesn't approve of what the company is doing.
他不赞同这家公司的做法。
② 表示"官方许可，批准"时，approve是及物动词，后面直接跟宾语
The city council approved the construction plan.
市议会批准了这项施工计划。
4.fare-charging
adj. 收费的（交通领域）
5.autonomous taxi
自动驾驶出租车，机器人出租车
拓展:
autonomous
UK /ɔːˈtɒnəməs/ US /ɔːˈtɑːnəməs/
adj. 自动的；（本义）自治的，自主的，可以自行决策的（being independent and having the power to make your own decision）
autonomous region 自治区
6.Pony.ai
小马智行（公司）
拓展:
pony
UK /ˈpəʊni/ US /ˈpoʊni/
n. 小矮马
7.be backed by
被某人支持
8.combined fleet
混合车队
拓展:
fleet
UK /fliːt/ US /fliːt/
n. 车队；船队；舰队
9.licence
英 [ˈlaɪsəns] 美 [ˈlaɪsəns]
n. 许可证
拓展:
英式拼写：licence
美式拼写：license
10.head-start
英 [ˌhed ˈstɑːt] 美 [ˌhed ˈstɑːrt]
n. 先发优势（an advantage granted or achieved at the beginning of a race）
拓展:
She took some extra tutorials to get a head-start in her career.
她学习了一些额外的教程，以在职场上获得先发优势。
11.trial
英 [traɪəl] 美 [traɪəl]
n. 实验；审判，审讯
拓展:
It was a very complicated trial that went on for months.
这次审讯非常复杂，持续了数月之久。
12.era
英 [ˈɪərə] 美 [ˈɪrə,ˈerə]
n. 时代（强调具有某些鲜明特征的时代）
拓展:
the era of the Internet/the Internet era
互联网时代
13.routine
英 [ruːˈtiːn] 美 [ruːˈtiːn]
n. 常规，例行程序
拓展:
Taking yoga class is her daily routine.
去上瑜伽课是她日常生活的一部分。
14.permit someone to do something
允许某人做某事
15.a wealth of
海量的（a very large amount of something）
拓展:
a wealth of natural resources
海量的自然资源
16.ride-hailing company
提供打车服务的公司
拓展:
ride n./v. 搭车
hail
UK /heɪl/ US /heɪl/
v. 对着车招手
17.a silver bullet for something
一个简单的，一劳永逸的解决方案（a simple solution to a complicated problem）
拓展:
There is no silver bullet for a happy life.
要过得幸福，没有简单的方法。
18.pick-up and drop-off points
上下客点
拓展:
pick up 接起（乘客）
drop off 放下（乘客）
19.designated
英 [ˈdezɪɡneɪtɪd] 美 [ˈdezɪɡneɪtɪd]
adj. 指定的
拓展:
designate
UK /ˈdezɪɡneɪt/ US /ˈdezɪɡneɪt/
v. （正式）指定，认定（to choose someone/something officially to do a particular job）
The fund was designated to improve the life quality of the low-income.
这笔资金被指定用于改善低收入人群的生活品质。
20.boost
英 [buːst] 美 [buːst]
n. 提高；增长（increase; improvement）
拓展:
Adding a little sugar will give the flavour a boost.
做饭时加点糖可以提味。
21.eat into the market share of someone
蚕食……的市场份额
拓展:
eat into
蚕食；分走某些重要的东西（take away a large part of something）
High housing price is eating into many people's savings.
高房价消耗了大多数人的存款。