1、Unit3 OnthemoveReading Self-driving carsdestination known?自动驾驶汽车-目的地已知吗? Mr Zhang casually glances at the empty drivers seat and says, Destination Grand Hotel. Family mode. Start. The car responds immediately, easing smoothly into the busy traffic and avoiding obstacles on the road. Inside the car,
2、the family have chosen their entertainment from a pop-up display panel, ready for the journey ahead. This imagined scene provides a likely future reality for self-driving cars, also known as autonomous vehicles(AVs).张先生漫不经心地看了-眼空荡荡的驾驶座，说道:“目的地格兰酒店。家庭模式。出发。”汽车立即响应，平稳驶入繁忙的车流，避开路上的障碍。车里面，一家人已经在弹出式显示面板上
3、选好了娱乐项目，为前方的旅途作好准备。这个想象中的场景展示了自动驾驶汽车，也叫自主汽车，一种可能的未来的现实。However, before this evolution in transport becomes a revolution, it must be fully understood how self-driving cars work. Put simply, self-driving cars must see and behave appropriately to be safe on the road. They do this through various hardwa
4、re and deep-learning AI. Cameras as well as sensors like radar and lidar capture a variety of data from the external environment. Once the data is sent to the AI system, the brain of the car, it is analysed and put together like a puzzle so that the self-driving car can see its surroundings and dete
5、rmine its position. Meanwhile, the Al system identifies patterns from the data and learns from them. An action plan is then created to instruct the car how to behave in real time: stay in the lane, move into another one, speed up or slow down. Next, the necessary mechanical controls, such as the acc
6、elerator and brakes, are activated by the AI system, allowing the car to move in line with the action plan.然而，在这种交通方式的变革成为一场革命之前，必须充分了解自动驾驶汽车的工作原理。简言之，要想在路上安全行驶，自动驾驶汽车必须恰当地“看”和“做”。它们通过各种硬件和深度学习人工智能(AI)来实现。摄像头以及雷达、激光雷达等传感器从外部环境中获取各种数据。数据一日发送到人工智能系统，即自动驾驶汽车的“大脑”，立即被分析并像拼图一样被拼凑起来，于是汽车就能“看到”周围的环境并确定自身方位
7、。同时，人工智能系统从数据中识别出模式，从中学习。然后一份行动计划被创建出来，用以指导汽车如何实时“行动”:沿车道行进，变道，加速或减速。接下来，人工智能系统激活油门、刹车等必要的机械操纵装置，让汽车按照行动计划行驶。This may sound perfect in theory, but in reality technological barriers in AV development exist. The self-driving cars perception system presents one. Road traffic in the real world is so com
8、plicated that unfamiliar or unexpected conditions may occur at any time. Since it is unreasonable for the database to include every possible object in every possible condition ahead of time, the system might not recognize everything on the road. In one tragic real-life case,a self-driving cars perce
9、ption system failed to identify a white truck against the bright, sunlit sky. It assumed that there was no obstacle in its path and did not activate the brakes, causing the death of the driver in the self-driving car. Accidents like this pose the question of how self-driving cars can better learn an
10、d improve their behaviours on the road to ensure safe journeys.这理论上听起来很完美，但实际上，自动驾驶汽车的开发还存在技术障碍。其感知系统就是一个例子。真实世界中的道路交通如此复杂，以至于不熟悉或意外的情况时有发生。既然数据库将每种可能发生的情况下的每个可能存在的物体都预先包含是不合理的，系统就无法识别路上所有东西。在一个悲惨的真实案例中，一辆自动驾驶汽车的感知系统未能从明亮晴空的背景下识别一辆白色卡车。它只当行进路线上没有障碍物，没刹车，导致自动驾驶汽车的司机死亡。此类事故提出了这样一个问题，即自动驾驶汽车怎样才能更好地学习，改
11、进行驶中的行为以确保安全出行。Another aspect that needs careful consideration is the ethical responses self-driving cars would make in specific circumstances. The Trolley Problem is often used to discuss difficult ethical choices they may face. For example, should those in the self-driving car always be protected
12、first even if it means endangering the lives of pedestrians? Should a self-driving car hit a single pedestrian to avoid crashing into a group of pedestrians? And would it make a different decision if the pedestrian were a child or a senior citizen? The moral dilemma that comes with how to ethically
13、program self-driving cars has yet to be resolved. 另一个需要仔细斟酌的方面是自动驾驶汽车在特定情况下的伦理反应。人们经常援引“电车难题”来讨论自动驾驶汽车可能面临的棘手的伦理抉择。例如，自动驾驶汽车内的人是否应该始终受到优先保护，即使这意味着危及行人的生命?为避免撞到一群行人，自动驾驶汽车是否应该去撞一个行人?这个行人如果是一个小孩或老人，自动驾驶汽车会作出不同的决定吗?如何编写程序让自动驾驶汽车合乎伦理，这个问题带来的伦理困境尚待解决。 Besides such ethical concerns, the legal situations t
14、he AV industry is likely to be confronted with have fuelled heated debates. In this emerging industry, manufacturing and programming standards are not yet uniform. Moreover, the quality and safety of AV technology is still being challenged. This could lead to extraordinary cases like who should be h
15、eld responsible when self-driving cars are involved in accidents-should it be the driver, the software programmer or the manufacturer? Manufacturing and programming standards first have to be agreed upon to make it possible for law courts to decide who is at fault when things go wrong. As advances i
16、n AV design and technology are in progress, the final agreement on laws and regulations in this industry remains to be seen. 除了这些道德方面的担忧，自动驾驶汽车行业可能面临的法律处境已经引发了激烈争论。在这个方兴未艾的行业里，制造和编程标准尚未统一。此外，自动驾驶汽车技术的可靠性和安全性依然受到质疑。这会导致一些意想不到的情况，例如，当自动驾驶汽车发生事故时，责任该由哪一方承担一是自动驾驶汽车的司机，软件程序员，还是生产商?首先要有统一的制造和编程标准，法庭才能在出现问
17、题时裁定谁有过错。自动驾驶汽车的设计和技术正在不断进步，而管理该行业的法律法规的最终-致尚待确定。 There can be little doubt that, despite all the challenges, self-driving cars will form part of our future. The question is, what is next? Some argue that self-driving cars should be allowed to operate without human control, while others are more cau
18、tious and believe that human operation, even if limited, is necessary in successful AV design. Only time will reveal its true path. While the journey ahead is not without obstacles, the eventual destination is bound to be another milestone for humankinds amazing vision and inventiveness.毫无疑问，尽管困难重重，
19、但自动驾驶汽车将成为我们未来重要的一部分。问题是接下来会怎样?有些人主张应该让自动驾驶汽车在无人控制的情况下运行，而另一些人则更谨慎些，认为人工操控，即使是有限的，仍然是有必要的。只有时间才能揭示出正确的道路。虽然前方绝非坦途，但最终目的地必将成为人类惊人远见和创造力的又一座里程碑。 (译者:胡晓平)ExtendedreadingRacing towards the future: a look at Chinas high speed rail network奔向未来:中国高速铁路网一瞥In the distance, a white bullet-nosed train is thunde
20、ring down the track. It grows larger by the second until it eventually slows and glides past the lines of waiting passengers. As it eases to a stop, its doors open with a hiss and the passengers board with eager anticipation. Then the doors close and the train departs exactly on time, its progress b
21、arely noticed as it quickly and silently gathers speed. Seated comfortably in the well-equipped, spacious carriages, the passengers know that their journey ahead will be both effortless and relaxing.远处，一列白色子弹头火车正沿轨道呼啸而来。每一瞬间车身都变得更大，直到最终减速级行，滑过一排排候车的旅客。火车慢地停下来，车门发出嘶嘶声、打开了，旅客们满怀期待地上了车。然后，车门关闭，火车准点发车，它
22、的行进几乎察觉不到，因为它悄无声息地飞快提速。舒适地坐在设备齐全、空间宽敞的车厢里，旅客们知道他们前方的旅程将会是轻松自如的。Such scenes of contented passengers being swiftly transported to their destinations are repeated many times a day all over China, as far as the high-speed rail(HSR) network extends. Since 2008, the HSR network has transported over 10 bil
23、lion passengers, setting a world record. There are now more than 3,000 high-speed trains running daily, some reaching speeds of up to 350 kilometres per hour, the fastest in the world of train transport. Already covering 92 per cent of cities with populations that exceed halfa million as of 2020, th
24、e HSR network reaches every corner of the country. With an overall length of around 40,000 kilometres in operation, it not only greatly enhances the national railroads efficiency, but also serves as the engine that keeps the countrys economic lifeblood flowing.旅客们心满意足地被飞快送到目的地，这种场景每天都在中国各地无数次重演，远至高速
25、铁路网延伸的地方。自2008年起，高速铁路网已运载100多亿旅客，创造了世界纪录。现在每天有超过7000多列高铁在疾驰，有些时速可达350公里，是世界火车运行速度之最。高速铁路网有总长约4万公里的高铁运营里程，覆盖中国大陆所有省区市。它不仅大大提高国家铁路的运行效率，而且成为国家经济命脉流动的引擎。However, Chinas high-speed rail network was not built overnight. The HSR project began in the 1990s and it has grown enormously since then. A key mile
26、stone was the release of the HSR network blueprint in 2004, when the plan for four vertical and four horizontal corridors was put forward. Twelve years later, it was upgraded to eight vertical and eight horizontal corridors. Today, China boasts the worlds longest and most extensively used HSR networ
27、k, and is rightly considered the world leader in HSR construction.然而，中国的高速铁路网并非一蹴而就。高铁计划开始于20世纪90年代，自此进展非常迅速。一个重要里程碑是2004年高速铁路网蓝图的发布，当时“四纵四横”通道计划诞生。十二年后，该计划升级为“八纵八横”通道。今天，中国拥有世界上里程最长、使用最广的高速铁路网，成为当之无愧的高铁建设世界领跑者。 This enormous success is inseparable from the visionary leadership of the Communist Part
28、y of China as well as the great wisdom of the Chinese people. With innovation and perseverance, they have climbed over hurdles and passed one milestone after another. The Beijing-Shanghai line, the worlds longest line built in one stage, has the fastest high-speed trains, reducing the travel time be
29、tween Beijing and Shanghai from 14 hours to less than 5 hours. The Harbin-Dalian line, the first high-cold high-speed railway in the world, can operate at 350 kilometres per hour in temperatures as low as-40. The Beijing-Zhangjiakou line, the worlds first smart high-speed railway, has set the standa
30、rd for HSR automatic driving. The Fuxing Electric Multiple Unit (EMU), which made its debut in 2017, is another remarkable accomplishment that demonstrates technical skill in HSR design and construction. Developed and manufactured totally by China, the EMU train boasts modernized features, elegant d
31、esigns and advanced technologies that are superior to those of previous models. It is built with a longer lifespan and an energy-saving design to reduce air resistance. All these achievements showcase the wholehearted devotion of engineers, the tireless effort of railroad workers, and the strong sup
32、port of all the Chinese people.这个巨大的成功离不开中国共产党高瞻远瞩的领导和中国人民的伟大智慧。他们勇于创新，矢志不移，爬坡过坎，跨过一个又一个里程碑。京沪高铁线路是世界上一次建成最长、速度最快的高铁线路，将两地之间的通行时间从14小时缩短至不到5小时。哈大高铁线路是世界首条高寒高铁线路，可在低至40C的温度下以350公里的时速运行。京张高铁线路是世界上第一条智能高铁线路，为高铁自动驾驶树立了标杆。2017年首次亮相的“复兴号”电力动车组(EMU)是彰显高铁设计和建设专门技术的又一项卓越成就。“复兴号”完全由中国研发和制造，功能现代化，设计优雅，技术先进，优于以
33、往车型。它使用寿命更长，并配有降低风阻的节能设计。所有这些成就展示了工程师的全身心投入、铁路工人的不懈努力以及全体中国人民的大力支持。 It is no surprise then that Chinas HSR network has grabbed the attention of the whole world. In the spirit of international cooperation, China has generously exported its technology and skills to many countries, and helped them cons
34、truct high-speed railway lines. This is in line with the Belt and Road Initiative, which aims to revive the ancient Silk Road and connect the countries along the route. The World Bank has praised Chinas HSR success and its positive impacts which go well beyond the railway sector to include urban dev
35、elopment, regional economic growth and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The HSR network has become a new symbol of China, and China Standard has become the World Standard.毫不意外，中国的高铁网吸引了全世界的目光。秉承国际合作精神，中国向许多国家慷慨输出了技术和技能，帮助他们建设高铁线路。这符合“一带一路”倡议，旨在复兴古代丝绸之路，连通沿线各国。世界银行称赞了中国高铁的成功及其积极影响，其影响远远不只是铁路领域
36、，还涉及城市发展、区域经济增长和温室气体减排等方面。高铁网成为新的中国符号，“中国标准”成为“世界标准”。In the past/Looking back, the HSRs path was filled with obstacles and achievements. Racing towards the future, Chinas HSR network will continue to grow, improving the lives of its people and strengthening unity among them. Now, it is shining a bright light on the track ahead to even greater success. So, sit back and enjoy the ride!过去，高铁之路充满坎坷与成就。奔向未来，中国高铁网将继续发展壮大，改善人民生活，增进民族团结。如今，它照亮了通往前方更大成功的轨道。让我们坐下来，享受这段旅程吧! (译者:胡晓平)
