Preparing Cities for Robot Cars
为机器人汽车准备城市

The possibility of self-driving robot cars has often seemed like a futurist’s dream, years away from materializing in the real world. Well, the future is apparently now. The California Department of Motor Vehicles began giving permits in April for companies to test truly self-driving cars on public roads. The state also cleared the way for companies to sell or rent out self-driving cars, and for companies to operate driverless taxi services. California, it should be noted, isn’t leading the way here. Companies have been testing their vehicles in cities across the country. It’s hard to predict when driverless cars will be everywhere on our roads. But however long it takes, the technology has the potential to change our transportation systems and our cities, for better or for worse, depending on how the transformation is regulated.
自动驾驶机器人汽车的可能性常常被视为未来主义者的梦想，似乎离在现实世界中实现还有数年之遥。然而，未来显然已经到来。加利福尼亚州机动车管理局从四月开始发放许可证，允许公司在公共道路上测试真正自动驾驶的汽车。该州还为公司销售或出租自动驾驶汽车，以及运营无人驾驶出租车服务铺平了道路。值得注意的是，加利福尼亚州在这方面并不是领头羊。公司已经在全国范围内的城市测试他们的车辆。很难预测无人驾驶汽车何时会在我们的道路上无处不在。但无论需要多长时间，这项技术都有可能改变我们的交通系统和城市，取决于转型如何受到监管，可能会变得更好或更糟。

While much of the debate so far has been focused on the safety of driverless cars(and rightfully so), policymakers also should be talking about how self-driving vehicles can help reduce traffic jams, cut emissions(排放) and offer more convenient, affordable mobility options. The arrival of driverless vehicles is a chance to make sure that those vehicles are environmentally friendly and more shared.
到目前为止，大部分的辩论都集中在无人驾驶汽车的安全性上（这是理所当然的），但政策制定者也应该讨论自动驾驶车辆如何帮助减少交通拥堵，减少排放，并提供更便利、更经济的出行选择。无人驾驶汽车的到来是一个机会，可以确保这些车辆是环保的，并且更多地共享。

Do we want to copy — or even worsen — the traffic of today with driverless cars? Imagine a future where most adults own individual self-driving vehicles. They tolerate long, slow journeys to and from work on packed highways because they can work, entertain themselves or sleep on the ride, which encourages urban spread. They take their driverless car to an appointment and set the empty vehicle to circle the building to avoid paying for parking. Instead of walking a few blocks to pick up a child or the dry cleaning, they send the self-driving minibus. The convenience even leads fewer people to take public transport — an unwelcome side effect researchers have already found in ride-hailing(叫车) services.
我们是否想要复制——甚至更糟——今天的交通，使用无人驾驶汽车？想象一个未来，大多数成年人都拥有个人的自动驾驶汽车。他们忍受着在拥挤的高速公路上往返工作地点的漫长、缓慢的旅程，因为他们可以在旅途中工作、娱乐自己或睡觉，这鼓励了城市扩张。他们驾驶自动驾驶汽车去赴约，并将空车设置为绕建筑圈行驶以避免支付停车费。他们不是步行几个街区去接孩子或干洗，而是发送自动驾驶小巴。这种便利甚至导致更少的人乘坐公共交通——研究人员已经在叫车服务中发现了这种不受欢迎的副作用。

A study from the University of California at Davis suggested that replacing petrol-powered private cars worldwide with electric, self-driving and shared systems could reduce carbon emissions from transportation 80% and cut the cost of transportation infrastructure(基础设施) and operations 40% by 2050. Fewer emissions and cheaper travel sound pretty appealing. The first commercially available driverless cars will almost certainly be fielded by ride-hailing services, considering the cost of self-driving technology as well as liability and maintenance issues(责任与维护问题). But driverless car ownership could increase as the prices drop and more people become comfortable with the technology.
加州大学戴维斯分校的一项研究表明，到2050年，全球用电动、自动驾驶和共享系统取代燃油私家车，可以减少交通碳排放80%，并将交通基础设施和运营成本降低40%。更少的排放和更便宜的旅行听起来相当吸引人。考虑到自动驾驶技术的成本以及责任和维护问题，首批商用无人驾驶汽车几乎肯定会由叫车服务提供。但随着价格的下降和更多人对技术变得舒适，无人驾驶汽车的拥有量可能会增加。

Policymakers should start thinking now about how to make sure the appearance of driverless vehicles doesn’t extend the worst aspects of the car-controlled transportation system we have today. The coming technological advancement presents a chance for cities and states to develop transportation systems designed to move more people, and more affordably. The car of the future is coming. We just have to plan for it.
政策制定者现在就应该开始考虑如何确保无人驾驶汽车的出现不会延长我们今天所拥有的以汽车为中心的交通系统中最糟糕的方面。即将到来的技术进步为城市和州提供了一个机会，可以开发旨在更有效地、更经济地运输更多人的交通系统。未来的汽车即将到来。我们只需要为它做好规划。

1. According to the author, attention should be paid to how driverless cars can __.
   A. help deal with transportation-related problems
   B. provide better services to customers
   C. cause damage to our environment
   D. make some people lose jobs
   答案：A

2. As for driverless cars, what is the author’s major concern?
   A. Safety. B. Side effects.
   C. Affordability. D. Management.
   答案：D

3. What does the underlined word ＂fielded＂ in Paragraph 4 probably mean?
   A. Employed. B. Replaced.
   C. Shared. D. Reduced.
   答案：A

4. What is the author’s attitude to the future of self-driving cars?
   A. Doubtful. B. Positive.
   C. Disapproving. D. Sympathetic.
   答案：B