特斯拉为何如此安全：英语精读讲义

Car safety has improved drastically over the years

汽车安全性在过去几年里有了极大的提升，

and one company appears to be leading the pack. 習語

而有一家公司似乎正处于领先地位。

Teslas have consistently received five-star ratings from organizations 短語搭配

特斯拉持续获得了各机构给出的五星安全评级，

that perform crash tests

这些进行碰撞测试的机构

such as the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

包括美国公路安全保险协会（IIHS）。

One reason you'd be safer in a Tesla 語法

坐在特斯拉里你会更安全的其中一个原因

is that the electric cars don't have an engine,

是这些电动汽车没有发动机，

so all that steel and aluminum at the front

因此车头部位的那些钢材和铝材

crumples and absorbs much of the impact

会发生形变并吸收大部分冲击力，

preventing it from being transmitted to the occupants. 語法

从而防止撞击力传递给车内乘员。

The lack of an engine isn't the only reason they're safe.

缺少发动机并不是它们安全的唯一原因。

It has to do with the overall structure of the vehicle. 短語搭配

这还跟车辆的整体结构有关。

They're difficult to roll over 短語動詞

它们很难发生翻车，

because they have a low center of gravity 用詞

因为它们的重心很低，

since the heavy battery pack and the electric motors

沉重的电池组和电机

sit low in the vehicle.

都位于车辆的底部。

The American road safety regulator NHTSA 文化背景

美国道路安全监管机构NHTSA

determined that the mid-size SUV, the Model Y,

认定这款中型SUV——Model Y，

has a rollover risk of about 8%.

发生翻车的风险大约只有8%。

Tesla says that's the lowest risk

特斯拉表示，这是所有已生产的SUV中

of any SUV ever built

翻车风险最低的，

and lower than the chances of the Model X flipping over.

甚至比Model X翻车的概率还要低。

In the unfortunate event that it does overturn, 短語搭配

如果真的不幸发生翻车，

the Tesla relies on the strength of its roof

特斯拉会依靠其车顶的强度

to protect the people inside.

来保护车内人员。

The Model 3's roof has been found 語法

经测试，Model 3的车顶

to resist more than 20,000 lb of force,

能承受超过20,000磅的力，

nearly six times its own weight

几乎是其自身重量的六倍，

or as Tesla points out,

或者正如特斯拉所指出的那样，

it can withstand the weight of about

它可以承受大约

two full-grown African elephants.

两头成年非洲象的重量。

The part of a car that offers the least amount of protection 短語搭配

汽车能提供最少保护的部位

is the side

是侧面，

since there's no area designed to crumple

因为与车头和车尾不同，

unlike the front and rear ends.

侧面没有设计用来吸能溃缩的区域。

To get over this side panel weakness, 短語動詞

为了克服侧面板的这一弱点，

Teslas have been heavily reinforced 短語搭配

特斯拉进行了大幅加固，

with ultra high-grade steel

使用超高强度钢材，

shown in teal blue

图中以蓝绿色显示，

while the battery pack also acts as a barrier. 短語搭配

同时电池组也充当了一道屏障。

If there is a side collision,

如果发生侧面碰撞，

the Model 3 has a thick curtain airbag

Model 3配备了厚实的侧气帘，

that also contributes to a high safety rating.

这也为其高安全评级做出了贡献。

A real-world example comes to mind. 表達脈絡

我想到了一个真实的案例。

In Oregon recently,

最近在俄勒冈州，

the driver of a Model S crashed into a pole,

一辆Model S的驾驶员撞上了一根电线杆，

hit two trees, and a telephone box.

接着撞了两棵树和一个电话亭。

The impact was so severe 語法

撞击非常猛烈，

that hundreds of small batteries

以至于数百个

that work together to power the Tesla

为特斯拉共同供电的小电池

were ejected onto the road.

都被甩到了路上。

Despite the damage, 語法

尽管车辆受损严重，

the driver walked away with only minor injuries. 習語

这位驾驶员却只受了轻伤，自己走了出来。

Teslas have also been engineered

特斯拉在工程设计上

to try to prevent accidents in the first place. 習語

也致力于从一开始就预防事故发生。

A safety feature detects when the vehicle

其中一项安全功能可以检测车辆

is drifting into another lane

是否偏离到了其他车道，

and then steers itself back

然后自动将其转向拉回；

and the automatic emergency braking

而自动紧急制动功能

recognizes obstacles and stops the car on its own.

能识别障碍物并自动将车停下。

But there are still some kinks to be ironed out. 習語

但仍有一些问题有待解决。

When European safety experts Euro NCAP

当欧洲安全专家Euro NCAP

tested the braking system on a Model X,

对Model X的制动系统进行测试时，

it avoided hitting a dummy resembling a child 語法

它在以25公里/小时的速度行驶时

while traveling at 25 km/h

成功避免了撞上一个儿童假人，

but not at 30 km/h

但在30公里/小时的速度下却没能避开，

though it did reduce the speed before impact. 語法

尽管它在撞击前确实降低了速度。

This type of technology isn't new.

这类技术并不新鲜。

Volvo introduced an auto braking function

Volvo早在十多年前

over a decade ago,

就推出了自动制动功能，

but Teslas differ because of their more advanced sensors

但特斯拉的不同之处在于其更先进的传感器，

which should technically be better at avoiding collisions. 語法

理论上在避免碰撞方面应该表现更好。

A combination of cameras, radar, 語法

摄像头、雷达

and ultrasonic sensors help with navigation.

以及超声波传感器的组合共同协助导航。

The goal is to eventually have the vehicles drive themselves 語法

最终的目标是让这些车辆能够完全自动驾驶，

with no human driver at all.

完全不需要人类驾驶员。

You might say level five autonomy is the Holy Grail. 習語

你可能会说L5级自动驾驶是终极目标。

Tesla's not quite there yet 習語

特斯拉还没完全达到那个水平，

but is moving in that direction.

但正在朝着那个方向迈进。

Select customers have been able to beta test 用詞

选定的客户已经能够对

its full self-driving software

其完全自动驾驶软件进行测试，

which works on both city streets and highways

该软件在城市街道和高速公路上都能运行，

without any help from the driver.

无需驾驶员的任何协助。

However, the driver still has to pay attention

然而，驾驶员仍然需要保持注意力，

and be ready to step in 短語動詞

并在车辆未能做出正确反应时

if the vehicle fails to respond properly.

随时准备接管。

So it's not yet autonomous

所以它还不是完全自动驾驶，

and if you ask rivals, that won't ever happen.

并且如果你问竞争对手，这永远不可能实现。

The CEO of Waymo,

Waymo的首席执行官，

formerly known as Google's self-driving project, 短語搭配

也就是前谷歌自动驾驶项目，

dismissed Elon Musk's company as a competitor 用詞

并不认为Elon Musk的公司是竞争对手，

saying he doesn't think Teslas will ever be autonomous.

并表示他不认为特斯拉能实现完全自动驾驶。

Musk fired back tweeting 短語動詞

Musk在推特上反击道，

Tesla has better AI hardware and software than Waymo.

特斯拉拥有比Waymo更好的人工智能软硬件。

Tesla's full-self-driving software is believed 語法

特斯拉的完全自动驾驶软件被认为

to be propelling its vehicles from level two autonomy 文化背景

正在将其车辆从L2级自动驾驶

to level three.

推进到L3级。

The tech is a considerable improvement from Autopilot

这项技术比Autopilot有了显著提升，

which has cruise control but fewer features than full-self-driving

后者具有巡航控制功能，但功能不如完全自动驾驶丰富，

and is most often limited to highway use. 短語搭配

且通常局限于高速公路使用。

With any system that isn't fully autonomous, 語法

对于任何非完全自动驾驶的系统，

the driver has to remain alert.

驾驶员都必须保持警惕。

Not doing so can have fatal consequences. 語法

否则可能会导致致命后果。

In 2018, a Model X on Autopilot

2018年，一辆开启了Autopilot的Model X

drove into a concrete barrier in California

在加州撞上了混凝土护栏，

killing the Apple engineer who had been playing

导致一名正在玩iPhone游戏

a game on his iPhone

且未能及时接管方向盘的

and failed to take over the steering of the car. 短語動詞

Apple工程师丧生。

Although there have been concerns about the safety of automated Teslas, 語法

尽管人们对特斯拉自动驾驶的安全性存在担忧，

the company has still received stellar safety ratings

但该公司每推出一款新车型，

with each new model it produces.

依然能获得极高的安全评级。

But five stars is not necessarily unprecedented. 用詞

但五星评级并非绝无仅有。

The gas-powered Lexus ES 350 and the electric Audi e-tron

燃油车Lexus ES 350和电动车Audi e-tron

both scored an overall safety rating of five

都在NHTSA的评级中

on the NHTSA scale.

获得了五星的总体安全评分。

What's most important is the likelihood 語法

最重要的是

of someone getting injured or killed.

有人受伤或致死的可能性。

Tesla once touted the mass-market Model 3 用詞

特斯拉曾大肆宣传其面向大众市场的Model 3

as the safest car ever built.

是有史以来最安全的汽车。

Regulators took issue with that bold statement. 習語

监管机构对这种大胆的说法提出了异议。

In a letter to Tesla,

在给特斯拉的一封信中，

NHTSA accused the company of misleading consumers 短語搭配

NHTSA指责该公司误导消费者，

because they said it was inappropriate

因为他们表示

to rank vehicles of different weights.

将不同重量的车辆放在一起排名是不合适的。

Tesla shot back saying its statement was based

特斯拉反击称其声明是基于

on NHTSA's own calculations

NHTSA自己的计算结果，

and the scuffle hasn't ended there.

并且争论并未就此结束。

In January, the government agency asked Tesla

1月份，该政府机构要求特斯拉

to recall 158,000 Model S and Model X's 用詞

召回15.8万辆Model S和Model X，

over failing touchscreens

原因是触摸屏出现故障，

which it said could increase the risk of crashes.

他们表示这可能会增加碰撞风险。

As of the making of this video, 短語搭配

截至本视频制作时，

Tesla hasn't publicly made a statement.

特斯拉尚未公开发表声明。

So depending on who you ask, 表達脈絡

因此，取决于你问的是谁，

it's up for debate whether Teslas are the safest vehicles out there, 短語搭配

特斯拉是否是市面上最安全的汽车还有待商榷，

but it appears they're leading the pack

但它们似乎正处于领先地位，

and as the technology continues to improve, 表達脈絡

而且随着技术的不断进步，

the hope is that safety will accelerate with it. 習語

人们希望安全性也能随之大幅提升。

I hope you enjoyed the story.

希望你喜欢这个故事。

I'm Cindy Pom.

我是Cindy Pom。

Just a little bit of an update for you.

给你们更新一点我的近况。

For the past four years, I've lived in Europe,

过去四年里，我住在欧洲，

first in Paris, then in London,

先在Paris，然后在London，

but I've recently made the decision to return home. 短語搭配

但最近我决定回家了。

So welcome to my little studio here in Toronto

所以欢迎来到我在Toronto的小工作室，

where I will be bringing you more stories every single week.

在这里我每周都会给你们带来更多的故事。

I will see you very soon.

我们很快再见。