特斯拉是如何造车的：英语精读讲义

It's one of the most famous car factories in the

这是世界上最著名的汽车工厂

world. At Tesla's manufacturing plant in Fremont, California,

之一。在加利福尼亚州弗里蒙特的特斯拉制造工厂，

rolled up aluminum transforms into fully assembled cars

卷状的铝材会变成完全组装好的汽车，

in just 48 hours.

仅需48小时。

The vehicles begin to take shape in the stamping center 短語搭配

汽车开始在冲压中心成型，

where the metal sheets are unrolled and cut

金属板在那里被展开和切割，

so they can be turned into doors, hoods, trunks, and other parts.

这样它们就可以变成车门、引擎盖、后备箱和其他部件。

The machine that presses them into various forms

把它们压成各种形状的机器

operates with extreme precision.

运行精度极高。

Look at how the robot arm narrowly escapes being crushed. 語法

看看这机械臂是如何险些被压碎的。

The parts are then placed on a conveyor belt

接着这些部件会被放在传送带上，

in video provided by CleanTechnica.

如 CleanTechnica 提供的视频所示。

Workers inspect every component,

工人们会检查每一个部件，

in this case, side panels,

在这个例子中是侧板，

before sending them off for storage inside a massive warehouse. 短語動詞

然后再把它们送到巨大的仓库里储存。

Next stop is the body shop 表達脈絡

下一站是车身车间，

where robots weld them together to form the car's skeleton. 習語

机器人在那里将它们焊接在一起，形成汽车的骨架。

5,000 welds are required for the Model 3,

Model 3 需要进行5000次焊接，

Tesla's first affordable vehicle.

这是特斯拉第一款平价车型。

The body line is far more automated 語法

这条车身生产线的自动化程度

than those being used to make the Model S or the Model X.

远高于生产 Model S 或 Model X 的生产线。

Unlike those two vehicles, 表達脈絡

与那两款车不同，

the Model 3 is meant to be manufactured on a mass scale 講解

Model 3 旨在进行大规模量产，

as it attracts a broader clientele.

因为它吸引了更广泛的客户群。

Tesla's methods of production can change on the fly. 習語

特斯拉的生产方式可以随时改变。

A few years ago,

几年前，

when the company struggled to build cars quickly,

当该公司难以快速制造汽车时，

it determined that some 300 welds were not necessary

它认定大约有300个焊接点是不必要的，

and reprogrammed the robots to eliminate them to save time.

并重新编程了机器人以消除这些焊接点来节省时间。

Time is precious

时间非常宝贵，

when you plan to produce 20 million cars a year by 2030.

当你计划到2030年实现年产2000万辆汽车时。

After the welding is complete,

焊接完成后，

the cars head off to get painted. 短語動詞

汽车就会去喷漆。

The electric car company uploaded this video,

这家电动汽车公司上传了这段视频，

a humorous video of a paint applicator

一个关于喷漆涂抹器的幽默视频，

that resembles a cow's udder.

它看起来像牛的乳房。

Next comes the main attraction, the general assembly. 習語

接下来是重头戏，总装。

All of the major components of the vehicle,

车辆的所有主要部件，

including the battery pack,

包括电池组，

are joined together,

结合在一起，

known as a marriage. 用詞

这被称为“结合”（marriage）。

Marriage is the hardest part.

“结合”是最难的部分。

As the saying goes, if you're going through hell, 講解

俗话说，如果你正在经历地狱，

keep going.

那就继续走下去。

Elon Musk described the entire assembly process

埃隆·马斯克描述整个装配过程

as production hell a few years ago 習語

就像几年前的“生产地狱”，

when Tesla struggled to build its cars fast enough.

当时特斯拉在努力足够快地制造汽车。

It even set up an additional assembly line

它甚至设立了一条额外的装配线，

under a big white tent in the factory's parking lot

在工厂停车场的白色大帐篷下，

to push out more Model 3s. 短語動詞

只为推出更多的 Model 3。

Big doesn't properly describe the size of the tent.

“大”已经不足以恰当形容这个帐篷的尺寸了。

It was larger than two football fields.

它比两个足球场还要大。

Tesla blamed the delays on bottlenecks 講解

特斯拉将延误归咎于瓶颈问题，

in the Gigafactory in Nevada,

问题出在内华达州的超级工厂，

where it makes its batteries.

那里是制造电池的地方。

But in an interview with CBS's Gayle King,

但在接受 CBS 的 Gayle King 采访时，

Musk explained there were also issues here at Fremont.

马斯克解释说，弗里蒙特这里也有问题。

Elon, part of the thing I heard

“埃隆，我听说了一部分

about the Model 3 is that there's too many robots

关于 Model 3 的事，说是有太多的机器人，

that maybe...

也许……”

You think so too?

“你也这么认为？”

Maybe you need more people in here working?

“也许你需要更多人在这里工作？”

We do.

“是的，我们需要。”

In some cases,

“在某些情况下，

the robots actually slowed the production, right? 語氣意圖

机器人实际上拖慢了生产速度，对吧？”

Yes, they did.

“是的，确实如此。”

We had this crazy complex

“我们有这么一套疯狂复杂的

network of conveyor belts

传送带网络，

and it was not working.

但它不起作用。

So, we got rid of that whole thing. 短語動詞

所以，我们就把它整个拆掉了。”

Musk spent a lot of time in the factory,

马斯克在工厂里花了很多时间，

including sleeping there overnight,

甚至在那里过夜，

to try to solve the problems.

试图解决这些问题。

I talked about his work ethic in my previous video. 用詞

我在之前的视频里谈到过他的职业道德。

Tesla managed to pull through that difficult period 短語動詞

特斯拉挺过了那段困难时期，

by striking a better balance 短語搭配

方式是通过取得更好的平衡，

between the number of robots it uses

在其使用的机器人数量

and the number of human hands that help.

和协助的人手数量之间。

A good example of that balance is a few blocks from the main factory

关于这种平衡的一个好例子，就在离主厂区几个街区外

where Tesla makes seats.

特斯拉生产座椅的地方。

Fine fingers are essential in the production of car seats,

灵巧的手指在汽车座椅的生产中必不可少，

pulling the synthetic material over the foam of a chair,

将合成材料拉到椅子的泡沫上，

making it fit properly,

紧密贴合，

stretching it out,

把它拉伸开，

getting rid of the wrinkles.

抚平褶皱。

Most automakers outsource seat making

大多数汽车制造商将座椅制造外包，

and Tesla used to do the same. 語法

特斯拉以前也是这么做的。

But when a contractor had trouble building seats for the Model X, 短語搭配

但是当一家承包商在为 Model X 制造座椅遇到困难时，

Tesla decided to move that entire operation in-house. 用詞

特斯拉决定把整个业务转移到内部进行。

Machines do have a big role to play as well, 講解

机器同样扮演着重要的角色，

especially when the seats are ready for final assembly.

尤其是当座椅准备好进行最终装配时。

Even here, Tesla is focused on saving time.

即使在这里，特斯拉也专注于节省时间。

This tube feeds bolts to the robots

这根管子负责给机器人输送螺栓，

so they don't have to physically pick them up.

这样它们就不必亲自去捡了。

An air gun shoots them through the vacuum tube,

气枪将它们通过真空管射出，

as illustrated by Clean Technica,

如 Clean Technica 的图示，

and shaves off about a second or so. 講解

大约能省下一秒左右的时间。

Every second counts. 習語

争分夺秒。

Once the seats are ready,

座椅准备好后，

they're fitted into the car.

它们就被安装到车里。

And after the Teslas receive their wheels and tires,

在特斯拉汽车装上车轮和轮胎后，

they roll off the assembly line. 短語動詞

它们就下线了。

Designing one of the most advanced and efficient automotive factories

设计一个世界上最先进、最高效的汽车工厂

in the world is insanely difficult.

难度极大。

And now, Tesla is replicating it in its factories

而现在，特斯拉正在复制它，将其应用在

in Berlin and Shanghai,

柏林和上海的工厂里，

inevitably helping to bring an end to fossil fuel vehicles. 短語搭配

从而必然会推动燃油车时代的终结。

The world is certainly moving in that direction. 習語

世界无疑正在朝着这个方向发展。

At the same time, 表達脈絡

与此同时，

another aspect of our world is changing.

我们世界的另一个方面也正在发生变化。

More people are working from home,

越来越多的人在家工作，

and protecting your data online is as crucial as ever. 語法

而保护你的在线数据比以往任何时候都更加关键。

Did you know that not all websites use https? 表達脈絡

你知道并非所有网站都使用 https 吗？

The S stands for secure. 短語搭配

这里的 S 代表安全（secure）。

If you're visiting a site without it, 語法

如果你访问的网站没有它，

the data you send and receive could be stolen

你发送和接收的数据可能会被窃取，

by cyber criminals or other third parties. 用詞

无论是网络犯罪分子还是其他第三方。

Same goes for using some mobile apps. 短語搭配

使用某些移动应用时也是如此。

NordVPN encrypts your data so no one can spy on you. 短語動詞

NordVPN 加密你的数据，这样就没有人能监视你。

My sponsor can also help you access blocked websites

我的赞助商也能帮你访问被屏蔽的网站，

because it changes your IP address,

因为它会更改你的 IP 地址，

like the time I was able to buy a bottle of Tesla tequila

就像那次我能够买到一瓶特斯拉龙舌兰一样，

even though it's region locked to the US. 講解

尽管它限制仅在美国销售。

The tequila has now arrived.

龙舌兰酒现在已经到了。

NordVPN has a huge discount on their two-year plan right now

NordVPN 现在的两年计划有巨大的折扣，

with an additional month free by using my promo code NewsThink.

使用我的促销代码 NewsThink 还能额外免费获得一个月。

The link is in my description.

链接在我的描述里。

Thanks so much for watching.

非常感谢大家的观看。

I'm Cindy Pom. If you like what you saw,

我是 Cindy Pom。如果你喜欢你所看到的，

don't forget to give it a like and subscribe to my channel.

别忘了点赞并订阅我的频道。

Thank you very much to my Patrons for your support.

非常感谢我的 Patreon 赞助者的支持。

It means a lot. 習語

这对我意义重大。

See you next week.

下周见。