(单词翻译:单击)
情景对话
Todd: Now, Phil, you mentioned that you actually studied automotive engineering.
托德：菲尔，你说过你学过汽车工程。
Phil: Yeah, that's correct.
菲尔：对，没错。
Todd: OK, can you explain what automotive engineering is?
托德：好，请你解释一下汽车工程。
Phil: It's basically car design and basically technology involved in cars in all aspects: the engine, the performance, the aerodynamics, so it's basically an overview of all kind of car aspects for the future.
菲尔：基本上来说，汽车工程就是汽车设计和汽车在各个环节所需要的技术：比如引擎、性能、空气动力等等，所以基本上来说就是未来各种汽车的概论。
Todd: Cool, so you must know a lot about the cars of the future and stuff. I mean, how do you see cars in let's say twenty years, thirty years, forty years?
托德：真酷，那你一定了解与未来的汽车有关的情况。我是说，你认为20年、30年或是40年后的汽车会怎么样？
Phil: In the near future I think the big developments will be alternative fuels. At the moment petrol and diesel engines are causing a lot of damage to the planet and we're going to eventually run out of natural resources, so I think the developments will be towards electric or hybrid cars.
菲尔：我认为在不久的未来替代燃料会取得巨大的发展。目前使用的汽油和柴油发动机对地球造成了很大的破坏，最后我们的自然资源可能会用尽，所以我认为汽车一定要向电动汽车或混合动力车发展。
Todd: Right.
托德：对。
Phil: Maybe even using fuel cells such as hydrogen.
菲尔：甚至可以用氢燃料电池。
Todd: Well, like how many years away do you think this is?
托德：你认为这一过程需要多少年？
Phil: Realistically, ten to fifteen years away before we start seeing the first ones in production but before we see everyone using them, it's going to be twenty years, I would have thought, I guess.
菲尔：距离第一辆新型汽车的生产可能还需要10至15年，而新型汽车的使用可能需要20年，这是我的想法。
Todd: Right.... Now, I once had a student who was an engineer for Chyrsler, Daimal-Chrystler, and he was saying that they already have cars that can drive without people, like you can just say your location and it'll go there. Have you heard about that?
托德：好……我曾经教过一个在克莱斯勒当工程师的学生，他说他们已经生产出了无人驾驶汽车，你只要说出地点，就可以到达那里。你听说过吗？
Phil: I've seen the technology from a German company called Volkswagon as well. The problem with this technology — it's brilliant. It's amazing what it can do, but people's attitude is the problem. People like the sense of freedom from having a car.
菲尔：我在德国大众公司那里见到过这种技术。问题是……这一技术非常棒。这种技术非常不可思议，不过现在的问题是人们的态度。人们喜欢开车带来的自由。
Todd: Right.
托德：对。
Phil: And if your car is driving you then you lose that. It's like being on a train of something, so you lose that individual sense of freedom.
菲尔：如果你的车可以自动驾驶，那你就失去了那种自由。就好像坐火车一样，人们会失去那种自由感。
Todd: Wow, that's right. That's a good point.
托德：哇，没错。这个观点很不错。
Phil : And then, there's the infrastructure.
菲尔：还有基础设施问题。
Todd: Oh, so you think that basically, it'll never take off, that people will always want to drive their own cars?
托德：哦，所以你认为无人驾驶汽车不可能获得成功，因为人们都喜欢自己驾驶汽车？
Phil: Possibly, although maybe they could develop a system where in the inner cities the system is used, basically to help, because traffic flow and congestion is a problem.
菲尔：可能吧，也许他们可以开发一个在内城区使用的系统，在内城区进行辅助，因为车流量和交通拥堵也是个问题。
Todd: Right.
托德：没错。
Phil: So maybe within the cities, the system could be used, but outside the city, people would always want their freedom in the country roads — the thrill of driving, the excitement.
菲尔：所以这个系统可以在城市里使用，而出了城市以后，人们更喜欢在乡村道路上享受自由、驾驶的快感和兴奋感。
Todd: Right... Now when you watch movies, you often see cars that can fly, or cars that can go underwater like in a James Bond movie. Do you see that maybe in the future?
托德：好……我们经常在电影中看到能飞起来的汽车，或者是《007》电影中可以在水下行驶的汽车。你认为未来会有这样的汽车吗？
Phil: Underwater I think would be a bit pointless, and very difficult to achieve the engineering. It's possible now, but the engineering is just ridiculously hi-tech, but I don't know about the flying cars. Maybe in hundreds of years but certainly not in my lifetime and not in anyone's lifetime who's listening to this website, no.
菲尔：我认为在水下行驶没什么意义，而且要实现这项技术非常难。现在倒是有可能，不过这种高科技有点荒唐，我也不知道能飞起来的汽车。我想可能几百年后能实现，不过在我有生之年是不可能的，当然在各位听众的有生之年也是不可能实现的。
Todd: All right. Thanks a lot Phil.
托德：好。菲尔，非常谢谢你。
译文属可可原创，仅供学习交流使用，未经许可请勿转载
重点讲解
重点讲解：
1. all kinds of 各种类型的；五花八门的；
例句：All kinds of remarkable things began to happen.
开始发生各种不寻常的事。
2. let's say 比如说；比方说；
例句：Let's say you miss the train, what do you plan to do?
假定你赶不上火车，你准备怎么办？
3. run out of 用完；耗尽；
例句：I ran out of petrol, but a passing motorist saved the situation.
我的汽油用完了，但是一辆路过的汽车司机救了我。
4. as well 也；还；
例句：Andy's face paled with disappointment; perhaps with anger as well.
安迪的脸色由于失望而变得苍白，也许还掺杂着气愤。
5. take off （产品、活动、事业等）腾飞，突然成功；
例句：Critics used to say that microtransactions would not take off, arguing that consumers would not pay for online content.
评论人士曾表示“微交易”不会兴旺起来，他们认为，消费者不会为网上内容付费。
