Autonomous vehicles---Look, no hands!

A driverless lorry is put through its paces on a famous test track

经济学人11月刊

THANKS TO“Top Gear”, a British television show for motoring enthusiasts that is now a global brand, a former second-world-war airfield called Dunsfold has become one of the best known testing tracks in the world. On October 15th, however, instead of reverberating to the roar of supercars driven by the show’s anonymous racing driver, the Stig, it witnessed the sight of what appeared to be the cabless trailer of an articulated lorry belting almost silently around the course at over 80kph.

enthusiast  n. /ɪnˈθjuːziæst/ 爱好者，热心家；热烈支持者；狂热者，基督教狂热分子

Reverberate  v. /rɪˈvɜːbəreɪt/  

1.(声音)回响；回荡 •Her voice reverberated around the hall. 她的声音在大厅里回荡。

2.~ (with/to sth) ( 地方 )（由于强大的噪音）震颤，摇晃 •The hall reverberated with the sound of music and dancing. 音乐和舞蹈的声音使得整个大厅似乎都在震颤。

3.有长久深刻的影响；产生广泛影响 •Repercussions /ˌriːpəˈkʌʃən/ of the case continue to reverberate through the financial world. 这件事持续影响着整个金融界。 

articulated  adj. /ɑːˈtɪkjuleɪtɪd/ (车辆 ) 铰接的• an articulated lorry/truck 铰接式卡车

the course : 比赛路线，使用过程中

The Pod (see picture), as this vehicle is known, was made by Einride, a Swedish firm founded in 2016 by Robert Falck, an engineer who used to work for Volvo. Mr Falck thinks that the technology of vehicle autonomy, long experimental, has now evolved sufficiently for driverless goods vehicles to begin earning their livings properly. Some Pods are already in trials for real jobs: running between warehouses, hauling logs from forests and delivering goods for Lidl, a supermarket group.

Pods use the same technology of cameras, radar, lidar (the optical equivalent of radar) and satellite-positioning as other contenders in the field, but they differ from those others in the way their maker tries to deal with the regulatory concerns which prevent fully autonomous vehicles from being let loose on public roads. Emride’s approach, at least at the moment, is to avoid these by avoiding the roads in question. Instead, the Pod’s first version operates on designated routes within the confines of enclosed, private areas such as ports and industrial parks. Here, Pods act like bigger and smarter versions of the delivery robots which already run around some factories though by having the ability to carry 16 tonnes and with room on board for 15 industrial pallets’-worth of goods they are indeed quite a lot bigger.

Lidar：激光雷达   optical  /ˈɒptɪkl/光学的；眼睛的，视觉的

contender  n. /kənˈtendə(r)/  竞争者；角逐者；争夺者 • a leading/serious/strong contender for the party leadership 该党领导权最重要的╱强劲的╱有实力的角逐者

let loose释放；使随心所欲；屈服；突然倒塌 ·A team of professionals were let loose on the project. 有一组专业人员在放心大胆地做这个项目。

confine  v. /kənˈfaɪn/  

1.~ sb/sth to sth 限制；限定 •The work will not be confined to

2.~ sb/sth (in sth) 监禁；禁闭 •Keep the dog confined in a suitable travelling cage. 把狗关进适于旅行的笼子里。

3. be confined to bed, a wheelchair, etc. 使离不开（或受困于床、轮椅等）•She was confined to bed with the flu. 她因患流感卧病在床。

enclosed  adj. /ɪnˈkləʊzd/  

1.（用墙等）围住的，封闭的 •Do not use this substance in an enclosed space. 切勿在不透气的地方使用此物质。

2. 随函附上的；附上的 •Please complete the enclosed application form. 请填好随函所附的申请表。

3.(宗教团体 ) 与外界隔绝的

The second difference from most other attempts at vehicle autonomy is Einride’s approach to the word “autonomy”. Some makers take the idea literally, and aim to keep humans out of the decision-making loop entirely. Others, often prompted by traffic regulations, arrange things so that a normally passive human occupant can take the controls if necessary. Pods represent a third way. They always have a human in the loop to keep an eye on what is happening and to take over the driving for a difficult manoeuvre or if something goes wrong. But this human operates remotely.

Occupant /ˈɒkjəpənt/ （房屋、建筑等的）使用者，居住者；（汽车等内的）乘坐者，占用者

Manoeuvre  /məˈnuːvə(r)/  

名词 1. 细致巧妙的移动；机动动作•a complicated/skilful manoeuvre 复杂的╱熟练的移动2. 策略；手段；花招；伎俩·diplomatic manoeuvres 外交策略 3.军事演习；作战演习•The army is on manoeuvres in the desert. 军队在沙漠中进行军事演习。

freedom of/room for maˈnoeuvre改变事态的机会；回旋余地

动词1.（使谨慎或熟练地）移动，运动；转动•There was very little room to manoeuvre. 几乎没有什么活动空间。 2. 操纵；控制；使花招 •The new laws have left us little room to manoeuvre 新法律没给我们留下多少回旋的余地。

Having the driver sitting back at HQ rather than in the vehicle itself is a departure from convention, but not a huge one. Aerial drones are usually controlled in this way. The radical step is that Mr Falck believes you do not need a remote driver for each Pod. Einride already uses one person to control two Pods, but plans eventually for a single driver to look after ten.

HQ ：headquaters的缩写，总部

Aerial/ˈeəriəl/ adj. 空中的，航空的；空气的；空想的n. [电讯] 天线

Drone /drəʊn/n. 雄蜂；嗡嗡的声音；懒惰者；无人机（非正式） vi. 嗡嗡作声；混日子 vt. 低沉地说 

Aerial drones ：无人飞机

radical  /ˈrædɪkl/ adj. 激进的；根本的；彻底的 n. 基础；激进分子；[物化] 原子团；[数] 根数

译文

THANKS TO“Top Gear”, a British television show for motoring enthusiasts that is now a global brand, a former second-world-war airfield called Dunsfold has become one of the best known testing tracks in the world. On October 15th, however, instead of reverberating to the roar of supercars driven by the show’s anonymous racing driver, the Stig, it witnessed the sight of what appeared to be the cabless trailer of an articulated lorry belting almost silently around the course at over 80kph.

多亏了《Top Gear》，一档深受汽车爱好者喜爱的英国汽车节目，现在闻名全球，Dunsfold，二战停机场，变成了世界汽车道路检测数一数二的地方。今年10月15号，没了节目无名赛车驾驶员Stig驾驶跑车不断回响的轰鸣声，Dunsfold见证了一辆似乎是无驾驶室连接的拖车静静地在赛道上以80km/h的速度行进。

The Pod (see picture), as this vehicle is known, was made by Einride, a Swedish firm founded in 2016 by Robert Falck, an engineer who used to work for Volvo. Mr Falck thinks that the technology of vehicle autonomy, long experimental, has now evolved sufficiently for driverless goods vehicles to begin earning their livings properly. Some Pods are already in trials for real jobs: running between warehouses, hauling logs from forests and delivering goods for Lidl, a supermarket group.

Pod（车名）是Einride建造，Einride由Robert Falck（沃尔沃前工程师）创办的瑞典公司。Falck认为交通工具自动化的科学技术，经过长期试验，已经完全可以支持无人驾驶货物运输，并从中获利。一些Pod已经在现实中投入使用：仓储间运输、林场托运木头、超市配送（已为Lidl连锁超市送货）。

Pods use the same technology of cameras, radar, lidar (the optical equivalent of radar) and satellite-positioning as other contenders in the field, but they differ from those others in the way their maker tries to deal with the regulatory concerns which prevent fully autonomous vehicles from being let loose on public roads. Emride’s approach, at least at the moment, is to avoid these by avoiding the roads in question. Instead, the Pod’s first version operates on designated routes within the confines of enclosed, private areas such as ports and industrial parks. Here, Pods act like bigger and smarter versions of the delivery robots which already run around some factories though by having the ability to carry 16 tonnes and with room on board for 15 industrial pallets’-worth of goods they are indeed quite a lot bigger.

Pod与它的竞争者一样，采用相机、雷达、激光雷达（光学原理的雷达）和卫星定位等技术。它不同之处在于，不像竞争者的打造者们一门心思想要处理管制方面的问题，而这些管制严防死守无人驾驶交通工具在公共道路上自由行驶。Emride公司的策略，至少现在是避免道路管制成为问题。取而代之，Pod的第一个版本是在封闭环境的定制路线下运行，私有区域例如港口、工业园。在这些环境下，Pod就像是更大、更聪明的已在一些工厂使用的运输机器人，但能运载16吨货物和运输15个工业托盘的货物。确实不是一般的大。

The second difference from most other attempts at vehicle autonomy is Einride’s approach to the word “autonomy”. Some makers take the idea literally, and aim to keep humans out of the decision-making loop entirely. Others, often prompted by traffic regulations, arrange things so that a normally passive human occupant can take the controls if necessary. Pods represent a third way. They always have a human in the loop to keep an eye on what is happening and to take over the driving for a difficult manoeuvre or if something goes wrong. But this human operates remotely.

第二个不同之处在于Einride与其他企业对于交通工具自动化的词“自动”的理解。一些制造商完全接受字面意思，意图将人类从决策权踢出。另外一些则受交通管制的推动，安排驾驶人员在必要的时候掌控汽车。Pod代表了第三种方式。人一直都在决策圈内，观察发生了什么，在复杂操作中或者情况不对劲的时候可以接管汽车。不过是远程操控。

Having the driver sitting back at HQ rather than in the vehicle itself is a departure from convention, but not a huge one. Aerial drones are usually controlled in this way. The radical step is that Mr Falck believes you do not need a remote driver for each Pod. Einride already uses one person to control two Pods, but plans eventually for a single driver to look after ten.

有别于传统，Pod的司机坐在不大的总部而不是车上。无人飞机也是通过这种方式进行操控。比较激进点在于Falck认为不需要一人远程负责一辆Pod。Falck已经采用一人负责两辆Pod，目标是一人负责10辆Pod。