VOA常速：安全与舒适成为汽车业未来焦点

燕山大学 刘立军 编写

u TRANSCRIPT

Some of the highest tech at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show is all about keeping you safe in your car. The iris system, for instance, monitors everyone in your car. It can alert drivers if they seem drowsy, or can keep track of babies in the back seat, and warn drivers when things look dicey.

Cameras are everywhere today, and their number increases regularly every single day. It is literally a public space, if, think about it, if you’re sharing a vehicle, it is more of a public space similar to when you walk into a bank or a movie theater or even this space in here. Other devices monitor drivers’ behavior behind the wheel. The Affectiva car camera algorithms work in a way that’s similar to online services like Amazon which recommend products based on browsing habits. Its cameras track drivers and passengers’ activity, recording things that catch their eye and places they stop. The system could offer coupons or discounts at restaurants and other businesses along the way. By the where a captive audience now in what is potentially an entertainment hub. Not always do we want to be entertained necessarily, right?

So it’s really important to understand what the needs are of the people, of the vehicle, and how they’re reacting to the environment, so you can then adapt the experience to those needs. It’s all part of a shift to customize the driving experience, looking to a future where the drivers’ top priority isn’t driving. In a world where cars are truly self-driving, there is no steering wheel anymore. There is no human driver anymore. In that fully autonomous future, there is no backseat as such anymore, right? It’s basically passengers in a vehicle that sometimes even by industry refer to as an entertainment hub.

Some other tech is going in the opposite direction, trying to protect drivers’ anonymity while helping to keep them safe. If you compare two cameras, it has lower resolution, but it’s enough resolution to understand what’s going on in the car while keeping your privacy. And that’s a very good balance which we believe in. But whether it’s on-board cameras or on-board radar, big changes are coming for cars as trips inevitably become less about driving and more about getting from place to place safely and comfortably.

Kevin Enochs VOA News.

Adapted from http://www.kekenet.com/broadcast/201901/576424.shtml

u VOCABULARY

1. drowsy adj. tired and almost asleep 困倦的；昏昏欲睡的。例如：The tablets may make you feel drowsy. 这药片可能会使你昏昏欲睡。

2. dicey adj. (informal) uncertain and dangerous 前途未卜的；冒险的；危险的。 risky

3. algorithms n. (especially computing 计) a set of rules that must be followed when solving a particular problem 算法；计算程序

4. anonymity n. the state of remaining unknown to most other people 匿名；不知姓名；名字不公开。例如：

l Names of people in the book were changed to preserve anonymity. 为了姓名保密，书中的人用的都是化名。

l the anonymity of the city (= where people do not know each other) 城市中的人互不相识的现象

l (especially North American English) He agreed to give an interview on condition of anonymity (= if his name was not mentioned). 他同意在不披露姓名的条件下接受采访。

5. resolution n. the power of a computer screen, printer, etc. to give a clear image, depending on the size of the dots that make up the image 清晰度；析像；分辨率。例如：

high-resolution graphics高清晰度的图形

u QUESTIONS

Read the statements. Then listen to the news and check the true (ü) or false (û) statements.

q 1. Some of the highest tech at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show is all about keeping you comfortable in your car.

q 2. The iris system can warn drivers when things look dangerous.

q 3. Cameras are everywhere today, and their number increases regularly every single week.

q 4. Other devices monitor drivers’ behavior before the wheel.

q 5. The Affectiva car camera algorithms work in a way that’s similar to online services.

q 6. There is no steering wheel and human driver anymore if cars are truly self-driving.

q 7. Some other tech is trying to protect drivers’ anonymity while helping to keep them safe.

u KEY

Read the statements. Then listen to the news and check the true (ü) or false (û) statements.

ý 1. Some of the highest tech at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show is all about keeping you comfortable in your car. 正确表达：Some of the highest tech at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show is all about keeping you safe in your car.

þ 2. The iris system can warn drivers when things look dangerous.

ý 3. Cameras are everywhere today, and their number increases regularly every single week. 正确表达：Cameras are everywhere today, and their number increases regularly every single day.

ý 4. Other devices monitor drivers’ behavior before the wheel. 正确表达：Other devices monitor drivers’ behavior behind the wheel.

þ 5. The Affectiva car camera algorithms work in a way that’s similar to online services.

þ 6. There is no steering wheel and human driver anymore if cars are truly self-driving.

þ 7. Some other tech is trying to protect drivers’ anonymity while helping to keep them safe.