【经济学人】 新能源已是大势所趋, 为何许多人对电动汽车仍望而却步

Pump up the voltage

调高电压

【导读】环境与能源危机是近年来国际社会经常探讨的两大热门话题。我们的代步工具—汽车，与这两大热门话题有着千丝万缕的联系。首先，汽车的驱动需要以燃油为燃料，其次燃油的燃烧产生化学废物严重污染了环境。因此，近年来电动汽车的发展备受瞩目。电动汽车，顾名思义以电为能源来源，这样既减少了能源消耗，同时对环境的污染更小。但电动汽车的发展仍不成熟，仍然存在着诸多问题：如电池容量，续航里程，配套充电设施等问题。所以，许多车主对电动汽车仍然望而却步。本文为大家介绍的则是各汽车生产商及汽车配件生产商在增加汽车续航里程，加快充电速度上所取得的技术突破。相信在人类智慧的不断探索下，环保节能的电动汽车会发展的越来越完善，相关技术也会越来越成熟。

1

Most EVS operate at 400 volts (400v). But a number of producers and their component suppliers are now gearing up to introduce 800v drive systems. Higher voltages supply the same amount of power with less current, which means electric cables can be made lighter—the consequent weight saving helping to increase a vehicle’s range, says Christoph Gillen, a technology director for GKN Automotive, a British components group which recently announced that it is accelerating its development of 800v drive systems. As most cabling is made from copper, the price of which has been soaring, this should also save carmakers money.

多数电动汽车运行电压为400伏。但目前许多汽车制造商及原件供应商正准备推出800伏驱动系统。吉凯恩集团技术总监克里斯托弗·吉伦称，提高电压后，较小的电流便能产生同等的电能，这样汽车电缆就可以做的更轻便，汽车总重量下降从而有助于延长汽车续航里程。吉凯恩集团，作为一家英国汽车原件生产商，日前也宣布集团正加快研发800伏驱动系统。同时，由于汽车电缆装置大部分原料为铜，近期铜价一直在飙升，因此此举也会为汽车制造商省下一大笔开支。

【单词与短语】

gear n./v. /ɡɪə(r)/ n. 1. machinery in a vehicle that turns engine power (or power on a bicycle) into movement forwards or backwards 排挡；齿轮；传动装置

2.a particular position of the gears in a vehicle that gives a particular range of speed and power 挡 e.g. reverse gear 倒挡

3. the equipment or clothing needed for a particular activity （某种活动的）设备，用具，衣服 e.g. climbing/fishing/sports, etc. gear 爬山、钓鱼、运动等用具

4.the things that a person owns 所有物；财物

e.g. I've left all my gear at Dave's house. 我把我所有的东西都留在戴夫家了。

5.a piece of machinery used for a particular purpose（特定用途的）器械，装置

e.g. lifting/towing/winding, etc. gear 起重、牵引、卷扬等装置

6.used to talk about the speed or effort involved in doing sth （做事的）速度，努力

e.g. to move into high gear 进入高速发展

v. 1.gear sth to/towards sth to make, change or prepare sth so that it is suitable for a particular purpose使与…相适应；使适合于

2.gear up (for/to sth) to prepare yourself/sb/sth to do sth （使）为…作好准备

cable n. /ˈkeɪbl/ 1. thick strong metal rope used on ships, for supporting bridges, etc. （系船用的）缆绳；（支撑桥梁等用的）钢索

2. a set of wires, covered in plastic or rubber, that carries electricity, telephone signals, etc. 电缆

【重难点分析】

Higher voltages supply the same amount of power with less current, which means electric cables can be made lighter—the consequent weight saving helping to increase a vehicle’s range, says Christoph Gillen, a technology director for GKN Automotive, a British components group which recently announced that it is accelerating its development of 800v drive systems.

该句为本文的一个长难句。在此我们对该句进行简要的分析。

第一步，找主干。

句子主干：Higher voltages supply the same amount of power with less current,says Christoph Gillen.

其实前边部分为宾语从句。破折号后不是一个句子，是在表述cables can be made lighter之后的结果—提高汽车续航里程，因为附着在宾语从句上，所以help变成了helping动名词结构。再看其它修饰成分，第一个which引导非限定性定语从句，指代前文一事实意味着......。

A technology director.... 同位语成分，说明Gillen的身份。a British components group...... 同位语成分，说明GKN Automotive. 同位语中包含一个which引导的定语从句。

【翻译注解】

Higher voltages supply the same amount of power with less current, which means electric cables can be made lighter—the consequent weight saving helping to increase a vehicle’s range, says Christoph Gillen, a technology director for GKN Automotive, a British components group which recently announced that it is accelerating its development of 800v drive systems.

该句子的翻译同样考验大家拆分句子的能力。在此处再次讲解一下长难句翻译过程。句子虽长，但是意思却很清楚。

先以意群为单位将句子拆分成几块：

1. 电压高，电能不变情况下，电流小。

2. 这意味着

3.电缆设备更轻

4. 总重量减轻

5. 汽车续航里程提升

6. 克里斯托弗·吉伦称

7.吉伦是吉凯恩集团技术总监

8. 吉凯恩集团是一家英国汽车配件生产商

9. 该集团近期宣布在加快研发800伏汽车驱动系统。

然后，不再看原文，将这些信息点用汉语写作的方式表达出来。表达的时候假想自己在进行汉语写作，写作要求是将上述信息点完整表述出来。这样就可以在很大程度上避免“英式汉语”。

2

What drivers are most likely to notice, though, according to Dr Gillen, is that vehicles with 800v drive systems will be able to make greater use of some of the latest fast chargers. For instance, Ionity, a German company backed by a number of carmakers, is building a network of 350kw fast chargers across Europe. These automatically optimize charging speed to the maximum that a vehicle can handle. Using one of these, an EV with an 800v system will be able to recharge about twice as quickly as a similar vehicle with a 400v system.

不过，吉伦博士称，司机们最可能留意到的是搭载800伏驱动系统的电动汽车将使最新型快速充电桩利用率得以提升。以德国公司尤尼特为例，该公司由多家汽车制造公司联手创建，目前正在全欧洲范围内部署建设一个350千瓦快速充电桩网络。充电速度自然而然会被提升到汽车可承受的最大速度。若使用这种350千瓦充电桩，平常充满一辆400伏汽车所用的时间便可以充满两辆800伏汽车。

【单词与短语】

optimize v. /ˈɒptɪmaɪz/ to make sth as good as it can be; to use sth in the best possible way 使最优化；充分利用

【背景知识】

Ionity:该公司是宝马集团，戴姆勒股份公司，福特汽车公司和大众集团与奥迪和保时捷的合资企业。他们将在欧洲的主要路线上建立一个可靠和强大的充电站网络，使电动汽车的长途旅行享受愉快的体验。

【重难点分析】

What drivers are most likely to notice, though, according to Dr Gillen, is that vehicles with 800v drive systems will be able to make greater use of some of the latest fast chargers.

句子主干：主语从句+系动词+表语从句。

虽然两种从句出现在一个句子中，但理解起来很容易。what引导的从句，在句中充当主语成分。is后边that引导从句在句中作表语。其实这只不过是一个 A is B这样一个主系表结构句子。所以，掌握好五大基本句型对于理解分析句子来说至关重要。

3

Fast chargers are also more efficient. All chargers take electricity from the grid, which uses an alternating current (AC). When an EV is plugged into a standard charging point, its systems convert AC into direct current (DC), which is what a battery needs to store electricity. Fast chargers by-pass the vehicle’s converter, using their own beefier bits of kit to pump a DC charge directly into the battery.

此外，快充效率更高。所有充电桩的电能都来自于国家电网，电网传输的为交流电。如果一辆电动汽车在当下标准化充电站进行充电的话，汽车内部系统需将交流电转化成电池存电时所需的直流电。而快充则绕过了转化这一环节，快充自带的功能强大的元器件可实现将直流电直接充入汽车电池中。

【单词与短语】

grid n. /ɡrɪd/ 1. a pattern of straight lines, usually crossing each other to form squares 网格；方格

2.a frame of metal or wooden bars that are parallel or cross each other （金属或木制的）格子，格栅，栅栏

3.a pattern of squares on a map that are marked with letters or numbers to help you find the exact position of a place （地图上的）坐标方格

4.a system of electric wires or pipes carrying gas, for sending power over a large area （输电线路、天然气管道等的）系统网络；输电网；煤气输送网

5.a pattern of lines marking the starting positions for the racing cars赛车起跑线

plug v. /plʌɡ/ 1. to fill a hole with a substance or piece of material that fits tightly into it 堵塞；封堵

e.g. He plugged the hole in the pipe with an old rag. 他用一块旧破布把管子上的那个洞塞住了。

2.to provide sth that has been missing from a particular situation and is needed in order to improve it 补足；补充；供给

e.g. A cheaper range of products was introduced to plug the gap at the lower end of the market.推出相对廉价的一系列产品，是为了填补较低档市场的缺口。

3.to give praise or attention to a new book, film/movie, etc. in order to encourage people to buy it or see it

e.g. She came on the show to plug her latest album. 她出现在电视节目上，推广她的新唱片专辑。

by-pass v. 绕过；避开；（为了更快地达成某事）不顾

beefy adj. 高大的；肥胖的；如牛的

pump v. /pʌmp/ 1. to make water, air, gas, etc. flow in a particular direction by using a pump or sth that works like a pump 用泵（或泵样器官等）输送

e.g. The heart pumps blood around the body. 心脏把血液输送到全身。

2.to flow in a particular direction as if it is being forced by apump 涌出；涌流；奔流 e.g. Blood was pumping out of his wound. 血从他的伤口喷出。

3.to move sth quickly up and down or in and out 上下（或内外）快速摇动；急速摇晃

4. to move quickly up and down or in and out 快速上下（或内外）运动

5. to try to get information from sb by asking them a lot of questions 盘问；追问；一再探问

4

The first EV to use an 800v drive system was the Porsche Taycan, a luxury sports saloon. This was launched in 2019. According to Porsche, by using a fast-charger the Taycan’s huge 93kwh battery can, in a little more than five minutes, gather enough juice for the car to travel 100km.

首款搭载800伏驱动系统的电动汽车为保时捷泰坎，一款奢华的运动型轿车。该车于2019年上市。保时捷称，使用快充后，保时捷泰坎93千瓦时的大电池可在5分钟多一点的时间内充足电，这些电量足以使汽车续航100公里。

【翻译注解】

According to Porsche, by using a fast-charger the Taycan’s huge 93kwh battery can, in a little more than five minutes, gather enough juice for the car to travel 100km.

句子中包含一个隐喻（metaphor）

即：the battery can gather enough juice for the car. Gather enough juice即为隐喻的现象，用“汽车喝饱了果汁”喻指“汽车充足电”翻译中对于各种比喻：明喻；隐喻；借喻等各种比喻的处理方法一般是：能保留则保留，保留不了译出本身含义。实际上，大多数英语比喻想要译为汉语仍保留比喻手法并不容易实现。因为比喻本身是语言与文化的一种结合，以文化赋予词语新的含义，但是中西方文化存在较大的差异，对同一事物，不同的文化可能赋予其不同的比喻意义，所以翻译的时候多数时候还是译出比喻背后的真实含义。（当然文学作品翻译除外）。