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This is Scientific American — 60-Second Science. I'm Erika Beras.
Got a minute?
⑴Advocates for ⑵self-driving cars love to⑶ tout the benefits the cars would bring, such as⑷ fewer accidents and less congestion. Another ⑸alleged value of being a passenger⑹ rather than a driver is more ⑺productivity—you could work rather than ⑻concentrate on driving. But most people might not spend their ⑼newfound free time in self-driving cars ⑽whittling down their ⑾to-do lists.
That's according to a study by Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle at The University of Michigan's Sustainable Worldwide Transportation program.
The researchers surveyed people in the U.S., Australia, China, India, Japan and the U.K. And about 62 percent of ⑿respondents said self-driving cars would not make them more productive. For one thing, 23 percent of the group said they won't ⒀ride in a self-driving car ⒁in the first place. And then there are the people who ⒂get motion sickness—they obviously can't work. ⒃Plus, another 36 percent said they'd be ⒄too concerned to do anything but watch the road.
The researchers also noted that most⒅ trips average 19 minutes—not really long enough to get ⒆anything truly substantial done. Or to ⒇catch some quality zzzzz's.
Of course, the level of (21)apprehension people experience in self-driving cars, or about getting into them, may change(22) in the long-run. But this study is another(23) reminder that there's still a lot to be(24) figured out before (25)automatic autos rule the roadways.
Thanks for the minute for Scientific American — 60-Second Science Science. I'm Erika Beras.
参考译文
这里是科学美国人——60秒科学。我是艾丽卡·贝拉斯。
有一分钟时间吗？
自动驾驶的拥护者喜欢吹捧自动驾驶汽车带来的好处，比如减少交通事故和拥堵。另一个说法是，相较于司机来说，这种汽车其实提高了乘客的生产力，因为你可以集中精力工作，而不用驾驶。但是，大多数人可能不会将新获得的自由时间花费在用自动驾驶汽车削减待办事项上。
这是一项研究所得出的结论，该研究由密歇根大学全球可持续运输项目的迈克尔·西瓦克和布兰顿·舒特勒所做。
研究人员对来自美国、澳大利亚、中国、印度、日本和英国的民众进行了调查。大约62%的受访者认为，自动驾驶汽车不会使他们更有效率。有23%的受访者表示他们不会乘坐无人驾驶汽车。还有一些人会晕车，显然在这种情况下他们无法工作。另外36%的受访者表示，他们的注意力全在看路上，以致于无法做其他事。
研究人员还指出，无人驾驶汽车的平均出行时间为19分钟，这么短的时间不足以完成任何实质性的事情。也不足于进行高质量的睡眠。
当然，从长期来看，人们对于体验或乘坐无人驾驶汽车的恐惧程度可能会改变。但是，这项研究还提醒我们，在无人驾驶车辆统治道路之前，还有很多事情有待解决。
谢谢大家收听科学美国人——60秒科学。我是艾丽卡·贝拉斯。
（译文来源-可可英语）
【需要掌握的词语及搭配讲解】
1【 an advocate for sth/sb 】n.为....谋利益者；....的拥护者
eg：...advocate for the homeless...
为无家可归的人谋利益者
【an advocate of sth】n.拥护者；提倡者
【advocate sth】v.拥护；提倡；主张
2【self-driving car】=25【automatic auto】
自驾汽车；自动汽车
3【tout】v.高价卖；刺探；吹捧 n.贩子
4【fewer accidents and less congestion】
较少的交通事故和拥堵
【congestion】n.阻塞；拥挤；充血
5【alleged】adj.声称的；可疑的；靠不住的（阅读态度词）
6【rather than】而非；胜于；而不是；
例句：One should take these precepts in the spirit rather than in the letter.
人们应该去理解这些格言的精神实质而不是死抠字面。
7【be productivity】n.（有）生产率；效率；生产力
【be productive】adj.有效率的
8【concentrate on driving（doing）/sth】全神贯注；集中（心思）
例句：I can't concentrate on my work when I'm tired.
我累了就无法集中精力工作。
9【newfound】adj.新发现的；重新找回的
例句：Ann was brimming over with newfound confidence....
安内心充满了重新找回的信心。
10【whittle down】逐渐减少；逐渐压缩…的人数；
例句：He had whittled eight interviewees down to two.
他已经逐渐将参加面试的人数由8人减少到2人。
11【one's to-do list】某人的待办事项；任务清单；工作安排
12【respondent】调查对象
13【ride in a car】乘坐汽车
【ride a horse】骑马
【ride a bicycle/ a motorcycle】骑自行车/摩托车
【ride in a vehicle/car】搭乘交通工具/汽车
14【in the first place】起初；一开始；
例句：In the first place, we should solve this problem.
首先，我们应该解决这个问题。
15【get /be motion sickness】晕车
16【Plus】在本文，plus 介词放在句首，= in addition 另外
17【too concerned to do anything but do sth（watch the road）】
太专注以至于不能做任何事情除了某事（看着路面）
【too...to】太...以至于不能....
【anything but】除了.....
18【trip】【on a trip】在旅行中
【take a trip】【make a trip】【have a trip】【go on a trip】去旅行
【trip on 】在....上失误
【trip over】被...绊倒
19【anything truly substantial 】
任何实质性的事情 【sth+adv.+adj】
20【catch some quality zzzzz's】
获取高质量的睡眠 zzzzz时髦英语词汇，表示睡觉
21【apprehension】n.理解；担忧；逮捕
【apprehension about sth】担忧某事
【apprehension of sb】逮捕某人
【apprehension of sth】理解；领悟某事
22【in the long-run】长期以内；长期来看
long-run：adj. 长期的=long time
23【be a reminder +that 从句】提示.......
=【remind +that从句】
24【figured out】想出；理解；弄清；=settle =solve=resolve=work out
例句：They might have figured out this riddle by now.
他们现在也许已经解开这个谜了。
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