随着网购的蓬勃发展，快递包裹越来越多。而快递的最后一段，送包裹上门，是成本最高的一段。为了降低成本和提高效率，很多公司都在研究自动化的送货方案。
The last mile of delivering goods
by John Goodwin
Today, delivery is a bigger business than ever. With online shopping, it's estimated the U.S. Postal Service, FedEx and UPS will process, sort and deliver more than two billion packages between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve.
delivery /dɪˈlɪv(ə)ri/ n. 投递、递送
estimate /ˈestɪmeɪt/ v. 估计、估算
process /ˈprəʊses/ v. 处理
sort /sɔːt/ v. 分类、分拣
billion /ˈbɪljən/ n. 十亿
package /ˈpækɪdʒ/ n. 包裹
Thanksgiving /ˌθæŋksˈɡɪvɪŋ/ n. 感恩节（美国的感恩节是每年11月的第4个星期四）
The growth in home delivery is focusing attention on what logistics（物流） experts call the last mile. "They don't mean literally a mile; they mean the last piece of this supply chain," said Anne Goodchild, director of the Supply Chain Transportation and Logistics Center at the University of Washington. "And it's the most expensive mile of the whole thing. It's estimated that more than 50% of the cost is from that last mile. It's expensive because it's labor-intensive."
growth /ɡrəʊθ/ n. 增长
focus on 聚焦于、使…聚焦于
mile /maɪl/ n. 英里（=1.6公里）
literally /ˈlɪt(ə)r(ə)li/ adv. 字面上地
supply /səˈplaɪ/ n. 供应（supply chain就是供应链）
transportation /ˌtrænspɔːˈteɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 运输
labor /ˈleɪbə(r)/ n. 劳动、劳动力
intensive /ɪnˈtensɪv/ adj. 密集的、密集使用的
That explains why shippers are looking at some radical new technologies to cut the cost of the last mile. Matthew Sweeny, founder and CEO of a delivery drone startup called Flirtey, believes his delivery drones will be delivering to homes all across America.
shipper /ˈʃɪpə(r)/ n. 运货人、运货商
radical /ˈrædɪk(ə)l/ adj. 完全的、彻底的
cut /kʌt/ v. 削减、减少
founder /ˈfaʊndə(r)/ n. 创办人（由found加上表示人的后缀-er）
drone /drəʊn/ n. 无人机
startup /ˈstɑːtʌp/ n. 初创公司（由start和up组成）
He predicts that by Christmas 2020, many packages will be delivered this way: by an airborne drone lowering its payload to the ground. "The labor cost of a drone delivery is less than the labor cost of any other form of delivery because the technology's autonomous（自主的）. It flies itself," he said.
airborne /ˈeəbɔːn/ adj. 空中的
lower /ˈləʊə(r)/ v. 降低、下降
payload /ˈpeɪləʊd/ n. 指运输工具所装载的货物
form /fɔːm/ n. 形式
The drone takes off from, and lands on, what Flirtey calls a portal（门户）. "Our vision is to have a portal at every mall across America," Sweeny said. "Every FedEx or UPS for package delivery. Our mission is to deliver whatever you want, when you want it."
take off 起飞
vision /ˈvɪʒ(ə)n/ n. 构想、设想
mission /ˈmɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 使命
In Berkeley, California, the Kiwibots are heading off to work in the morning. These four-wheeled robots navigate sidewalks and even crosswalks taking food to hungry college students. "This is the future," said Kiwibots CEO Felipe Chávez. His Kiwibots deliver food within about a mile of the University of California campus.
California /ˌkælɪˈfɔːniə/ n. 加利福尼亚（美国西部的州）
head off 出发
four-wheeled 四轮的
navigate /ˈnævɪɡeɪt/ v. 沿预定路线前进
sidewalk /ˈsaɪdwɔːk/ n. 人行道
crosswalk /ˈkrɒswɔːk/ n. 人行横道、斑马线
campus /ˈkæmpəs/ n. 校园
The delivery robots roaming（漫游） the streets are in close proximity to people. That is what's being tested. "We need to make sure that robots live in harmony with other persons," said Chávez.
proximity /prɒkˈsɪməti/ n. 邻近、靠近
make sure 确保
harmony /ˈhɑːməni/ n. 和谐
One advantage of drones and robots: they can deliver on demand when someone is home to receive the package. That could help combat porch pirates, the thieves who see any newly-delivered cardboard box as an irresistible opportunity.
on demand 按需要
combat /kəmˈbæt/ v. 打击
porch /pɔːtʃ/ n. 家门口的门廊（美国的快递包裹通常放在门廊）
pirate /ˈpaɪrət/ n. 海盗（这里指小偷）
newly-delivered 刚刚送来的
cardboard /ˈkɑːdbɔːd/ n. 硬纸板（cardboard box就是纸箱）
irresistible /ˌɪrɪˈzɪstəb(ə)l/ adj. 无法抗拒的、让人忍不住的
opportunity /ˌɒpəˈtjuːnəti/ n. 机会
Goodchild sees something else: the environmental impact. "Trucks are bigger, heavier and more polluting than cars," said Goodchild. "But we have to remember that a truck is actually like a bus for groceries. That truck is visiting many homes. And what our research shows is that the truck is more efficient."
environmental /ɪnˌvaɪr(ə)nˈment(ə)l/ adj. 环境的（由environment加后缀-al变成形容词）
impact /ˈɪmpækt/ n. 影响
pollute /pəˈluːt/ v. 污染
groceries /ˈɡrəʊs(ə)riz/ n. 食品杂货、生活用品
efficient /ɪˈfɪʃ(ə)nt/ adj. 高效的、效果好的
But that advantage can be lost in the rush for ever-faster delivery. "A one-hour delivery or two-hour delivery is not reducing emissions," Goodchild said. "There's no efficiency in the way that there is efficiency in the milkman who can deliver to 40 or 50 homes in a single trip."
rush /rʌʃ/ n. 匆忙行事
ever /ˈevə(r)/ adv. 持续不断地
emission /ɪˈmɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 排放量
efficiency /ɪˈfɪʃ(ə)nsi/ n. 高效
milkman /ˈmɪlkmən/ n. 送牛奶的人
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