汽车通过车轮来移动，在特殊的地形地貌下就无法使用了。最近韩国的现代公司推出了一款概念汽车，它不仅能像普通汽车一样开，还能像机器人一样行走，几乎适用于任何地形。
A car that walks on four legs
by Peter Holley
When experts ponder the future of automobiles, they tend to focus on two novel modes of transportation: driverless cars and flying cars. At this year's CES technology show in Las Vegas, Hyundai has introduced a third vision for how vehicles might traverse（穿行） the world around them – one that does not rely solely on wheels.
ponder /ˈpɒndə(r)/ v. 深入思考、沉思
automobile /ˈɔːtəməbiːl/ n. 汽车
tend /tend/ v. 倾向于
focus /ˈfəʊkəs/ on 集中精力在、专注于
novel /ˈnɒv(ə)l/ adj. 新颖的
mode /məʊd/ n. 模式、方式
transportation /ˌtrænspɔːˈteɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 交通、运输
driverless /ˈdraɪvələs/ adj. 没有司机的、无人驾驶的（由driver加上表示否定的后缀-less并变成形容词）
CES 是一年一度的国际消费电子展
Las Vegas /læsˈveɪɡəs/ 拉斯维加斯（美国赌城）
Hyundai 现代（韩国公司）
introduce /ˌɪntrəˈdjuːs/ v. 引入
vision /ˈvɪʒ(ə)n/ n. 想法、景象
vehicle /ˈviːɪk(ə)l/ n. 车辆
rely /rɪˈlaɪ/ on 依靠
solely /ˈsəʊlli/ adv. 仅仅
Hyundai's latest concept car is designed to walk as easily as it rolls. Called "Elevate," the daddy-longlegs-like machine has wheels at the end of long robotic legs that would allow "users to drive, walk or even climb over the most treacherous（暗藏危险的） terrain," according to the company.
concept /ˈkɒnsept/ n. 概念
roll /rəʊl/ v. 转动、滚动（这里指车轮转动）
daddy longlegs 长腿蜘蛛
robotic /rəʊˈbɒtɪk/ adj. 机器人的、像机器人的（由robot加后缀-ic变成形容词）
terrain /təˈreɪn/ n. 地形、地貌
The company – which labels the machine a UMV, or "ultimate mobility vehicle" – said the concept was inspired by the need for "resilient transportation" in disaster zones, where conventional vehicles are often rendered useless.
label /ˈleɪb(ə)l/ v. 贴标签（引申为起名字）
or /ɔː(r)/ conj. 也就是
ultimate /ˈʌltɪmət/ adj. 终极的
mobility /məʊˈbɪləti/ n. 移动性、机动性
inspire /ɪnˈspaɪə(r)/ v. 启发、给予灵感
resilient /rɪˈzɪliənt/ adj. 有弹性的、可复原的
disaster /dɪˈzɑːstə(r)/ n. 灾难、灾害
conventional /kənˈvenʃ(ə)n(ə)l/ adj. 常规的、遵循传统的
render /ˈrendə(r)/ v. 使得、使成为
"When a tsunami（海啸） or earthquake hits, current rescue vehicles can only deliver first responders to the edge of the debris field," said John Suh, Hyundai vice president. "They have to go the rest of the way by foot.★ Elevate can drive to the scene and climb right over flood debris or broken concrete."
earthquake /ˈɜːθkweɪk/ n. 地震
current /ˈkʌr(ə)nt/ adj. 现在的、目前的
rescue /ˈreskjuː/ n. 救援、营救
deliver /dɪˈlɪvə(r)/ v. 投送
first responders /rɪˈspɒndəz/ 第一批救援人员
debris /ˈdebriː/ n. 废墟
vice /vaɪs/ adj. 副职的（vice president是副总裁）
★ 用on foot来表示步行最为常见，但是用by foot也是对的，因为一些母语使用者也会用by foot
concrete /ˈkɒŋkriːt/ n. 混凝土
Suh added the vehicle's usefulness would not be limited to emergency situations. For people living with disabilities without access to an ADA ramp, he said, an autonomous version of the Elevate could walk to a front door and position itself so a wheelchair could "roll right in."
usefulness /ˈjuːsf(ə)lnəs/ n. 可使用性、实用性（由useful加后缀-ness变成名词）
limit /ˈlɪmɪt/ v. 限制
emergency /ɪˈmɜːdʒ(ə)nsi/ n. 紧急情况
disability /ˌdɪsəˈbɪləti/ n. 失能、残疾（由ability加上表示否定的前缀dis-）
access /ˈækses/ n. 接近、获得
ramp /ræmp/ n. 坡道、斜坡（ADA ramp是供轮椅上下的斜坡）
autonomous /ɔːˈtɒnəməs/ adj. 自主的
version /ˈvɜːʃ(ə)n/ n. 版本、变体
position /pəˈzɪʃ(ə)n/ v. 放置
wheelchair /ˈwiːltʃeə(r)/ n. 轮椅（由wheel和chair组成）
How realistic is the Elevate concept? David Bailey, a professor at Aston Business School in England, said that although concept cars may not make it to the factory floor, they can help generate valuable new ideas.
realistic /ˌrɪəˈlɪstɪk/ adj. 现实的、实际的
make it 成功、做成某事
generate /ˈdʒenəreɪt/ v. 产生
"For most of us, it's going to be wheels and roads, but in extreme situations there may be scope for this sort of thing," Bailey said. "There may well be applications in terms of emergency services – but there are very big technological challenges to make this sort of thing."
extreme /ɪkˈstriːm/ adj. 极端的
scope /skəʊp/ n. 范围、范畴
may well 很可能
application /ˌæplɪˈkeɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 运用、应用
in terms of 在…方面、就…而言
technological /ˌteknəˈlɒdʒɪk(ə)l/ adj. 技术的（由technology加后缀-ical变成形容词）
Hyundai's vision is undeniably ambitious. The company said it envisions being able to switch out different Elevate body types for different situations. The vehicle is designed to use "both mammalian（哺乳动物的） and reptilian（爬行动物的） walking gaits," giving it the ability to travel in any direction.
undeniably /ˌʌndɪˈnaɪəbli/ adv. 不可否认地
ambitious /æmˈbɪʃəs/ adj. 耗时费力的
envision /ɪnˈvɪʒ(ə)n/ v. 预想、展望
switch /swɪtʃ/ v. 切换
gait /ɡeɪt/ n. 步态、走路方式
"Imagine a car stranded in a snow ditch just three meters off the highway being able to walk or climb over the treacherous terrain, back to the road, potentially saving its injured passengers – this is the future of vehicular mobility," said David Byron, industrial design manager at Sundberg-Ferar, a Detroit-based design firm that partnered with Hyundai to create the Elevate.
imagine /ɪˈmædʒɪn/ v. 想象
stranded /ˈstrændɪd/ adj. 被困住的
ditch /dɪtʃ/ n. 沟、渠
highway /ˈhaɪweɪ/ n. 干线公路、高速公路
potentially /pəˈtenʃ(ə)li/ adv. 潜在地、可能地（由potential加后缀-ly变成副词）
vehicular /viˈɪkjələ(r)/ adj. 车辆的
industrial /ɪnˈdʌstriəl/ adj. 工业的（由industry加后缀-al变成形容词）
Detroit /dəˈtrɔɪt/ n. 底特律（美国城市）
-based /beɪst/ 后缀，表示“总部在某地”
partner /ˈpɑːtnə(r)/ v. 合作
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