无人机将拿走1270亿美元的就业岗位?

 Google and Amazon were quick to put drones to use delivering orders. 

谷歌和亚马逊已经开始用无人机送货，反应神速。

But new research suggests delivery is just one small way drones are going to replace humans. The tiny airborne vessels¹ will soon clean windows on skyscrapers², verify insurance claims and spray pesticide³ on crops. 

但最新调查显示，快递运输只是无人机将要取代人类工作的领域之一。看似瘦小的无人机很快就可以给高楼擦玻璃；核实保险索赔，还可能给农作物施肥。

The global market for drones, valued at around $2 billion today, will replace up to $127 billion worth of business services and human labour over the next four years, according to a new research by consulting firm PwC. 

普华永道咨询公司最新发布调查报告预计，无人机的全球市场价值如今已接近20亿美元，到2020年，无人机将取代价值高达1270亿美元（约合8271亿元人民币）的商业服务和人工劳务工作。

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Drone technology could soon become part of our everyday lives, monitoring problems with crumbling⁴ infrastructure⁵ such as cracks in tarmac, bridges and houses and even repairing them as part of $45.2 billion of infrastructure work currently done by humans. 

无人机科技将很快融入我们的日常生活，监测有裂痕的基础设施的问题，比如柏油路面、桥梁和住宅的裂缝，甚至进行修复工作，进军价值452亿美元的基础设施市场，而目前这一领域基本是人工劳动。

Construction companies, amid other things, will be able to attach 3D printers to drones to produce on site-replacement parts for damaged elements of houses or roads. 

建筑公司以及其它机构，未来能够将3D打印机安装在无人机上，为住宅或道路现场生成替换部件。

Drones will be able to perform most tasks at height, reducing the risk of death and injury and increasing efficiency. 

大多数高空作业都适合用无人机，以减少工伤并提高效率。

In transport, one of the most promising⁶ uses of drones is predicted to be food delivery. 

在运输行业，无人机最有可能“大显身手”的领域是食品速递。

“Providing products such as frozen food, ready-to-eat dishes or even daily groceries from large chains may become be the next big thing in the food and restaurant industries,” analysts⁷ at PwC said. 

普华永道分析师认为，“食品餐饮行业下一步可能着眼于用无人机运输速冻食品、即食食品，甚至大型连锁店的日用品。”

As soon as regulation permits, drones will be able to decrease the time it takes to deliver food, PwC said. 

普华永道称，只要规则允许，无人机就可以缩短运送食品的时间。

Google is for instance already trying to solve the problem of how to fly drones safely in yards without endangering pets or other potential obstacles. 

比如，谷歌公司已经开始着手解决无人机如何安全飞过人们的院子，不威胁到宠物，也不撞到其他潜在的障碍物。

In agriculture, drones will increasingly be used to gather and analyse data on crops quickly as well as to do precise spraying on plants. 

在农业方面，无人机将被更多地用于迅速收集、分析农作物数据，并精确喷洒。

Top drone markets by 2020 according to PwC 

普华永道预计的2020年八大无人机市场：

1. Infrastructure ($45.2 bn) 基础设施（452亿美元）

2. Agriculture ($32.4bn) 农业（324亿美元）

3. Transport ($13bn) 交通运输（130亿美元）

4. Security ($10bn) 安全（100亿美元）

5. Media and entertainment ($8.8 bn) 媒体和娱乐产业（88亿美元）

6. Insurance ($6.8 bn) 保险（68亿美元）

7. Telecoms ($6.3bn) 电信（63亿美元）

8. Mining ($4.4bn) 采矿业（44亿美元）

Vocabulary

skyscrapers: 摩天大楼

ready-to-eat: 可即食的

1 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 skyscrapers   

n.摩天大楼

参考例句：

• A lot of skyscrapers in Manhattan are rising up to the skies. 曼哈顿有许多摩天大楼耸入云霄。
• On all sides, skyscrapers rose like jagged teeth. 四周耸起的摩天大楼参差不齐。

3 pesticide   

n.杀虫剂，农药

参考例句：

• The pesticide was spread over the vegetable plot.菜田里撒上了农药。
• This pesticide is diluted with water and applied directly to the fields.这种杀虫剂用水稀释后直接施用在田里。

4 crumbling   

adj.摇摇欲坠的

参考例句：

• an old house with crumbling plaster and a leaking roof 一所灰泥剥落、屋顶漏水的老房子
• The boat was tied up alongside a crumbling limestone jetty. 这条船停泊在一个摇摇欲坠的石灰岩码头边。

5 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

6 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

7 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。