VOA慢速英语2016 美国无人机向卢旺达运送药品（在线收听）

AS IT IS 2016-05-13 US Drone Maker to Fly Medicine in Rwanda 美国无人机向卢旺达运送药品

An American drone maker is teaming up with United Parcel Service to transport blood and medical supplies in Rwanda.

美国一家无人机制造商与联合包裹服务公司合作，向卢旺达运输血液和医疗物资。

The California-based company, Zipline International, manufactures drone aircraft. The company says its drones will fly to remote Rwandan medical centers 20 times faster than any truck or motorcycle.

位于加拿大的Zipline International公司制造无人驾驶飞机。这家公司表示，其无人机将飞往卢旺达偏远的医疗中心，速度比卡车或摩托车快20倍。

United Parcel Service is providing a grant of $800,000 - plus logistical support – for the project through a donation from the UPS Foundation.

联合包裹服务公司通过UPS基金捐赠设立的项目提供价值80万美元的补助和后勤物资。

Another partner is GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, an international organization set up to provide vaccines to the world’s poorest countries.

另外一位合作者是GAVI，疫苗联盟，这是一家国际组织，旨在为世界上最贫困的国家提供疫苗。

Zipline recently announced plans to launch its drone delivery service in July. The company plans to fly the blood and medical supplies to 20 hospitals and health centers across Rwanda, a country of more than 11 million people.

Zipline最近宣布了于7月份开展无人机运输服务的计划。该公司计划向卢旺达20家医院和医疗中心运送血液和医疗物资。卢旺达人口超过1100万。

The World Health Organization (WHO) says Africa has the world’s highest rate of pregnancy deaths resulting from excessive bleeding. This makes the availability of blood and transfusions very important for women across the continent.

世界卫生组织表示，非洲由于失血过多导致的妊娠死亡率是全世界最高的。这导致血液和输血对非洲大陆的女性来说非常重要。

The Rwandan government signed a deal to cooperate with Zipline. The government is promising to pay part of the delivery costs.

卢旺达政府签署了与Zipline合作的协议。政府承诺支付部分运输费用。

The Zipline drone is different from other pilotless aircraft because it does not operate with four propellers on top. The drone is similar to a small robotic airplane with a “fixed-wing” design, similar to commercial airliners.

Zipline无人机与其他无人驾驶的飞机有所不同，因为不是通过顶部的四个螺旋桨来运转。他们的无人机类似有着固定翼的小型机器人飞机，类似商务飞机。

The drones, weighing about 10 kilograms, are launched into the sky with compressed air. They can travel at speeds of 100 kilometers an hour. Their movement can be followed with the help of Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment.

这种无人机只有10千克重，通过压缩空气发射升空，可以以每小时100千米的速度飞行。他们的运动轨迹可以在全球定位系统的帮助下进行追踪。

Each plane can carry up to 1.5 kilograms of materials, usually kept inside a box. The supplies are then dropped from the bottom of the drone and float down to the ground in a parachute.

每一架飞机可以搭载1.5千克的物资，通常装在箱子内。然后物资从无人机底部投放，通过降落伞降落至地面。

Each aircraft can travel up to 120 kilometers on a single flight.

每一架无人机单次飞行距离可达120千米。

The head of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Seth Berkley, said the method is a totally new way of delivering vaccines to children in remote areas.

疫苗联盟负责人Seth Berkley表示，这是向偏远地区儿童运送疫苗的全新方法。

If successful in Rwanda, Zipline and its partners plan to expand the drone deliveries to other countries.

如果在卢旺达获得成功，Zipline及其合作伙伴计划将无人机运输拓展至其他国家。

Operating the drones in Rwanda will result in tens of thousands of flight hours. This kind of testing is currently not possible in the United States because of restrictions on drone flights.

在卢旺达使用无人机将带来成千上万个小时的飞行。这种试验目前在美国是不可能的，因为美国禁止无人机飞行。

Words in This Story

delivery – n. the act of taking something to a person or place

grant – n. an amount of money given by an organization or government

logistical – adj. relating to or involving organization and planning

excessive – adj. more than necessary or normal

transfusion – n. the act of transferring donated blood or other fluid into a person

propeller – n. a mechanical device for powering a plane or boat

compressed – adj. to flatten by pressure into a small space

parachute – n. a piece of equipment usually made of cloth attached to people or things to allow them to fall safely to the ground