北京堵车的一个可能解决方案:会飞的车

Traffic jams in China are so frequent and tedious that drivers and passengers alike have devised creative ways to alleviate the boredom.

中国的堵车发生得如此频繁和持久，以至于司机和乘客都想出了富有创意的方法来消磨无聊时间。

That's one reason why Terrafugia Chief Executive Carl Dietrich thinks he can find both customers and investors there. Mr. Dietrich and his colleagues make flying cars, which he believes can ease some of China's woes.

这正是Terrafugia首席执行长迪特里希(Carl Dietrich)认为他在中国既能找到消费者又找能到投资者的原因之一。迪特里希和他的同事生产会飞的汽车，他相信该产品可以在一定程度上缓解中国的堵车问题。

'China is experiencing a lot of the pains of becoming an industrialized nation,' he said, citing traffic congestion and air pollution as examples. 'There is a clear need' for flying cars in China. Mr. Dietrich says he has made two visits to China in the past four months to sound out possible investors.

他说，中国正经历着成为一个工业化国家的诸多痛苦，比如交通拥堵和空气污染等。他表示，中国“显然需要”会飞的车。迪特里希称，他在过去四个月来两次到访中国，寻觅可能的投资者。

Terrafugia needs some wind beneath its improbable wings. The company is aiming for a 2017 release in the U.S. for its first model, the Transition.

Terrafugia需要借助一些东风才能展翅飞翔。该公司力争于2017年在美国发布其首款车型。

Then there's its twin-rotor TF-X model, which still in development. The four-seat, plug-in hybrid electric flying car will have vertical takeoff and landing capabilities, according to the company's website. It will be a 'real draw' in China, said Mr. Dietrich.

Transition，之后还将推出双旋翼车型TF-X，后者还在研发中。根据该公司网站的介绍，这款四座、插电混合动力飞车将拥有垂直起降能力。迪特里希说，该车型在中国将大受欢迎。

Terrafugia's concepts have their skeptics, of course. But even if it surmounts those considerable obstacles, the company will still face unique challenges in China.

当然，Terrafugia的理念也遭到了一些质疑。但是即便其克服了这些大障碍，该公司在中国仍将面临独特的挑战。

While reaction from Chinese to his flying machines has been positive, he said, there was pessimism among the people he met with about how the Chinese government would react to such new technologies.

迪特里希称，虽然中国人对于其飞行汽车的反应是正面的，但是他会见的一些人对于中国政府对待这类新科技的态度还是持悲观的看法。

A key stumbling block is private access to aviation space in China, over which authorities here hold a tight grip.

一个关键的障碍是中国对私人放开飞行空域的程度，有关部门目前对此控制得非常紧。

Mr. Dietrich said the growth prospects for flying cars in China will depend on how quickly Beijing opens up air traffic to private users. 'It will happen, but the question in how quickly.'

迪特里希表示，“飞车”在中国的增长前景将取决于政府向私人用户开放空域的速度有多快。他说，会开放的，问题是能有多快。

While China Real Time is intrigued by the idea of jumping over gridlock, we also wonder at the wisdom of flying cars in a place where the ones on the road already present a host of problems. Mr. Dietrich said TF-X models will be computer controlled so the driver wouldn't be able to operate the vehicle in a dangerous manner.

虽然中国实时报栏目被飞过拥堵区的想法迷住了，但是本栏目也想知道，在一个道路交通参与者已经制造了大量问题的地方，引入会飞的汽车是个好主意么？迪特里希称，TF-X车型将由电脑控制，所以司机无法以危险的方式驾驶汽车。