几年前，共享单车异常火爆，被称为“新四大发明”之一。但是其发展失控，带来了很多问题，所以慢慢归于沉寂。同样的事情也发生在欧洲，只不过主角变成了电动滑板车。
E-scooters run out of juice
by Hanne Cokelaere
On a sunny day in June 2018, the first dockless（无桩的） electric scooters appeared on Parisian streets. Now, there are 19 scooter rental operators in business in Europe. But while regulators were initially taken by surprise, they've since woken up to the challenges and a looming clampdown（严厉打击） is shifting the focus of scooter platforms' business models.
scooter /ˈskuːtə(r)/ n. 滑板车
Parisian /pəˈrɪziən/ adj. 巴黎的
rental /ˈrent(ə)l/ n. 出租、租用（由rent加后缀-al变成名词）
operator /ˈɒp(ə)reɪtə(r)/ n. 运营商（由operate加上表示人的后缀-or）
regulator /ˈreɡjuleɪtə(r)/ n. 监管者（由regulate加上表示人的后缀-or）
initially /ɪˈnɪʃ(ə)li/ adv. 一开始（由initial加后缀-ly变成副词）
take someone by surprise = surprise someone
loom /luːm/ v. （不好的事）逼近
shift /ʃɪft/ v. 改变
focus /ˈfəʊkəs/ n. 焦点、中心点
platform /ˈplætfɔːm/ n. 平台
business model 商业模式
Opposition is being fueled by overcrowded pavements, safety concerns and insecure gig economy employment models – as well as evidence that e-scooters might not be all that good for the environment after all. "Operators have benefited from a legal blur（模糊地带）," said one senior official in the Paris city government. "If today they're behaving better, it's because there is a perspective of a legal instrument."
opposition /ˌɒpəˈzɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 反对
fuel /ˈfjuːəl/ v. 提供燃料
overcrowded /ˌəʊvəˈkraʊdɪd/ adj. 过于拥挤的（由crowded加上表示过度的前缀over-）
pavement /ˈpeɪvmənt/ n. （水泥或沥青铺的）路面
safety /ˈseɪfti/ n. 安全
concern /kənˈsɜːn/ n. 担心、担忧
insecure /ˌɪnsɪˈkjʊə(r)/ adj. 不安全的、无保障的（由secure加上表示否定的前缀in-）
gig /ɡɪɡ/ economy /ɪˈkɒnəmi/ 指灵活用工（按工作量计算报酬，工作时间比较自由，但在劳动保障方面有所欠缺，比如外卖送餐员、网约车司机等新兴职业）
employment model 雇佣模式、用工模式
as well as = and also
evidence /ˈevɪd(ə)ns/ n. 证据
e-scooter 电动滑板车
benefit /ˈbenɪfɪt/ v. 获益、受益
legal /ˈliːɡ(ə)l/ adj. 法律的
senior /ˈsiːniə(r)/ adj. 资深的、高级别的
official /əˈfɪʃ(ə)l/ n. 官员
perspective /pəˈspektɪv/ n. （看问题的）角度、视角
instrument /ˈɪnstrəmənt/ n. 法律文书
The vehicles' attraction as an alternative mode of transport relies on customers being able to find one whenever they need – leading to often high numbers of scooters crowding the pavements, hindering passers-by.
vehicle /ˈviːɪk(ə)l/ n. 车辆
attraction /əˈtrækʃ(ə)n/ n. 吸引力（由attract加后缀-ion变成名词）
alternative /ɒlˈtɜːnətɪv/ adj. 可替代的、可供选择的
mode /məʊd/ n. 模式、方式
transport /ˈtrænspɔːt/ n. 交通
rely /rɪˈlaɪ/ on 依靠、依赖
lead to 造成、导致
crowd /kraʊd/ v. 使拥挤、挤满
hinder /ˈhɪndə(r)/ v. 阻碍、妨碍
passer-by 路过的人
It has also angered regulators, who are now looking into ways of capping numbers. In Paris, Mayor Anne Hidalgo hit out at "lawless" multiplication（猛增） of e-scooters in May when she announced new restrictions and asked operators to freeze or even reduce the number of scooters in the capital. Soon after her announcement, five operators left Paris and the fleet dropped from 20,000 to 15,000.
anger /ˈæŋɡə(r)/ v. 惹恼、使生气
cap /kæp/ v. 设置上限
mayor /meə(r)/ n. 市长
hit out 抨击、痛批
lawless /ˈlɔːləs/ adj. 不守法的（由law加上表示否定的后缀-less并变成形容词）
restriction /rɪˈstrɪkʃ(ə)n/ n. 限制、约束（由restrict加后缀-ion变成名词）
freeze /friːz/ v. 冻结
announcement /əˈnaʊnsmənt/ n. 通告、公告（由announce加后缀-ment变成名词）
fleet /fliːt/ n. 车队
drop /drɒp/ v. 下降、减少
Some European startups say the first two companies to appear in European capitals – U.S.-based Bird and Lime – used up the goodwill towards e-scooters. Any bad blood toward the platforms "seems to be due to the lack of control from these two e-scooters companies," said Matthieu Faure, head of communications for Amsterdam-based Dott.
startup /ˈstɑːtʌp/ n. 初创公司（由start和up组成）
-based 后缀，表示“总部在某地的”
use up 用完、用光
goodwill /ɡʊdˈwɪl/ n. 善意
bad blood 积怨
control /kənˈtrəʊl/ n. 控制
communication /kəˌmjuːnɪˈkeɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 交流、沟通
Amsterdam /ˌæmstəˈdæm/ n. 阿姆斯特丹（荷兰首都）
"One of the first approaches we saw is what we call 'calculated indifference' to regulations," said Katja Schechtner, innovation and technology adviser for the OECD's International Transport Forum. "From a business perspective, in some ways, it made sense."
approach /əˈprəʊtʃ/ n. 方法、手段
calculate /ˈkælkjuleɪt/ v. 计算（calculated意思是精心算计的）
indifference /ɪnˈdɪf(ə)r(ə)ns/ n. 漠视
regulation /ˌreɡjuˈleɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 法规、条例（由regulate加后缀-ion变成名词）
innovation /ˌɪnəˈveɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 创新
adviser /ədˈvaɪzə(r)/ n. 顾问（由advise加上表示人的后缀-er）
OECD 经济合作与发展组织
forum /ˈfɔːrəm/ n. 论坛
in some ways 在某些方面、在一定程度上
make sense 有道理、说得通
Companies no longer have only customers to please – now they have to please regulators too. That includes fine-tuning no-go zones, no-park zones and speed limits per city – even if that erodes the free-floating model that offers customers spontaneity（自发性，指想用就用）.
please /pliːz/ v. 取悦、讨好
fine-tune 微调
no-go zone 指禁行区域
no-park zone 指禁停区域
erode /ɪˈrəʊd/ v. 侵蚀
free-floating 自由漂浮的、不受控制的
The PR pitch has been that e-scooters will lure people out of their cars by making it feasible to take a swift ride to a bus, train or tram stop. But a recent survey in France by research consultancy（咨询公司） 6-T showed the latest mobility（自由移动的能力） trend has had no major impact on car ownership so far.
PR = public relations 公关、对外联络
pitch /pɪtʃ/ n. 推销话术
lure /lʊə(r)/ v. 引诱、诱惑
feasible /ˈfiːzəb(ə)l/ adj. 可行的、行得通的
swift /swɪft/ adj. 迅速的
tram /træm/ n. 有轨电车
survey /ˈsɜːveɪ/ n. 问卷调查
major /ˈmeɪdʒə(r)/ adj. 重大的
impact /ˈɪmpækt/ n. 显著影响
ownership /ˈəʊnəʃɪp/ n. 拥有、所有权
According to Schechtner, the debate could distract from bigger-picture issues when it comes to greening transport. "Every person we can get to be on a more active mode ... is way better than having him/her in an individual car," she said.
debate /dɪˈbeɪt/ n. 辩论
distract /dɪˈstrækt/ v. 转移注意力、分心
big-picture 全局的、大局的
green /ɡriːn/ v. 使变绿、使变环保
way /weɪ/ adv. 远远（表示强调）
individual /ˌɪndɪˈvɪdʒuəl/ adj. 个体的、单独的
（如果您发现某些行的最后一个单词被分成两半了，请把您使用的浏览器升级到最新版本就能正常显示了。）