UNUSUAL aircraft are a regular sight at the Farnborough air show, which opened in Britain this week.
本周在英国开幕的范堡罗航展上，不同寻常的飞机是常见的物品。
But the particular unusualness of the Liberty is not so much that it is a flying car, but that flies as an autogyro.
但“自由号”的特别之处并不在于它是一辆会飞的汽车，而在于它像自转旋翼机一样飞行。
Although the Liberty remained firmly on the ground during the show, it is described by its makers, PAL-V, a Dutch firm, as a “production model” that will be used to obtain the necessary approvals for use on the road and in the air, so that deliveries can begin in 2020.
尽管“自由号”在展会期间仍牢牢地停留在地面上，但它的制造商荷兰公司PAL-V将其描述为一种“生产模型”，将用于获得在公路和空中使用的必要批准，以便在2020年开始交付。
Autogyros have been around since the early days of aviation.
自航空早期以来，自旋翼飞机就存在。
Amelia Earhart set an altitude record in one in 1931.
阿米莉亚·埃尔哈特在1931年创造了一项海拔纪录。
Three years later, an autogyro carried a soon-to-be jilted groom to what he thought would be his wedding, in a film called “It Happened One Night”
三年后，在一部名为《一夜风流》的电影中，一架自旋翼飞机载着一位即将被抛弃的新郎参加了他认为属于他的婚礼
Another film, “You Only Live Twice”, which was released in 1967, featured an autogyro called Little Nellie, piloted by James Bond.
另一部电影《007：雷霆谷》于1967年上映，其中一个名叫“小内莉”的自旋翼飞机由詹姆斯·邦德驾驶。
Like a small plane, an autogyro employs a propeller (either front-mounted, as Earhart’s was, or at the rear, like 007’s and the Liberty’s) to provide forward thrust.
像一架小型飞机一样，自旋翼飞机使用螺旋桨来提供前向推力（像埃尔哈特的一样安装在前面，或者在后面，像007和“自由号”一样）。
But instead of having fixed wings, an autogyro’s lift comes from a rotor.
但是，自动陀螺仪的升力来自旋翼，而不是固定的机翼。
Unlike a helicopter’s, though, this rotor is not powered by the engine.
不过，与直升机不同的是，这种旋翼不是由发动机驱动的。
Instead, it is turned by oncoming air, a result of the propeller’s forward thrust, flowing over the blades.
相反，它是由迎面而来流过叶片的空气转动的，这是螺旋桨向前推力的结果。
According to PAL-V the Liberty can take off and land on a runway as short as 90 metres.
根据PAL-V的说法，“自由号”可以在最短90米的跑道上起降。
In aircraft mode, it can carry two people at up to 180kph (about 110mph) for a distance of 400-500km.
在飞机模式下，它可以载两个人以最高每小时180公里（约110英里）的速度飞行400-500公里。
Folding up its rotors, tail and propeller, which takes ten minutes, turns it into a car.
把它的旋翼、尾翼和螺旋桨折叠起来，需要10分钟，就可以变成一辆汽车。
In either mode the Liberty consumes standard petrol, so is easy to refuel.
在这两种模式下，“自由号”都消耗标准汽油，因此很容易加油。
And in the event of an engine failure while airborne, PAL-V claims, it could flutter down safely onto a patch of land no bigger than a tennis court.
PAL-V称，如果在空中飞行时发动机发生故障，它可以安全地降落到一块不比网球场大的土地上。
To be on the safe side, however, it is fitted with two small combustion engines, either of which could be used to fly or drive it if the other stops running.
不过，为了安全起见，它配备了两台小型内燃机，如果另一台发动机停止运转，两台发动机中的任何一台都可以用来飞行或驾驶它。
Unlike the makers of some other novel small aircraft, PAL-V has eschewed electric power, at least for now.
与其他一些新型小型飞机的制造商不同，PAL-V已经避开了电力，至少现在是这样。
Existing batteries cannot provide a useful range, says George Tielen, the firm’s test pilot.
该公司的试验飞行员乔治•蒂伦表示，现有电池无法提供有用的续航范围。
And unlike passenger-drone companies, whose products employ several electric rotors to take off and land vertically, PAL-V is not seeking approval for autonomous operations.
与载人无人机公司不同的是，它们的产品使用几个电动转子垂直起飞和降落，而PAL-V并不寻求自动操作的批准。
Requiring people to have both a driver’s and a pilot’s license lets the company meet existing rules and thus enter the market faster.
要求人们同时拥有驾驶执照和飞行员执照，这使公司能够满足现有规定，从而更快地进入市场。
According to Mr Tielen, the Liberty will allow someone to drive to an airfield or other suitable strip of terrain, take off, fly to somewhere similar near his destination, land and complete his journey by road—with the flexibility that if, say, the weather were to turn nasty while he was there, he could then drive home.
根据蒂伦的说法，“自由号”将允许人们驾车前往机场或其他合适的地带，起飞，飞往目的地附近类似的地方，降落并通过公路完成行程--如果他在那里的时候天气变得糟糕，他可以开车回家。
That convenience, though, comes with a price tag that starts at €300,000 ($350,000).
不过，这种便利性的标价是30万欧元（35万美元）。
Which would buy a lot of air fares and Uber rides.
这能买很多机票，坐很多次滴滴出行。
