会倒挂，还能空中翻跟头：
特斯拉新车开了什么挂？
Upside Down, Then Airborne:
How Did Tesla’s Roadster Pull It Off?
倒挂在轨道上，接着又跃过一排车。新Roadster像开了“外挂”，可这招能用来躲早高峰吗？先看热闹，再用吸盘和气球拆开两招。
CEFR参考难度：B2
演示画面节选：Tesla 官方《The Kickflip | Roadster》
NEWS · PHYSICS
逐段精读
Close Reading
01 / 06
Imagine being stuck in traffic and wishing your car could simply jump over the queue. On October 15, 2026, Tesla showed a new Roadster prototype leaping over a row of parked vehicles. In another demonstration, it drove up a curved track and hung upside down. The clips looked like a video game with the cheat code turned on. Before calling it a flying car, though, let's ask how each trick worked.
译文
堵车时，你有没有想过：要是汽车能直接从车队上方跳过去就好了？2026年10月15日，特斯拉展示了一辆新款Roadster样车，跃过一排停放的车辆；另一段演示里，它还沿着弧形轨道开到倒挂。画面像游戏里开了外挂，但先别急着叫它“飞行汽车”。这两招究竟怎么做到的？
释义与用法
stuck in traffic · 堵在路上
be stuck in traffic 表示被堵在车流中；也可说 get stuck in traffic。
leap over · 跃过；跳过
leap over a row of cars 跃过一排车；比 jump over 更有画面感。
一句话拆解
Before calling it a flying car, though, let's ask how each trick worked.
Before + 动词 -ing 表示“在做某事之前”；how each trick worked 是 ask 后面的宾语从句。
02 / 06
Start with the upside-down moment. Have you ever pulled a suction cup off a bathroom mirror? Tesla says fans remove air from beneath the Roadster, leaving lower pressure there. Air on the other side presses the car toward the track. That extra push, called downforce, helps the tires keep their grip. The car isn't held up by invisible glue; it is using a pressure difference.
译文
先看倒挂。你试过把吸盘从浴室镜子上扯下来吗？特斯拉称，风扇会抽走Roadster车底的空气，让那里的气压变低；另一侧的空气便把车压向轨道。它靠的是压差带来的贴地力，不是什么“隐形胶水”。轮胎因此更容易抓住轨道。
释义与用法
suction cup · 吸盘
a suction cup on a mirror 镜子上的吸盘；用日常物件理解压差。
downforce · 贴地力；下压力
down + force；方向是朝向接触的轨道表面。
受力图①｜图示为水平路面：重力与压差产生的贴地力向下，路面支持力向上。风扇增加轮胎抓地力。
一句话拆解
That extra push, called downforce, helps the tires keep their grip.
called downforce 补充说明 extra push 的名称；help + 宾语 + 动词原形 表示“帮助……做到”。
03 / 06
Now for the jump. Think of a balloon you let go before tying it: air shoots out one way, and the balloon darts the other way. The Roadster's Rocket version uses stored compressed gas and small nozzles to make a controlled version of that push. Point the gas downward and the reaction force pushes the car upward. In a short burst, the car can leave the ground.
译文
再看腾空。想象一只没扎口就松手的气球：空气朝一边冲出去，气球就朝另一边乱窜。Roadster的Rocket版本用储存的高压气体和喷口，做出一个可控制的版本。气体向下喷，反作用力就把车向上推。短暂喷射时，车便能离地。
释义与用法
compressed gas · 压缩气体；高压气体
compressed air 是压缩空气；这里强调气体在喷射前被高压储存。
reaction force · 反作用力
reaction force 与喷气方向相反；是气球乱窜的同一原理。
受力图②｜气体向下喷出，车受到向上的反作用力；要上升，向上推力须足以克服重量。
一句话拆解
Point the gas downward and the reaction force pushes the car upward.
祈使句 + and + 结果，可读成“如果让气体向下喷，就会……”；downward 与 upward 形成方向对照。
04 / 06
The name cold-gas thruster sounds as if the car is spraying icy air. It isn't. Here, “cold” means the system does not burn fuel to create the jet. Gas is stored under high pressure and released when needed. That raises a much more ordinary question: after one giant hop, how would you refill the car's “balloon” for the next one?
译文
“冷气推进器”听起来像汽车在喷冰冷的空气，其实不是。这里的“冷”主要是说系统不靠燃烧燃料产生喷流：气体先被高压储存，用时再释放。想到这里，一个很日常的问题来了：跳完一次，要怎样给这只大号“气球”重新充气？
释义与用法
cold-gas thruster · 冷气推进器
cold 与燃烧产生高温气体的推进方式相对，不表示气体结冰。
high pressure · 高压
under high pressure 在高压状态下；也是 pressure cooker 高压锅里的 pressure。
一句话拆解
After one giant hop, how would you refill the car's “balloon” for the next one?
after one giant hop 先给出情境；how would you ... 用设想语气提问，而非断言车辆已经能连续跳跃。
05 / 06
Could you use the jump to escape Monday morning traffic? Not yet. Tesla says the one-seat Rocket version is not approved for public road use, and production for customers is not expected to begin until 2028. A stage demonstration is a carefully prepared moment. Daily driving means other drivers, pedestrians, rain, uneven roads, and many more landings to get right. The show was exciting, but commuting is a very different test.
译文
周一早高峰，能不能靠这一跳逃出堵车？还不行。特斯拉注明，单座Rocket版本尚未获准在公共道路使用；面向消费者的生产预计要到2028年才会开始。发布会演示可以精心准备，日常开车却要面对别的司机、行人、下雨、坑洼路面，以及每一次安全着陆。秀场上的精彩动作，离每天上班的交通工具还有距离。
释义与用法
not approved for public road use · 尚未获准在公共道路使用
be approved for ... 是“获准用于……”；描述当前状态。
stage demonstration · 舞台演示；现场展示
demonstration 可指展示技术能力；不等于量产测试。
一句话拆解
The show was exciting, but commuting is a very different test.
but 形成“舞台表演”与“日常通勤”的对照；commuting 是上下班通勤。
06 / 06
So is this a flying car or a jumping car? The clips showed short powered jumps; they did not show a vehicle crossing a city through the sky. Maybe the best message to send a friend is: “It jumped, but can it do that twice on my street?” That question keeps the fun of the video while pointing to the evidence we still need.
译文
所以，它到底是飞行汽车，还是会跳的汽车？画面展示的是短暂、靠动力完成的跃起，并没有展示它能穿越城市天空。给朋友转发时，也许可以配一句：“它跳起来了，但能在我家门口连跳两次吗？”这个问题既保留了视频的好玩，也问到了还缺什么证据。
释义与用法
powered jumps · 有动力推动的跃起
powered 表示“由动力驱动”；不等于能持续飞行。
evidence · 证据
evidence that ... 证明某事的证据；看演示也要看条件。
一句话拆解
That question keeps the fun of the video while pointing to the evidence we still need.
while + 动词 -ing 表示同时发生；keep the fun 与 point to the evidence 并列出两种阅读态度。
KEEP THESE WORDS
本期重点表达
Key Expressions
从堵车、跳跃等生活表达读起，再认识演示中的汽车术语。下列词组与专业义未单列 CEFR 等级。
stuck in traffic · 生活词组｜CEFR 未单列
堵在路上
常用搭配：be stuck in traffic / get stuck in traffic
例句：We were stuck in traffic for an hour.
用法：适合描述日常堵车；stuck 也可以形容其他陷入困境的情形。
leap over · 动词词组｜CEFR 未单列
跃过；跳过
常用搭配：leap over a wall / leap over a row of cars
例句：The car leaped over the parked vehicles.
用法：leap 比 jump 更突出动作突然、幅度大。
suction cup · 生活词组｜CEFR 未单列
吸盘
常用搭配：a suction cup on a mirror / press a suction cup
例句：The hook uses a suction cup to stick to the glass.
用法：用生活里的吸盘理解压差，但实际汽车系统更复杂。
downforce · 汽车术语｜CEFR 未单列
贴地力；下压力
常用搭配：generate downforce / increase downforce
例句：More downforce helps the tires grip the track.
用法：本期指把车压向轨道表面的额外作用力。
reaction force · 物理词组｜CEFR 未单列
反作用力
常用搭配：an equal and opposite reaction force
例句：The gas moves down, and the reaction force pushes the car up.
用法：气球松手乱窜也体现相同原理。
prototype · 工程词义｜CEFR 未单列
原型；样车
常用搭配：test a prototype / build a prototype
例句：A prototype is different from a car sold to customers.
用法：演示原型车的动作，不等于量产车型已获准上路。
TRY IT YOURSELF
读后想一想
Think It Through
1. 如果给朋友转发这段演示，你会配“飞行汽车来了”吗？为什么？
Would you call it a “flying car” when sharing the clip with a friend? Why or why not?
2. 假如汽车真能跃过堵车，你最担心它落地时发生什么？
If a car could jump over traffic, what would worry you most about the landing?
3. 一次精彩演示之外，还要看到什么，你才愿意坐进这样的车？
Beyond a spectacular demo, what would you need to see before riding in such a car?
BONUS PHYSICS / 物理彩蛋
如果它真的要跳，推力够吗？
Is the Thrust Strong Enough?
假设一辆样车质量为 1500 kg，喷气装置向上提供 18,000 N 推力。取 g = 10 N/kg，忽略空气阻力。车刚离地时，合力和加速度分别是多少？
Suppose a test car has a mass of 1,500 kg and its thrusters provide 18,000 N of upward force. Take g = 10 N/kg and ignore air resistance. What are the net force and acceleration just after takeoff?
答案与解析 / Answer and Explanation
重力 = mg = 1500 × 10 = 15,000 N（向下）。合力 = 18,000 − 15,000 = 3,000 N（向上）。由 F = ma，得 a = 3,000 ÷ 1500 = 2 m/s²（向上）。
Weight = mg = 15,000 N downward. Net force = 18,000 − 15,000 = 3,000 N upward. Therefore, a = F/m = 2 m/s² upward.