中文

要估計未來的前景，可以想想內燃機如何塑造了現代生活。約 85% 的美國上班族開車上下班。在二戰后的美國和其他地方，汽車制造業也一度是經濟發展和中產階級擴張的動力。如今全世界的汽車保有量約為 10 億輛，幾乎全部靠化石燃料驅動。

我的譯文

To make a forecast for future perspectives, just think about how the internal combustion engine has shaped our modern life. About 85% Americans are car commuters. Car manufacturing has been the driving force for economic growth and the expantion incentives for the middle class in America, as well as the rest of the world after World War II. Of all the one billion cars owned around the world, most of them are depend on fossil fuels.

經濟學人原文

To gauge what lies ahead, think how the internal combustion engine has shaped modern life. Roughly 85% of American workers commute by car. Carmaking was also a generator of economic development and the expansion of the middle class, in post-war America and elsewhere. There are now about 1bn cars on the road, almost all powered by fossil fuels.

原文中驚艷到自己的地方

??用詞精妙

??gauge

(NAmEalsogage)/ge?d?/noun

1.(often in compounds常構成復合詞)an instrument for measuring the amount or level of sth測量儀器（或儀表）；計量器

a fuel/ petrol/ temperature, etc. gauge燃料表、汽油量表、溫度計等

2.a measurement of the width or thickness of sth寬度；厚度

What gauge of wire do we need?我們需要多大直徑的金屬絲？

3.(also bore especially inBrE)a measurement of the width of theBARRELof a gun（槍管的）口徑，碼

a 12-gauge shotgun* 12 號獵槍

4.the distance between the rails of a railway/ railroad track or the wheels of a train（鐵道的）軌距；（火車的）輪距

standard gauge(= 561/2inches in Britain)標準軌距（在英國為 56.5 英寸）a narrow gauge(= narrower than standard) railway窄軌鐵路

5[usually sing.]~(of sth)a fact or an event that can be used to estimate or judge sth（用于估計或判斷的）事實，依據，尺度，標準

Tomorrow's game against Arsenal will be a good gauge of their promotion chances.明天與阿森納隊的比賽是衡量他們能否升級的很好的依據。

gauge

(NAmEalsogage)/ge?d?/verb

1.to make a judgement about sth, especially people's feelings or attitudes判定，判斷（尤指人的感情或態度）

[VN]They interviewed employees to gauge their reaction to the changes.他們與雇員面談以判定他們的應變能力。He tried to gauge her mood.他試圖揣摩她的心情。[Vwh-]It was difficult to gauge whether she was angry or not.很難判斷她是否在生氣。

2.[VN]to measure sth accurately using a special instrument（用儀器）測量

precision instruments that can gauge the diameter to a fraction of a millimetre可測出直徑為若干分之一毫米的精密儀器

3.to calculate sth approximately估計；估算

[VN]We were able to gauge the strength of the wind from the movement of the trees.我們可根據樹的搖動估計風力。[alsoVwh-]

??generator?

[?en?re?t?(r)] generators

1[N-COUNT]A generator is a machine which produces electricity.

2[N-COUNT: with supp, oft N of n]A generator of something is a person, organization, product, or situation which produces it or causes it to happen.

The US economy is still an impressive generator of new jobs...

The company has been a very good cash generator.

??表達地道

要估計未來的前景=To gauge what lies ahead

在二戰后的美國和其他地方=in post-war America and elsewhere

經濟發展和中產階級擴張的動力=a generator of?economic development and the expansion of the middle class

自己用這個表達造的句子

To gauge what lies ahead, just think how the internet has shaped modern life. Internet was a generator of economic development and the expansion of the middle class after 1990s.?