交通工程专业英语翻译.doc

Unit 1 The Evolution of Transport交通工具的演化 The evolution of transport has been closely linked to the development of humankind throughout the earth’s history．Transport’s early function was to meet the basic need of hauling food supplies and building materials．But with the formation of tribes，then peoples，and finally nations，the societal and economic functions of transport became more and more complex. At first there was mobility required for individuals，clans，households，and animals to protect them against，and to escape from，the dangers of natural disasters and tribal aggressions，and in the search for the best places to settle．As tribal groups formed and gradually established their geographical identity，transport was increasingly needed to open up regions for development，to provide access to natural resources，to promote intercommunal trade，and to mobilize territorial defense．When the first nations came into being，transport played a major role in establishing national integrity．After basic societal needs had generally been attended to，local communities could increasingly devote their efforts to enhancing their economic，cultural，and technological development through trade links with other peoples and regions．Again，transport provided the mobility required for such intertribal, international，and finally intercontinental cultural exchange and trade．During all of this gradual development toward an organized human society，represented today through the international family of nations，transport as physical process of moving people and goods，thus promoting such development，continuously underwent technological and organizational changes．Such changes were induced by several factors and circumstances．In fact，today’s transport in its various forms and organizational arrangements remains highly subject to changes in response to societal requirements and preferences．Clearly，the first and foremost criterion to be satisfied by transport was efficiency．For centuries，and particularly