4 Better designs

Chapter 4 Better designs Every car company boasted that their designs were best. So, in 1895, they decided to have a race from Paris to Bordeaux- and back again- to show who was right.

每一家汽车公司都吹嘘自己的设计是最好的。 因此，在1895年，他们决定举办一场从巴黎到波尔多的比赛，然后再回来，以证明谁是对的。

Over 1,130 km (700 miles) and 48 hours later, the race was won by a Panhard-Levassor car. The Michelin brothers were there too, showing off their new, inflated wheels. They had 22 punctures on the way, but the crowd still thought their tyres were great.

48小时后，经过1130公里（700英里）的比赛，Panhard-Levassor汽车赢得了比赛。 米其林兄弟也在那里，炫耀他们新的充气轮胎。 他们在路上破了22个洞，但观众仍然认为他们的轮胎很棒。

In France, where the race took place, there was no speed limit. "Why do we have to drive at a snail's pace?" grumbled British drivers. According to the Red Flag Act, a car was only allowed on British roads if someone walked 20 paces ahead of it. Horse owners liked this law. They said horseless carriages scared their horses.

在比赛的举办地法国，没有速度限制。 “我们为什么要开得像蜗牛一样慢？”英国司机抱怨道。 根据《红旗法案》，一辆汽车只有在有人走在它前面20步的时候才允许在英国的道路上行驶。 马主喜欢这项法律。 他们说没有马的马车吓坏了他们的马。

In 1896, the Red Flag Act was finally abolished. At last, British drivers could drive faster than they could walk. Now they needed some exciting new designs. British engineer, Henry Royce, dreamed of making a really comfortable car. But he was too poor to do it on his own.

1896年，红旗法案最终被废除。 最后，英国司机开车的速度超过了他们走路的速度。 现在他们需要一些令人兴奋的新设计。 英国工程师亨利·罗伊斯梦想制造一辆真正舒适的汽车。 但他太穷了，不能自己做这件事。

Luckily, in 1904, he met Charles Rolls- a rich landowner who loved motoring. With Rolls' money and Royce's skill, the two men went into business. In 1907, they launched the first great luxury car, the Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost. It's so quiet.

幸运的是，在1904年，他遇到了查尔斯·罗尔斯——一位热爱汽车的富有地主。 有了罗尔斯的钱和罗伊斯的技术，两人开始经商。 1907年，他们推出了第一辆伟大的豪华汽车，劳斯莱斯银鬼。 太安静了。

The Silver Ghost was a dream to drive, but not very practical on rough, pot-holed roads. In America, engineer Ransom Olds took a different approach. He created a car that could cope with bumps and named it the Oldsmobile. Slow down, the hens are escaping! With its lightweight frame and strong springs, the Oldsmobile was perfect for countryside roads.

银色幽灵是一个梦想驾驶，但不是很实用的粗糙，坑坑洼洼的道路。 在美国，工程师兰森·奥尔兹（Ransom Olds）采取了不同的方法。 他创造了一辆可以应付颠簸的汽车，并将其命名为奥尔兹莫比尔。 慢点，母鸡在逃跑！奥兹莫比尔有着轻便的车架和坚固的弹簧，非常适合在乡村道路上行驶。