Rolls-Royce is planning to release the first of its fleet of crewless ships by 2020.

　　劳斯莱斯公司计划截止于2020年年底前推出首款无人船。

　　The engineering giant is working with government-backed groups across northern Europe on the autonomous vessels.

　　这家工程巨头正与北欧数家由政府资助的企业共同研发无人船。

　　The company estimates that the move could cut sea transport costs by as much as 20%.

　　劳斯莱斯估计此举将削减多达20%的海上运输成本。

　　Rolls-Royce vice president of innovation Oskar Levander said tugboats and ferries will be developed first, ahead of cargo vessels which will sail across international waters.

　　劳斯莱斯研发部副总裁奥斯卡·莱温德表示拖船与渡船是研发的首选，在国际水域航行的货轮则是次要目标。

　　He said: "The development will start in a few countries, and these flag states will give the vessel permission to operate before we have international regulations in place."

　　他说：“研发将首先在几个国家开始进行，在这几个旗舰研发国，研发出的无人船将在国际监管落实前获得运营许可。”

　　Major shipping firms are expected to adopt the technology in the hope it will boost profits.

　　几大主要造船商希望运用这项技术提高利润。

　　However, unions have expressed concerns about the possible impact on sea-faring workers.

　　然而一些海运联盟对此举将为航海业工人可能带来的影响表示担忧。

　　A spokesman for the international maritime union Nautilus (Frankfurt: 887012 - news) said: "The pace of change is a challenge to safety and there are also many unanswered questions about the legal implications of the way in which operational and management responsibilities are being taken away from ships staff.

　　国际海运联盟鹦鹉螺的一位发言人表示：“变革的步伐对船只的安全性发起了挑战，船上的工作人员正在移交运行与管理职责，移交的具体方式将带来何种法律上的影响还存在诸多疑问。”

　　"We are concerned that technology is seen simply as a way to cut jobs and cut costs."

　　“我们担心这项技术会被单纯地视作削减工作岗位与成本的方法。”

　　Autonomous ships also present challenges for insurers who have to consider the new types of risks that they will face.

　　保险公司也面临新的挑战，无人船带来的新风险将不得不纳入考虑范围。

　　Some analysts believe that with no crew to protect from piracy, autonomous ships will reduce demand for guards - an industry that has been booming in recent years.

　　一些分析人士认为，因为无人船没有驾驶员，无需防范海盗，保镖的需求也将下降--近年来保镖业经历了蓬勃发展。

　　International shipping expert Jonathan Moss, from law firm DWF, said: "The maritime industry as a whole may suffer in terms of employment levels.

　　来自法律事务所DWF的国际货运专家乔纳森·莫斯说：“海运业整体会受到就业水平的拖累。”

　　"Similarly, these security guards have created a lot of opportunity for Lloyd’s of London and bespoke insurance products that insure them."

　　“与之相似，这些安全护卫为伦敦的劳埃德公司以及保护他们的定制保险产品创造了诸多良机。”

　　Rolls-Royce maintains that crewless ships will be both safer than existing vessels and that they will lead to the creation of more jobs on land.

　　劳斯莱斯公司坚称无人驾驶轮船既比现有船只更加安全，也会为陆地上的各大产业创造更多工作岗位。

　　The company says it is embarking on major research projects in Britain and Singapore - and that it believes the development of autonomous ships will increase demand in areas such as cybersecurity.

　　劳斯莱斯公司表示已在英国和新加坡开展重大研发项目，相信无人船的发展将提高包括网络安全在内的各大领域的需求。

　　A Bank of England study in 2015 suggested that up to 15 million jobs in the UK could eventually be lost to automation, with administrative, clerical and production roles most at risk.

　　英国某家银行于2015年调查发现，多达1500万个工作岗位最终将为自动化设备所取代，其中行政﹑文员以及生产类工作首当其冲。