Apple is recruiting experts in automotive technology and vehicle design to work at a new top-secret research lab, said several people familiar with the company, pointing to ambitions that go beyond the dashboard.

几名知情人士表示，苹果(Apple)正在招募汽车技术和设计方面的专家，为一个新设的绝密研究实验室工作。此举显示出苹果在其现有业务之外的野心。

Dozens of Apple employees, led by experienced managers from its iPhone unit, are researching automotive products at a confidential¹ Silicon² Valley location outside the company’s Cupertino campus, the people said.

知情人士表示，数十名苹果员工在来自其iPhone部门、富有经验的管理人员的带领下，正在硅谷该公司库比提诺(Cupertino)园区外的一个秘密场所，开展汽车产品的研究。

Sir Jonathan Ive’s team of Apple designers has held regular meetings with automotive executives and engineers in recent months, in some cases trying to hire them. Recent recruits to Apple’s team include the head of Mercedes-Benz’s Silicon Valley R&D unit.

最近几个月，乔纳森•艾夫爵士(Sir Jonathan Ive)的苹果设计团队一直在定期会见汽车领域的主管和工程师，有几次还试图聘用这些人员。苹果近期招募的人员，包括了梅赛德斯-奔驰(Mercedes-Benz)硅谷研发部门的主管。

One person close to Apple said that Steve Zadesky, a 16-year Apple veteran who led teams developing the original iPod and iPhone, was leading Apple’s automotive research lab.

一名与苹果关系密切的人士表示，史蒂夫•扎德斯基(Steve Zadesky)正在领导苹果的汽车研究实验室。扎德斯基在苹果工作了16年之久，曾领导过iPod和iPhone最初版本的开发团队。

The lab was set up late last year, not long after Apple unveiled its forthcoming smart watch and latest iPhones, which suggests that any resulting product may still be years away from release. Apple often investigates a wide range of new product areas, some of which never get released.

该实验室是在去年底设立的，当时苹果刚刚披露了即将推出的智能手表和最新款iPhone。该实验室设立时间之短，表明它距离发布任何成品还要数年时间。苹果公司经常会对新产品领域开展大范围调查研究，其中部分领域永远不会发布产品。