《回到未来》预言成真：德国发明自动鞋带

 　　A team of scientists from University of Freiburg in Germany are developing a shoe with a sensor¹ to automatically tie its laces that could be taken off when users click their heels together.

　　德国弗莱堡大学（University of Freiburg）的一个科学团队正在研究一种可利用传感器自动系鞋带的鞋，当使用者碰撞鞋跟时，鞋带就能自动解开。

　　It’s been 26 years since we saw them magically tightening³ Marty McFly’s Nike boots in Back to The Future.

　　在电影《回到未来》（Back to The Future）里，我们看到马丁·麦克弗莱（Marty McFly）耐克鞋自动系鞋带的神奇情景，已经有26年了。

　　Now, self-tying shoelaces could actually become a reality this year, proving right one of the film’s fantastical predictions for what 2015 would be like.

　　如今，假如电影中对2015年的虚构预言有一个能成真的话，自动鞋带今年可能真会成为现实。

　　《回到未来》预言成真：德国发明自动鞋带

　　Engineers have designed a shoe that can automatically lace up, adjusting itself to the shape of your foot.

　　工程师们设计出一款鞋可以自动系鞋带，并可根据脚型自动调节。

　　Simply slip the trainer on and pressure sensors⁴ will tell the ‘smart shoe’ when your foot is in position, triggering a tiny motor in the heel that pulls the laces tight.

　　只需滑动控制器，脚穿进去时，压力传感器就会告知“智能鞋”，触发鞋跟的小发动机，将鞋带系紧。

　　When you want to take off the shoes, you click your heels together twice and the motor will release a spring in the shoe’s tongue, which loosens the laces enough for you to slip them off.

　　当你想要脱鞋时，碰撞鞋跟两次，发动机就会释放鞋舌部位的弹簧，松开鞋带让你脱鞋。

　　And the ingenious invention doesn’t even need to be plugged in to charge or have its battery replaced because it runs on power generated by the swing of your foot as you walk.

　　这项独创性的发明甚至无需充电或更换电池，因为它仅靠你走路时双脚的摆动来发电。

　　Engineer Klevis Ylli, of the Institute for Micromachining and Information Technology in southern Germany, said the shoes could help a variety of different people.

　　德国南部微加工和信息技术研究所（The Institute for Micromachining and Information Technology）工程师克赖维斯·伊利（Klevis Ylli）表示，这种鞋可以帮助不同的人。

　　"One focus is that it could be used in shoes for elderly people who have mobility⁵ problems," he said. "But it could also work for children, or as a lifestyle product."

　　他说：“值得注意的是，这种鞋带可供行动不便的老年人使用，也可以供孩子使用，或者作为一种生活产品。”

　　The design, which is still in a prototype phase, cleverly captures the energy of the foot's swing when opposing magnets in each shoe move past each other.

　　目前，这项设计还是雏形。当两只鞋中极性相反的磁铁互相移动时，设计师能巧妙地获得能量。

　　It then uses that power to charge a battery. An hour of walking is enough to tighten² the laces once, and it requires no energy to undo⁶ the shoes because that relies on the spring alone.

　　然后将这些能量给电池充电，走一个小时的路，产生的电量足以系紧一次鞋带，而解鞋带时只需依靠弹簧，因此无需能量。

　　Vocabulary

　　magically: 如魔法般的

　　lace: 系带子

　　ingenious: 有独创性的

　　mobility: 移动性

　　magnet: 磁铁

　　spring: 弹簧

1 sensor   

n.传感器，探测设备，感觉器（官）

参考例句：

• The temperature sensor is enclosed in a protective well.温度传感器密封在保护套管中。
• He plugged the sensor into a outlet.他把传感器插进电源插座。

2 tighten   

v.(使)变紧；(使)绷紧

参考例句：

• Turn the screw to the right to tighten it.向右转动螺钉把它拧紧。
• Some countries tighten monetary policy to avoid inflation.一些国家实行紧缩银根的货币政策，以避免通货膨胀。

3 tightening   

上紧，固定，紧密

参考例句：

• Make sure the washer is firmly seated before tightening the pipe. 旋紧水管之前，检查一下洗衣机是否已牢牢地固定在底座上了。
• It needs tightening up a little. 它还需要再收紧些。

4 sensors   

n.传感器，灵敏元件( sensor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were more than 2000 sensors here. 这里装有两千多个灵敏元件。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Significant changes have been noted where sensors were exposed to trichloride. 当传感器暴露在三氯化物中时，有很大变化。 来自辞典例句

5 mobility   

n.可动性，变动性，情感不定

参考例句：

• The difference in regional house prices acts as an obstacle to mobility of labour.不同地区房价的差异阻碍了劳动力的流动。
• Mobility is very important in guerrilla warfare.机动性在游击战中至关重要。

6 undo   

vt.解开，松开；取消，撤销

参考例句：

• His pride will undo him some day.他的傲慢总有一天会毁了他。
• I managed secretly to undo a corner of the parcel.我悄悄地设法解开了包裹的一角。