时代周刊盘点年度十大发明：这才叫终极创造力

 　　每年，《时代周刊》都选出让世界更美好、更智能、更有趣的发明。今年的也能让你大吃一惊哦！

　　1.The Levitating¹ Lightbulb

　　1.悬浮灯泡

　　Since he was a child, Simon Morris has been obsessed² with making objects float in midair. Now he’s applying that same passion to Flyte, a lightbulb that relies on electromagnetism to levitate³ and spin, and on resonant⁴ inductive coupling to shine.

　　打小西蒙莫里斯就沉迷于做各种漂浮于空中的物件。现在他把同样的热情付诸福莱特灯泡，这一灯泡需要依靠电磁悬浮、旋转，还需靠谐振电感耦合发光。

　　2. Solar Panels That Don’t Stick Out

　　2.无需伸出外的太阳能板

　　Help the environment, save some money—and litter your roof with bulky metal boxes. That’s the dilemma⁵ home-solar-panel buyers have faced for years. The Solar Roof, a series of tiles designed to blend together while also harnessing the power of the sun.

　　助环境、省钞票，而你的屋顶布满金属盒子。这是太阳能版购买者多年来面临的问题。太阳能屋顶由一系列瓦片经设计融合而成，利用太阳能。

　　3.Shoes That Tie Themselves

　　3.自动系鞋带的鞋子

　　When wearers press a button near the tongue, the HyperAdapt 1.0s automatically tighten⁶ and loosen around their foot. Simplified shoe fastening could give athletes an edge during competition, and it’s especially useful for people with impaired⁷ motor function.

　　穿鞋时按一下鞋舌附近的按钮，HyperAdapt 1.0s就自动系紧鞋带和放松脚部。简化了绑鞋带可以给运动员竞技时带来优势，对运动功能受损的人们尤为有用。

　　4. The Headset Leading a Virtual Revolution

　　4.引发虚拟革新的头戴式设备

　　Sony’s PlayStation VR is a boon⁸ for gamers as well as casual consumers, who now have an easier way to experience VR.

　　索尼PlayStation VR是游戏玩家的福利，现在体验虚拟现实更方便了。

　　5. Tires That Spin In Every Direction

　　5.各个方向都能转动的轮胎

　　Goodyear is reinventing their wheels. Its spherical⁹ concept tire, which debuted¹⁰ in March, allows cars to move in many new ?directions, including sideways into a parallel parking space and at specific angles and speeds to counteract¹¹ slippery surfaces.

　　固特异正重新改造轮胎。其球形的概念轮胎三月初登场，让汽车可以朝多种新方向移动，包括平移进入平行的停车位，或者以特定角度和速度抵抗滑溜表面。

　　6. A Sleeker¹², Smarter Toothbrush

　　6.线条更流畅更智能的牙刷

　　Quip, a simple, affordable¹³, battery-?powered toothbrush looks and feels like something you’d find in an Apple store; customers can even opt¹⁴ for a matte metallic¹⁵ finish.

　　Quip牙刷简单实惠、由电池驱动，看上去像是苹果店买的；顾客还可以选择金属质感。

　　7. Dishes That Work Around Cognitive¹⁶ Decline

　　7.配合认知减退者的盘子

　　Yao created Eatwell Assistive Tableware, a dining set designed to make mealtime easier for people with Alzheimer’s and other diseases that affect brain and body function.

　　姚发明了“有助吃好餐具”，这套餐具设计出来让老年痴呆症者及其他身患影响大脑和身体功能的病人们用起餐来更容易。

　　8. The All-Purpose Shelter

　　8.万用住所

　　Just as DIY experts have found ways to remodel¹⁷ Ikea staples¹⁸ into expensive-?looking furniture, refugees and aid agencies are turning Better Shelter structures into hospitals, reception areas and more.

　　就像动手做专家已经找到了方法重新把样板做成昂贵好看的家具，避难所和援助机构正慢慢把“更好住所”结构转变成医院、接待处等其它地方。

　　9. Sweet Potatoes That Could Save Lives

　　9.能救人命的甜土豆

　　The key is biofortification, or cross-?breeding locally grown sweet potatoes with versions rich in vitamin A, so that over time the crops naturally get better at addressing the deficiency.

　　生物强化或者说当地种植的甜土豆和富含维生素A的土豆杂交是关键，所以，慢慢作物越长越好， 弥补劣势。

　　10. A Personal Air Purifier

　　10.个人空气净化器

　　Wynd, a portable air ?filter—?roughly the size of a water ?bottle—that creates a clean-?climate bubble by sucking up pollutants¹⁹ in your immediate²⁰ vicinity, including ones that can contribute to cancer and heart disease.

　　Wynd是便携式空气过滤器，约摸水瓶大小，吸取你周边导致癌症和心脏病等疾病的污染物，制造洁净环境的泡泡。

1 levitating   

v.（使）升空，（使）漂浮( levitate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• It will not mean things like levitating objects and reading others minds. 你将开始明白掌握力量的真正意义。 来自互联网
• As the pole rotates the balls spin out levitating higher the faster the system spins. 柱子旋转的时候，这两个球也会转起来，这个系统转得越快，它们飞得越高。 来自互联网

2 obsessed   

adj.心神不宁的,鬼迷心窍的,沉迷的

参考例句：

• He's obsessed by computers. 他迷上了电脑。
• The fear of death obsessed him throughout his old life. 他晚年一直受着死亡恐惧的困扰。

3 levitate   

v.升在空中

参考例句：

• I often dream that I can levitate.我经常梦想我能够飞起来在空中飘浮。
• The guru claimed that he could levitate.这位宗教领袖声称他能够浮在空中。

4 resonant   

adj.(声音)洪亮的，共鸣的

参考例句：

• She has a resonant voice.她的嗓子真亮。
• He responded with a resonant laugh.他报以洪亮的笑声。

5 dilemma   

n.困境，进退两难的局面

参考例句：

• I am on the horns of a dilemma about the matter.这件事使我进退两难。
• He was thrown into a dilemma.他陷入困境。

6 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。

7 impaired   

adj.受损的；出毛病的；有（身体或智力）缺陷的v.损害，削弱( impair的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Much reading has impaired his vision. 大量读书损害了他的视力。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• His hearing is somewhat impaired. 他的听觉已受到一定程度的损害。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 boon   

n.恩赐，恩物，恩惠

参考例句：

• A car is a real boon when you live in the country.在郊外居住，有辆汽车确实极为方便。
• These machines have proved a real boon to disabled people.事实证明这些机器让残疾人受益匪浅。

9 spherical   

adj.球形的；球面的

参考例句：

• The Earth is a nearly spherical planet.地球是一个近似球体的行星。
• Many engineers shy away from spherical projection methods.许多工程师对球面投影法有畏难情绪。

10 debuted   

初次表演，初次登台（debut的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• In late 2003 a full-size SUV, the Pathfinder Armada, debuted. 2003年末，全尺寸SUV的探路者无敌舰队，推出。
• The album debuted at number two and quickly went platinum. 专辑一亮相就荣登排行榜第二名，很快就取得了白金销量。

11 counteract   

vt.对…起反作用，对抗，抵消

参考例句：

• The doctor gave him some medicine to counteract the effect of the poison.医生给他些药解毒。
• Our work calls for mutual support.We shouldn't counteract each other's efforts.工作要互相支持，不要互相拆台。

12 sleeker   

磨光器，异型墁刀

参考例句：

• As tight as a corset, the new speed suits make the wearer sleeker and more streamlined. 这种新型泳衣穿起来就像紧身胸衣，可使穿着者身形光滑，更具流线型。
• When he became leaner and faster, his digital doppelganger also became sleeker and more fleet-footed. 当真科比变得更瘦并且更快，他的虚拟兄弟也变得灵动飞快。

13 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

14 opt   

vi.选择，决定做某事

参考例句：

• They opt for more holiday instead of more pay.他们选择了延长假期而不是增加工资。
• Will individual schools be given the right to opt out of the local school authority?各个学校可能有权选择退出地方教育局吗？

15 metallic   

adj.金属的；金属制的；含金属的；产金属的；像金属的

参考例句：

• A sharp metallic note coming from the outside frightened me.外面传来尖锐铿锵的声音吓了我一跳。
• He picked up a metallic ring last night.昨夜他捡了一个金属戒指。

16 cognitive   

adj.认知的，认识的，有感知的

参考例句：

• As children grow older,their cognitive processes become sharper.孩子们越长越大，他们的认知过程变得更为敏锐。
• The cognitive psychologist is like the tinker who wants to know how a clock works.认知心理学者倒很像一个需要通晓钟表如何运转的钟表修理匠。

17 remodel   

v.改造，改型，改变

参考例句：

• Workmen were hired to remodel and enlarge the farm buildings.雇用了工人来改造和扩建农场建筑。
• I'll remodel the downstairs bedroom first.我先要装修楼下那间房间。

18 staples   

n.（某国的）主要产品( staple的名词复数 )；钉书钉；U 形钉；主要部份v.用钉书钉钉住( staple的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The anvil onto which the staples are pressed was not assemble correctly. 订书机上的铁砧安装错位。 来自辞典例句
• I'm trying to make an analysis of the staples of his talk. 我在试行分析他的谈话的要旨。 来自辞典例句

19 pollutants   

污染物质（尤指工业废物）( pollutant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Pollutants are constantly being released into the atmosphere. 污染物质正在不断地被排放到大气中去。
• The 1987 Amendments limit 301(g) discharges to a few well-studied nonconventional pollutants. 1987年的修正案把第301条（g）的普通排放限制施加在一些认真研究过的几种非常规污染物上。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

20 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。