VOA慢速英语2018 日本公司引进新“伴侣”机器人

Japanese Companies Introduce New ‘Companion’ Robots

Robots are being used in industry assembly lines, to carry out medical operations and in the military.

机器人如今被用于工业装配线，实施医疗手术和用于军事方面。 

But, some Japanese companies are producing robots for use in the home as companions.

但一些日本公司生产了在家中使用用于陪伴的机器人。 

We would like to introduce three models that are more or less affordable¹.

我们接下来要介绍三种至少可以买得起的机器人型号。 

Japanese carmaker Toyota sells the Kirobo Mini, a small robot designed for cuteness.

日本汽车制造商丰田销售一款娇小可爱的小型机器人，名叫Kirobo Mini。 

So far, the robot can only understand Japanese. But it can respond when spoken to and can ask some questions.

至今，机器人只听得懂日语。但它可以回答问题，也会问一些问题。 

A smartphone application provides many communications functions for the robot. If you talk with Kirobo, it can remember the content of a discussion. The robot can learn your name if you put it into the smartphone app that is updated periodically. In this way, the robot can get "smarter" and will be able to "grow up" over time.

一款智能手机应用提供和机器人交流聊天的功能。如果你和Kirobo说话，他会记录谈话的内容。如果你将名字输入定期更新的手机应用中，机器人就能知道你的名字。这样，机器人就能越来越“聪明”，随着时间而“成长”。

Toyota is considering connecting Kirobo to car navigation and smart-driving uses. The robot does connect with the latest model of the Toyota Prius. But the robot is only able to perform basic functions like reminding the driver to turn off the headlights.

丰田如今考虑将Kirobo和汽车导航、智能驾驶联系起来。机器人可以和最新款的丰田普锐斯相连。但机器人只能执行提醒驾驶人关掉车头灯这样的基础功能。

The robot is small—only 10 centimeters tall and its price is $350.

这款机器人很小巧，只有10厘米高，价格为350美元。 

Sony is the Japanese maker² of the PlayStation video game system and many electronic devices.

索尼是日本PlayStation电子游戏系统和其他很多电子设备的制造商。 

Now, the company is again producing a dog robot called Aibo. Sony stopped producing the first version of the robot 12 years ago.

如今，索尼公司在生产一种狗狗机器人名叫Aibo。12年前，索尼停产第一代该类型机器人。 

The improved Aibo is about 30 centimeters long and has natural looking eyes. It is much "cuter" than the earlier version. The eyes also have a camera, so you can take a picture while playing with Aibo.

Aibo的加强版大约30厘米长，眼睛很自然。比之前的版本更加“可爱”。狗狗的双眼含有照相机，你在和Aibo玩时可以拍摄照片。

The dog robot can respond to a pink ball and plastic bone like real dogs.

狗狗机器人会玩粉色的球和塑料骨头，就像真的狗狗一样。 

Sony says Aibo’s "brain" is based in an internet "cloud" service. The idea is that over time and with the owner’s effort Aibo can develop its own artificial intelligence. The dog robot can interact with users and respond to voices.

索尼公司表示Aibo的“大脑”基于一种互联网“云服务”。随着时间发展，以及主人的努力，Aibo会发展出自己的人工智能。狗狗机器人可以和用户互动，对声音进行回应。

Sony is considering overseas sales but has not decided³ yet.

索尼正在考虑面向海外销售，但还未决定。 

However, Aibo is much more costly⁴ with a price of about $1800.

然而，Aibo的价格更高，售价为1800美元。 

Qoobo looks more like a cushion than a robot. Yukai Engineering in Tokyo makes Qoobo which has no face or legs.

Qoobo与其说是像机器人，不如说像一个垫子。东京的Yukai Engineering公司制造了Qoobo，它既没有脸也没有胳膊。

The robot only has a body and a tail. However, the company says the cushion with a tail can provide a therapeutic⁵ effect for people by waving its tail slowly as a response to caresses⁷ and tapping. The tail is called a "therapy tail".

这个机器人只有身子和一条尾巴。然而该公司表示带有尾巴的垫子能够给人们带来一种治疗效果，通过慢慢地摇尾巴回应人们的抚摸和轻拍。人们将这条尾巴成为“治疗尾巴”。

Qoobo is the biggest of the robots—at 33 centimeters in length.

Qoobo是这些机器人中最大的，长度有33厘米。 

It is now available to order in Japan and the United States and is expected to be sent out later this year. Qoobo is the least costly of these robots at $90, but it does not have the ability to "learn" from its surroundings.

如今仅接受日本和美国的订单，预计今年稍后发货。Qoobo是这些机器人中最便宜的，仅售90美元，但它不具备从周围事物“学习” 的能力。

Words in This Story

respond –v. to answer words or actions

companion – n.one that accompanies another

affordable – adj. able to be afforded

assembly lines – n. a series of workers or machines in a factory by which a succession of identical item is progressively assembled

function – n. the action for which a person or thing is specially⁸ fitted or used or for which a thing exists.

navigation –n. the act of find the way to go from place to place

cloud – n. the computers and connections that support cloud computing⁹

caress⁶ – v. a gentle or loving touch

therapeutic – adj. having a beneficial effect on the body or mind

1 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。

2 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

5 therapeutic   

adj.治疗的，起治疗作用的；对身心健康有益的

参考例句：

• Therapeutic measures were selected to fit the patient.选择治疗措施以适应病人的需要。
• When I was sad,music had a therapeutic effect.我悲伤的时候，音乐有治疗效力。

6 caress   

vt./n.爱抚，抚摸

参考例句：

• She gave the child a loving caress.她疼爱地抚摸着孩子。
• She feasted on the caress of the hot spring.她尽情享受着温泉的抚爱。

7 caresses   

爱抚，抚摸( caress的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A breeze caresses the cheeks. 微风拂面。
• Hetty was not sufficiently familiar with caresses or outward demonstrations of fondness. 海蒂不习惯于拥抱之类过于外露地表现自己的感情。

8 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

9 computing   

n.计算

参考例句：

• to work in computing 从事信息处理
• Back in the dark ages of computing, in about 1980, they started a software company. 早在计算机尚未普及的时代（约1980年），他们就创办了软件公司。