VOA慢速英语2018--科技正在重塑时尚业

Technology Is Reshaping Fashion Industry

Technology is changing almost every industry, including fashion.

Imagine wearing a computer in the form of clothing, like a jacket. Now it is possible.

The clothing manufacturer Levi Strauss & Co. partnered with technology company Google to create what is being called a “smart” jacket. The word smart is often used to describe actions controlled by a computer. What makes this jacket “smart” is washable technology added to the cuff¹ -- the cloth encircling the wrist.

Ivan Poupyrev heads the smart clothing project for Google.

"When somebody calls you, your jacket vibrates and gives you lights and [you] know somebody is calling you."

A touch on the cuff can provide directions for helping² you get to where you need to go. The jacket also can play music when combined with a mobile phone, headphones and a small piece of removable computer hardware.

"You get the most important features of the phone without taking your eyes off the road," said Paul Dillinger of Levi Strauss & Co.

The Levi's smart jacket can be purchased on the internet for $350.

It is just one step to smarter clothing.

Poupyrev explained that Google plans to use the technology for any kind of clothing. He added that the company is working with other partners in the fashion industry “to help to make their products connected."

New patterns and materials

From how clothes are used to how they are made, computing³ power is reshaping the fashion industry. Designers can create structures and designs that have never existed before current technology.

New technologies are also being used to make bioengineered materials made with yeast⁴ cells in a laboratory.

Suzanne Lee is chief creative officer of Modern Meadow. She explained how her company creates leather-like material from yeast cells. She said, "We engineer them to produce collagen which is the same natural protein that you find in your skin or an animal skin. Then we really grow billions of those cells, make a lot of collagen, purify it and then assemble it into whatever kinds of materials...the designers that we're working with would like to see."

Lee added that these bioengineered materials can be described as both natural and man-made.

Technology is also changing popular fashion. The rise of social media means it is not just designers who decide the latest looks in fashion.

Artificial intelligence can now collect information from social media and the internet to help designers understand what the public likes.

I’m Jonathan Evans.

Words in This Story

fashion – n. the business of creating and selling clothes in new styles; a popular way of dressing⁵ during a particular time or among a particular group of people

hardware – n. equipment used for a particular purpose

vibrate – v. to move back and forth⁶ or from side to side with very short, quick movements

feature – n. an interesting or important part, quality, ability, etc.

complicated – adj. hard to understand, explain, or deal with

yeast – n. a type of fungus⁷ that is used in making alcoholic⁸ drinks and in baking to help make dough⁹ rise

assemble – v. to connect or put together the parts of (something, such as a toy or machine

collagen – n. a substance that occurs naturally in the bodies of people and animals and is often put into creams and other products that are sold to make a person's skin smoother and less wrinkled

1 cuff   

n.袖口；手铐；护腕；vt.用手铐铐；上袖口

参考例句：

• She hoped they wouldn't cuff her hands behind her back.她希望他们不要把她反铐起来。
• Would you please draw together the snag in my cuff?请你把我袖口上的裂口缝上好吗？

2 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

3 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。

4 yeast   

n.酵母；酵母片；泡沫；v.发酵；起泡沫

参考例句：

• Yeast can be used in making beer and bread.酵母可用于酿啤酒和发面包。
• The yeast began to work.酵母开始发酵。

5 dressing   

n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料

参考例句：

• Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
• The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。

6 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

7 fungus   

n.真菌，真菌类植物

参考例句：

• Mushrooms are a type of fungus.蘑菇是一种真菌。
• This fungus can just be detected by the unaided eye.这种真菌只用肉眼就能检查出。

8 alcoholic   

adj.（含）酒精的，由酒精引起的；n.酗酒者

参考例句：

• The alcoholic strength of brandy far exceeds that of wine.白兰地的酒精浓度远远超过葡萄酒。
• Alcoholic drinks act as a poison to a child.酒精饮料对小孩犹如毒药。

9 dough   

n.生面团；钱，现款

参考例句：

• She formed the dough into squares.她把生面团捏成四方块。
• The baker is kneading dough.那位面包师在揉面。