VOA科学技术2023 日本铁路测试游客求助系统

Japanese Railway Tests a System to Help Visitors

日本铁路测试游客求助系统

Japanese railway operator¹, Seibu, is testing a special help desk for foreigners at one of the company's busiest train stations.

日本铁路运营商西武正在该公司其中一个最繁忙的火车站测试一种面向外国人的特殊服务台。

Visitors who need help at the Seibu-Shinjuku station in Tokyo can go to an information window and ask questions. About 135,000 people per day pass through the Seibu-Shinjuku station.

在东京西武新宿站需要帮助的游客可以到一个信息窗口提问。每天约有13.5万人通过西武新宿站。

To get help, a person just speaks into a microphone². A system called VoiceBiz listens to their words and displays them on the window in Japanese. The railway worker can see the question and reply in Japanese. Then VoiceBiz translates the answer into a language the person who needs help can understand. The system works³ with Japanese and 11 other languages.

有人要寻求帮助，只用对着麦克风说话。VoiceBiz系统会听他们说话，并用日语显示在窗口上。铁路员工可以看到问题，并用日文回答。然后VoiceBiz将答复翻译成需要帮助的人士所能理解的语言。该系统可适用于日语和其他11种语言。

Rail stations throughout⁴ Japan are very busy this summer. More than 2 million people visited Japan in June, the most since before 2020. COVID-19 restrictions⁵ barred most foreign travelers for a long time.

日本各地的火车站今年夏天都很繁忙。6月份访问日本的人数超过200万，为2020年前以来最多。新冠肺炎限制措施长期禁止大多数外国游客入境。

Kevin Khani was visiting Japan from Germany. He tried out the VoiceBiz system recently after getting confused⁶ in Seibu's Shinjuku station.

凯文·卡尼从德国到访日本。最近，他在西武新宿车站搞晕头后，试用了VoiceBiz系统。

He said the translations were "spot on," which means⁷ they were exactly right. He also said it is nice to see that there is a human working at the window.

他说这些翻译“准确无误”，这意味着它们完全正确。他还说，很高兴看到有人在窗口工作。

"So, you take your time to explain what you need, and you will know that they will understand what you need," he said.

他说：“所以，你慢慢来说出你需要什么，你就会知道，他们会搞懂你需要什么。”

The Seibu railway has been testing the VoiceBiz system for three months. After that time, the company will consider using it in additional⁸ stations.

西武铁路已经测试VoiceBiz系统三个月了。之后，该公司将考虑在其他车站使用该系统。

Ayano Yajima is a sales and marketing⁹ official for Seibu. Yajima said looking at each other adds to the "smoothness of communication."

八州绫野是西武的销售和营销官员。八州绫野说，看着彼此会增加“沟通的顺畅性”。

Toppan is the company that makes VoiceBiz. It tested the window at Kansai International Airport near Osaka earlier this year. It hopes to sell the windows to businesses and government offices in Japan so they can communicate with travelers and immigrants¹⁰.

凸版公司制造了VoiceBiz系统。今年早些时候，该公司在大阪附近的关西国际机场测试了这个窗口。它希望将这些窗口出售给日本的企业和政府办公室，以便他们能够与游客和移民交流。

The company believes the Shinjuku area is a good testing place. The busiest railway station in the world is nearby – 3.6 million people use the Japan Railway station in Shinjuku. Many people use the Seibu train to get to other trains and subways and go to other places in Tokyo or the rest of Japan. As a result, there is a high chance that someone gets lost or needs help.

该公司认为新宿地区是一个很好的测试场所。世界上最繁忙的火车站就在附近——360万人使用新宿的日本火车站。许多人乘坐西武列车，搭乘其他火车和地铁，前往东京或日本其他地方。因此，很有可能有人会迷路或需要帮助。

French visitors Isabelle and Marc Rigaud used the help window to find their way from the Seibu station to the Japan Railway station. They had just gotten off an airplane at 1 in the morning, local time.

法国游客伊莎贝尔和马克·里戈使用该求助窗口找到了从西武站到日本火车站的路线。他们于当地时间凌晨1点刚下飞机。

"It's very Japan," Isabelle said of the technology.

伊莎贝尔在谈到这项技术时说：“这很日本。”

1 operator   

n.（机器、设备等的）操作员；电话接线员

参考例句：

• He is a computer operator.他是个电脑操作员。
• The telephone operator connected us.话务员给我们接通了电话。

2 microphone   

n.扩音器，麦克风，话筒

参考例句：

• He gave a tap at the microphone before speaking.他在讲话前先轻叩了一下扩音器。
• She behaved naturally before the microphone.她在话筒前表现自然。

3 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

4 throughout   

adv.到处，自始至终；prep.遍及，贯穿

参考例句：

• These magazines are sold at bookstores throughout the country.这些杂志在全国各地书店均有发售。
• Guilin is known throughout the world for its scenery.桂林以山水著称于世。

5 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

6 confused   

adj.困惑的，烦恼的

参考例句：

• They asked so many questions that they confused me.他们问了许多问题，都把我弄糊涂了。
• A wise man is never confused.智者不惑。

7 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

8 additional   

adj.添加的，额外的，另外的

参考例句：

• It is necessary to set down these additional rules.有必要制定这些补充规则。
• I think we can fit in an additional room.我想我们可以再加建一间房子。

9 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

10 immigrants   

n.移民( immigrant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Illegal immigrants were given the opportunity to regularize their position. 非法移民得到了使其身份合法化的机会。
• Immigrants from all over the world populate this city. 这个城市里生活着来自世界各地的移民。 来自《简明英汉词典》