VOA慢速英语 AS IT IS 2014-05-24 Cameras to Review Goals at World Cup

 

AS IT IS 2014-05-24 Cameras to Review Goals at World Cup 

From VOA Learning English, this is As It Is.  I'm Anna Matteo in Washington.

Technolgoy is changing many parts of our lives. But when it comes to sports, fans do not always like new technology. Sports fans can be very loyal.  They may not be too pleased if technology threatens to change the way their sport is played or viewed.

But what if something can be fixed¹ for the better?  Something like making sure all good soccer goals count?  International soccer’s governing body, FIFA, thinks most sports fans would approve of that change to the game.   

Here’s June Simms with more on that story.

Goal line technology was introduced in international football at the Confederations Cup in Brazil last year.  

The move to goal line technology follows international pressure on the sport's governing body, FIFA, after a missed call in the 2010 World Cup.

Video replays of a match clearly show that England's Frank Lampard scored a goal against Germany.  That goal, however, was denied.  Neither the referee² nor linesman saw the ball cross the goal line.

Fans were not happy, to put it gently.  And FIFA heard their protests loud and clear.

Manchester United's goalkeeper David de Gea, thinking, at Germany Soccer Champions LeagueManchester United's goalkeeper David de Gea, thinking, at Germany Soccer Champions League

Bjorn Linder is the chairman of GoalControl, the German-based company that won the goal line technology contract for the 2013 Confederations Cup.  His team spent weeks in Brazil before the games as part of the FIFA certification process.

“The whole system uses 14 cameras that are installed on the catwalk. We have seven cameras per goal and computers that are connected to those cameras. The computers are catching³ the images, around 500 pictures per second.” 

Computers track the path of the ball in real time and reconstruct the play.

“And once the computer (perceives) the ball has crossed the goal line, it gives a signal to the referee's watch. So all the referees⁴ on the field receive a signal and it vibrates and gives an optical signal ‘goal’ and he knows a goal has occurred.” 

Electronic eyes on the goal line may settle arguments, but the data is still only a reconstruction⁵ of reality.  Nic Fleming is a London-based science and technology writer.  He believes the use of goal line technology is a chance to educate people about the role of uncertainty⁶ in science.

“There are fantastic tools, but let’s be realistic about their limitations, that science is about probabilities.  Now, what better way than to have this message in a game that's so popular.”

?GoalControl claims an accuracy of plus or minus 5 millimeters. This is well under FIFA’s minimum requirement of plus or minus 3 centimeters.  Nic Fleming would like to see that number flashed on the screen.  He says viewers could compare the replays to the computer reconstructions⁷ and learn a little science.

“And the wider point really is that science is central to many public debates today, whether that's climate change or nuclear power or genetic⁸ modification⁹. Now, in all of these cases science provides probabilities. It does not provide yes-no, black-white answers. And it’s quite important that the public understands that.”

Goal line technology may become a central part of the sport. But, it is important to remember that it is still the referee -- not the computer -- that makes the final call.

I’m June Simms.

1 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

2 referee   

n.裁判员．仲裁人，代表人，鉴定人

参考例句：

• The team was left raging at the referee's decision.队员们对裁判员的裁决感到非常气愤。
• The referee blew a whistle at the end of the game.裁判在比赛结束时吹响了哨子。

3 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

4 referees   

n.裁判员( referee的名词复数 )；证明人；公断人；（专业性强的文章的）审阅人

参考例句：

• The fiery player has had numerous run-ins with referees. 这位脾气暴躁的队员曾和裁判员发生过无数次争吵。
• If you want to appeal, the Court of Referees will decide. 如果你要上诉，可以由仲裁法庭去判决。 来自辞典例句

5 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

6 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

7 reconstructions   

重建( reconstruction的名词复数 )； 再现； 重建物； 复原物

参考例句：

• Multicolored reconstructions have been formed using (black and white) volume holographic plates. 利用黑白体积全息片已经做成了彩色重建象。
• The method gives ways to evaluate collision speed in traffic accident reconstructions. 该模型为交通事故再现推算碰撞速度提供了有效实用的方法。

8 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

9 modification   

n.修改，改进，缓和，减轻

参考例句：

• The law,in its present form,is unjust;it needs modification.现行的法律是不公正的，它需要修改。
• The design requires considerable modification.这个设计需要作大的修改。