VOA慢速英语2020--CES 2021技术展览将完全在线上举行

CES, one of the world's biggest technology conferences, will be an online event this coming January due to the coronavirus health crisis¹.

The decision marks a change for event organizers, who said in May it would take place as a smaller, in-person gathering² in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The decision also creates additional³ problems for Las Vegas. Like other popular vacation destinations in the United States, the city is suffering economically. More than 170,000 people attended the four-day show this past January, shortly before COVID-19 began to spread across the country.

In Nevada over the past two weeks, the average number of daily new coronavirus cases has increased 27 percent. The state is now listed sixth in the country for new cases of COVID-19 per capita.

The crisis has affected⁴ major technology events around the world.

Europe's biggest consumer electronics⁵ trade event, Germany's IFA, usually runs for six days. Last year, nearly 25,000 people attended the event. This year, it will run half as long and there will be no public access to the event, which will take place in September.

Web Summit⁶, an event in Portugal that includes well-known heads of technology companies and famous people, will be online this time. Organizers aim to still hold a physical conference in Lisbon in December. But no final decision will be made until early October.

Trade shows are a place where people meet members of the industry, try new devices⁷ or make sales. The Events Industry Council⁸ reports that they represent $2.5 trillion in worldwide spending. Much of that is likely to be lost if events go online.

The Consumer Technology Association⁹ organizes CES. It had said in May that it planned to hold some events in Las Vegas next year. But Gary Shapiro, the group's CEO, said the group's thinking changed as COVID-19 cases rose sharply¹⁰ around the world. That makes it impossible to hold an indoor event in January 2021.

It is also unknown whether employees of big technology companies will be permitted to travel by next January. For example, Google said this week that its employees should work from home until at least July 2021.

The four-day online form of the CES show begins January 6.

I'm Pete Musto.

Words in This Story

conference(s) – n. a formal meeting in which many people gather in order to talk about ideas or problems related¹¹ to a particular topic, such as medicine or business, usually for several days

destination(s) – n. a place to which a person is going or something is being sent

per capita – adv. by or for each person

consumer – n. a person who buys goods and services

access – n. a way of getting near, at, or to something or someone

1 crisis   

n.危机，危急关头，决定性时刻，关键阶段

参考例句：

• He had proved that he could be relied on in a crisis.他已表明，在紧要关头他是可以信赖的。
• The topic today centers about the crisis in the Middle East.今天课题的中心是中东危机。

2 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

3 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。

4 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

5 electronics   

n.电子器件，电子学，电子技术

参考例句：

• About 45000 people worked in electronics in Scotland.苏格兰约有4.5万人在电子行业工作。
• He wants to brush up his knowledge of electronics.他想温习他的电子学知识。

6 summit   

n.最高点，峰顶；最高级会议；极点

参考例句：

• They climbed up the mountain and reached the summit.他们爬山，最终达到了山顶。
• The summit of the mountain is lost in the cloud and mist.山顶隐没在云雾之中。

7 devices   

n.设备；装置( device的名词复数 )；花招；（为实现某种目的的）计划；手段

参考例句：

• electrical labour-saving devices around the home 节省劳力的各种家用电器
• modern labour-saving devices such as washing machines and dishwashers 诸如洗衣机和洗碗机之类的现代化省力设备

8 council   

n.理事会，委员会，议事机构

参考例句：

• The town council passed a law forbidding the distribution of handbills.市议会通过法律，禁止散发传单。
• The city council has declared for improving the public bus system.市议会宣布同意改进公共汽车系统。

9 association   

n.联盟，协会，社团；交往，联合；联想

参考例句：

• Our long association with your company has brought great benefits.我方和贵公司的长期合作带来了巨大的利益。
• I broke away from the association ten years ago.我10年前就脱离了那个团体。

10 sharply   

adj.锐利地，急速；adv.严厉地，鲜明地

参考例句：

• The plane dived sharply and rose again.飞机猛然俯冲而后又拉了起来。
• Demand for personal computers has risen sharply.对个人电脑的需求急剧增长。

11 related   

adj.有关系的，有关联的，叙述的，讲述的

参考例句：

• I am not related to him in any way.我和他无任何关系。
• We spent days going through all related reference material.我们花了好多天功夫查阅所有有关的参考资料。