Robots
美音、自然拼读、分级阅读与词汇复习
Table of Contents Tireless Workers.
内容表 无职业工人.
4 What Are Robots?
四是机器人吗?
5 Simple or Complex.
5 简单或复杂。
7 Danger Zones.
7个危险区。
8 Robot Exploration.
8机器人探索.
9 Tiny Robots.
9个小机器人
11 Robotic People and Animals.
11机器人人与动物.
12 Robot Intelligence.
12机器人情报。
14 The Future of Robots.
14 机器人的未来。
15 Glossary.
15 词汇。
16 Tireless Workers Imagine working at a job picking up nails and putting them into boxes as they pass through an assembly line.
16 无职业工人 想象在一份工作上工作 捡起指甲 把它们放进箱子里 当他们通过一个装配线。
Imagine that this is the only thing you do all day and night.
想象一下,这是你唯一 昼夜做的事情。
You never get to take breaks to eat, sleep, or go to the bathroom.
你永远不能休息吃饭睡觉 或者上厕所
This kind of job is very repetitive, which makes it difficult to stay focused.
这种工作非常重复,因此很难保持专注.
After a while, you’ d be tired, cranky, and exhausted.
过了一段时间,你就会疲惫、狂躁和疲惫。
But robots can do this job perfectly every time, without complaining.
但机器人每次都能完美完成这项工作,不用抱怨.
Robotic arms are often used in factory assembly lines.
机器人臂常被用在工厂装配线上.
What Are Robots?
什么是机器人吗?
The word robot comes from the Czech word robota, which means “forced labor,” or hard, boring work.
机器人一词出自捷克语"机器人"(roboda)一词,意思是"强制劳动"或"辛苦而无聊"的工作.
In fact, many robots today are factory robots.
事实上,今天许多机器人都是工厂机器人.
Many are simple robot arms.
许多是简单的机器人手臂。
Some can grip pieces of metal, while others weld them together.
有些可以抓取金属碎片,而另一些可以把它们焊接在一起。
Still others drill or spray-paint parts.
还有一些钻孔或喷涂零件
Robot arms with a lighter touch sort items, from chocolates to tiny screws.
从巧克力到小螺丝
Robots are machines with mechanical bodies, information sensors, and computer brains.
机器人是拥有机械体,信息传感器和计算机大脑的机器.
Most robots can move or have moving parts.
大多数机器人可以移动或有移动部件.
Some robots look like people, but robots come in many shapes and sizes.
有些机器人长相像人,但机器人的形状和大小却很多.
Some walk on legs, while others use wheels or tracks to move.
有的用腿行走,有的用轮子或铁轨来行走.
Some robots fly like insects, swim like fish, or even crawl like snakes.
一些机器人会像昆虫一样飞行,会像鱼一样游泳,甚至会像蛇一样爬行.
This robot swims like a fish and has a video camera inside.
这个机器人像鱼一样游来游去,里面有相机.
Many robots use video cameras and microphones to act as their eyes and ears.
许多机器人使用相机和麦克风作为耳目.
Robots are programmed to perform certain tasks, either on their own or by remote control.
机器人被编程来完成某些任务,无论是自行还是遥控.
The program plans every step of the robot’s task.
程序计划机器人任务的每一步.
Most robots cannot do anything that they have not been programmed to do.
大多数机器人无法做任何没有被编程完成的事情.
Robotics Robotics is the science of designing, building, and operating robots.
机器人是机器人设计,制造,操作的科学.
Some schools and summer camps offer robotics programs where students work together to create their own robots.
一些学校和夏令营提供机器人方案,学生们合作创建自己的机器人.
Teams of high school students around the world participate in yearly competitions to see who can build the best robots.
世界各地的高中生团队每年参加比赛,看看谁能建造出最优秀的机器人.
Pleo, the baby dinosaur robot, needs many parts to work.
婴儿恐龙机器人Pleo需要很多部件才能工作.
Motors control movements of the head, neck, legs, and tail.
汽车控制了头部,颈部,腿部和尾部的运动.
Simple or Complex Simple robots can perform basic tasks such as moving car parts on an assembly line.
简单或复杂 简单的机器人可以执行一些基本任务,例如在编组线上移动汽车零件.
For this job, the robot only needs one arm, a sensor that tells it where the parts are, and a program to control its movements.
对于这项工作,机器人只需要一只手臂,一个能告诉零件所在位置的传感器,以及控制其运动的程序.
As robots get more complex, they need more programs in their computer brains.
随着机器人变得更加复杂,他们在计算机大脑中需要更多的程序.
Robots are usually built to be good at doing just a few things.
机器人通常被建造成擅长做一些事情.
It is much easier to build ten robots to do ten different things than it is to build one robot to do all ten things.
建造十个机器人来做十种不同的事情 比建造一个机器人来做十种事情要容易得多。
The Boston Dynamics Spot Mini is a complex robot that moves like a dog and can use the arm on its back to open doors and handle objects.
波士顿活泼迷你(英語:Boston Dynamics Spot Mini)是一款复杂的机器人,会像狗一样行走并可以使用手臂背上打开门并处理物体.
Danger Zones Some robots are built to go places that are too dangerous for humans.
危险区 有些机器人是用来去对人类太危险的地方的
After an earthquake damaged a nuclear power plant in Japan, officials sent in robots to check the damage.
日本一核电站发生地震受损后,官员派出机器人检查受损情况.
The radiation from the nuclear accident would have killed any living creature that entered the damaged plant.
核事故的辐射会杀死任何进入受损工厂的活生物.
Volcanoes can also be very dangerous.
火山也可能非常危险.
Eight scientists died while studying a volcano in South America in 1993.
1993年有8名科学家在南美洲研究火山时死亡.
Dante II was built to get samples of gases safely from Mount Spurr, a volcano in Alaska.
但丁二世建造是为了从阿拉斯加的一座火山斯普尔山安全地取出气体样本.
The eight-legged crawler robot successfully brought back samples of the gases, though it was damaged during the mission.
八脚爬行机器人成功带回了气体样本,虽然在任务中受损.
The Mini Mambo robot was used to inspect the flooded buildings of a damaged nuclear power plant.
迷你曼博机器人被用来检查被损坏的核电站被淹的建筑物.
Robot Exploration Remote-Operated Vehicles (ROVs) are often used to investigate places on Earth that are hard for people to reach.
机器人探索遥控飞行器(ROVs)经常被用来调查地球上人们难以到达的地方.
ROVs use lights, cameras, and scientific instruments to search for new life forms living deep in the oceans.
ROVs使用灯光,相机,和科学仪器来寻找生活在海洋深处的新生命形式.
The remote-controlled Nomad robot explored the Atacama Desert in Chile, traveling 215 kilometers (134 mi.)
遥控游牧机器人在智利探索了阿塔卡马沙漠,行程为215公里(134米.
in forty-five days while collecting rock and soil samples.
在45天内收集岩石和土壤样本。
Nomad went on to successfully search areas of icy Antarctica for rocks that fell to Earth from space.
游牧民族继续成功地搜索了南极洲冰冷地区,寻找从太空坠入地球的岩石.
The Hercules ROV recovers an object from the seafloor.
海克力斯号ROV从海底取出一个物体.
The Spirit and Opportunity robots explored the surface of Mars.
灵和机机器人探索了火星的地表.
These identical robots were programmed to act as geologists— scientists who study rocks.
这些相同的机器人被编程成为地质学家——研究岩石的科学家.
They were equipped with tiny rock drills, microscopes, and instruments that can tell what rocks are made of.
他们配备了微小的岩石钻孔,显微镜,以及能分辨出岩石的构造的仪器.
Scientists controlled these robots by sending radio signals through space.
科学家通过空间发送无线电信号来控制这些机器人.
Robots don’t need food, water, or air.
机器人不需要食物、水或空气。
They don’t age or get bored, and they don’t even need a return trip home.
他们不老也不无聊,
For these reasons, much future space exploration will involve robots rather than people.
由于这些原因,未来许多空间探索将涉及机器人而不是人.
The Spirit and Opportunity robotic rovers worked many years longer than expected on the surface of Mars.
"精神与机会"机器人狂走者在火星表面的工作时间比预期的要长很多年.
Tiny Robots Scientists are researching and developing tiny robots, some of which are smaller than the width of a human hair.
小机器人 科学家们正在研发出细小的机器人,其中一些比人类发型宽度要小.
Such tiny robots might one day be used by doctors to inspect sick or injured bodies from the inside.
这种微小的机器人可能有一天被医生用来从里面检查生病或受伤的尸体.
Groups, or “swarms,” of tiny robots working together could perform surgery to heal wounds or track down and destroy cancer cells.
团体或“群”小机器人一起工作,可以进行手术来治愈伤口或追踪并摧毁癌症细胞。
This tiny robot (left) was built to study how ants behave and is smaller than some ants.
这个微小的机器人(左)是用来研究蚂蚁的行为,并且比一些蚂蚁还小.
Robotic People and Animals People have tried to build humanlike robots for decades.
机器人人与动物人 曾尝试打造人相类机器人数十年.
Some robots have two arms and legs to move and work as people do.
一些机器人有两只手和两只腿可以移动,和人们一样工作.
Some robots even have faces and hair to appear more like us.
有些机器人甚至有面相和发型来更像我们.
These robots may look like people, but so far they are not very good at acting like people.
这些机器人可能长得像人,但迄今为止他们不太擅长表现得像人.
One problem is that it’s hard for robots to do many different things the way people can.
其中一个问题是机器人很难像人们那样做很多不同的事情。
In fact, the more automatic a task is for a human, the harder it is to program a robot to do it.
事实上,一个任务越是自动的是一个人类,就越难编程机器人来完成.
Each of us learned to walk, but after that, we do it by instinct.
我们每个人都学会了走路,但在那之后,我们凭着本能去做.
Honda has been working on the ASIMO robot since the 1980s.
本田从20世纪80年代开始从事ASIMO机器人的研究.
To get around this problem, scientists begin by programming a robot to only deal with one very simple task, such as rolling or walking on many legs.
为了绕过这个问题,科学家们首先编程一个机器人,只处理一个非常简单的任务,比如滚滚或多条腿行走.
Then they add other simple programs one by one until the robot can do many different tasks successfully.
然后,他们逐个添加其他简单的程序,直到机器人能够成功完成许多不同的任务.
This idea began with robots that imitate insects.
这个想法始于模仿昆虫的机器人.
These tiny bug-bots move and react just like insects and can send signals to each other.
这些微小的虫子机器人像昆虫一样移动和反应,可以互相发出信号.
Several companies have built robot dogs as expensive toys and companions.
有几家公司已经将机器人犬建成了昂贵的玩具和同伴.
These dogs bark, move, and perform tricks.
这些狗会叫,会动,会耍花招
More advanced models can recognize their owners’ voices and faces, and respond with actions or flashing lights.
更先进的模型可以识别其主人的声音和面相,并用动作或闪光来回应.
Sony’s robotic dog AIBO can learn people’s faces and play games.
索尼的机器人狗AIBO可以学习人相并玩游戏.
Robot Intelligence True artificial intelligence, or AI, involves human-level intelligence.
机器人情报 真正的人工智能,或称人工智能,涉及人类层面的智能.
It involves the ability to learn, react to new information, and make decisions independently.
它涉及学习、对新信息作出反应和独立作出决定的能力。
Scientists are still working on creating computers and robots with real AI.
科学家们仍在致力于用真实的AI创建计算机和机器人.
Some robots are able to adjust their own programming as they gain experience.
一些机器人在获得经验后能够调整自己的编程.
This kind of machine learning allows robots to improve the way they work over time.
这种机器的学习使得机器人可以随着时间的推移改进工作方式.
Sophia is a robot that uses artificial intelligence to talk with people.
索菲亚是使用人工智能与人交谈的机器人.
Do You Know?
你知道吗?
Smart cars, also known as self-driving cars, use many of the same technologies as robots.
智能汽车也叫自驾车,使用许多与机器人相同的技术.
Smart cars use cameras and sensors to sense what’s going on around them.
智能汽车使用相机和感应器来感知周围的情况。
Their computer brains calculate the best direction and speed to travel safely.
他们的计算机大脑计算出安全行走的最佳方向和速度.
Mechanical parts steer the cars and control their speed.
机械部件引导汽车并控制其速度.
The Future of Robots Robots are already a big part of modern life, and they are becoming more common every day.
机器人的未来 机器人已经是现代生活的一大部分, 它们每天都越来越普遍。
Robots work in many factories, vacuum people’s homes, and mow their lawns.
机器人在许多工厂工作, 真空民宅,
In some areas, robots deliver meals from restaurants or fly through the sky carrying packages from online stores.
在一些地区,机器人从餐馆送餐或从空中飞来,携带在线商店的包裹.
As robots continue to improve, we can expect them to keep changing the way we work and live.
随着机器人不断改进,我们可以期望他们继续改变我们的工作和生活方式.