人工智能技術(shù)已經(jīng)被應(yīng)用在我們生活的方方面面，比如自動駕駛、智能導(dǎo)航、聊天機(jī)器人等。我們的家居生活是否也能從中獲益？你想要人工智能 “管家” 嗎？

詞匯：lifestyle 生活方式

• Artificial intelligence becoming self-aware and exterminating 消滅 the human race is a common theme in science fiction. But the levels of high intelligence that AI could reach is a real concern 擔(dān)心 among some scientists. But with more talk of AI and smart devices in the home, what are the positives of bringing these things into your life?

  人工智能變得有自我意識并消滅人類是科幻小說中的一個常見主題。但是，人工智能可能達(dá)到的高智能水平是一些科學(xué)家真正擔(dān)心的。但是，隨著更多關(guān)于人工智能和家庭智能設(shè)備的討論，將這些東西帶入你的生活有哪些積極意義？

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• Hans Rosling, a professor of international health, once spoke about the?impact 巨大影響?and changes that the washing machine made. The once?arduous 費(fèi)力的?task of cleaning clothes by hand was taken on by a machine and?freed up 空出來?more time for other activities. There are so many smart devices that you can fill your home with. Imagine waking up to find a?piping?hot 滾燙的, freshly brewed 沖（咖啡） cup of coffee,?spotless 一塵不染的?floors that have been recently?vacuumed?用吸塵器清掃 and the house set to the perfect?temperature. With smart devices, these things can happen while you sleep. The potential 潛在的 to?pre-program?and?automate?parts of your life means that you can focus on other tasks in your life.

  國際衛(wèi)生學(xué)教授漢斯·羅斯林(Hans Rosling)曾經(jīng)談到洗衣機(jī)帶來的影響和變化/改變。曾經(jīng)用手清洗衣服的艱巨任務(wù)由機(jī)器承擔(dān)/曾經(jīng)繁重的手工清洗衣物的工作被機(jī)器取代了，為其他活動騰出了更多時間。有這么多的智能設(shè)備可以裝滿你的家讓你的家充滿了活力。想象一下，一覺醒來，發(fā)現(xiàn)一杯熱氣騰騰的新煮咖啡，剛剛被吸過一塵不染的地板，房子被調(diào)到了完美的溫度。有了智能設(shè)備，這些事情可以在你睡覺時發(fā)生。預(yù)先編程并使你的生活部分自動化的潛力意味著你可以專注于你生活中的其他任務(wù)。

  ??impact 影響; arduous [?ɑ?rd?u?s] 費(fèi)力的; free up 騰出（時間）; piping hot [?pa?p??] 滾燙的，熱氣騰騰的; spotless [?spɑ?tl?s] 一塵不染的; vacuum [?v?kju?m] 用吸塵器清掃; temperature 溫度; pre-program 預(yù)設(shè); automate 使自動化;

• But there is a difference between smart devices and AI. Smart devices are the things that get on with the tasks, while AI can ‘think’ or interact 互動, and can be used to control the smart devices. There are many?voice-activated?AI systems which can control the smart devices around your home. You can ask these devices to start making coffee,?dim?調(diào)暗 the lights when they’re too bright or even make sure the house is?secure. You can inquire as to the weather outside, ask them to?blare out 大聲播放 music or search the internet for you when you have a burning question about history or the latest cooking recipes. Some of these devices even have a sense of humour, and upon asking them certain questions, they will retort 反駁. In short, in some ways, they can act as company.

  但智能設(shè)備和人工智能之間是有區(qū)別的。智能設(shè)備是處理任務(wù)的東西，而人工智能可以思考或互動，可以用來控制智能設(shè)備?，F(xiàn)在有很多聲控人工智能系統(tǒng)，可以控制你家里的智能設(shè)備。你可以讓這些設(shè)備開始煮咖啡，當(dāng)它們太亮?xí)r調(diào)暗燈光，甚至確保房子安全。你可以詢問外面的天氣，讓他們大聲播放音樂，或者當(dāng)你有關(guān)于歷史或最新烹飪方法的迫切問題時，為你搜索互聯(lián)網(wǎng)。其中一些設(shè)備甚至有幽默感，在問它們某些問題時，它們會反駁。簡而言之，在某些方面，它們可以充當(dāng)同伴。

  ??voice-activated 聲控的; dim 調(diào)暗; secure 安全的; blare out [ble?(r)] 大聲播放; burning 事關(guān)緊要的; retort [r??t??t] 反駁;

• But how far will it go? Well, we already have?self-driving?cars and?sentient?tech that can automatically order the delivery of certain products to?restock 補(bǔ)充?our fridge when we’re?running low, but often in films and games we see?humanoid?人形 robots taking over all of the domestic duties 家務(wù). It seems for now, that those things only live in our imaginations, but we could be seeing them sooner than we think.

  但它能走多遠(yuǎn)？嗯，我們已經(jīng)有了自動駕駛汽車和有感知能力的技術(shù)，當(dāng)我們的冰箱里的食物不夠時，它們可以自動訂購某些產(chǎn)品來補(bǔ)充我們的食物（可以在我們的冰箱缺貨時自動訂購某些產(chǎn)品來補(bǔ)充），但在電影和游戲中，我們經(jīng)?？吹饺诵螜C(jī)器人接管所有的家務(wù)。目前看來，這些東西只存在于我們的想象中，但我們可能會比想象中(的)更快地看到它們。

  ??self-driving 自動駕駛; sentient [?senti?nt] 有感應(yīng)力的，智能的; restock 給（冰箱）補(bǔ)充食物; run low 快用完; humanoid [?hju?m?n??d] ?adj. 像人的n. 類人動物; humanoid?robots人形機(jī)器人; domestic duties 家務(wù);

詞匯表

impact 影響

arduous [?ɑ?rd?u?s] 費(fèi)力的

free up 騰出（時間）

piping hot [?pa?p??] 滾燙的，熱氣騰騰的

spotless [?spɑ?tl?s] 一塵不染的

vacuum [?v?kju?m] 用吸塵器清掃

temperature 溫度

pre-program 預(yù)設(shè)

automate 使自動化

voice-activated 聲控的

dim 調(diào)暗

secure 安全的

blare out [ble?(r)] 大聲播放

self-driving 自動駕駛

sentient [?senti?nt] 有感應(yīng)力的，智能的

restock 給（冰箱）補(bǔ)充食物

run low 快用完

humanoid [?hju?m?n??d] ?adj. 像人的n. 類人動物; humanoid?robots人形機(jī)器人

測驗與練習(xí)

1.??閱讀課文并回答問題。

1. What concerns do some scientists have about AI?

2. What was the benefit of having a washing machine, according to Hans Rosling?

3. True or False??Smart devices cannot operate while you are asleep.

4. What is the difference between smart devices and AI?

5. What sort of things can you ask AI to do?

2.??選擇意思恰當(dāng)?shù)膯卧~或詞組來完成下列句子。

1. He always _______ his music through the day! I can’t concentrate.

humanoid? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?automate? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?sentient? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? blares out

1. The lights are so bright. Can you _______ them, please?

piping? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?humanoid? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? dim? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? spotless

1. Don’t worry, I don’t need to control the wheel. This car is _______.****

piping? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?self-driving????????? ??????????? blares out ??????????????? automate

1. Be careful how you drink that cup of coffee. It’s _______ hot.

piping? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?secure? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?humanoid? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?dim

1. We need to _______ the shelves as they are nearly empty.

sentient? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? restock? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? spotless? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? piping

答案

1.??閱讀課文并回答問題。?****

1. What concerns do some scientists have about AI??The levels of high intelligence that AI could reach is actually a real concern among some scientists.

2. What was the benefit of having a washing machine, according to Hans Rosling??The once arduous task of cleaning clothes by hand was taken on by a machine and freed up more time for other activities.

3. True or False??Smart devices cannot operate while you are asleep.?False. Smart devices can operate while you are asleep.

4. What is the difference between smart devices and AI??Smart devices are the things that get on with tasks and be pre-programmed, while AI implies a level of thinking or interaction.

5. What sort of things can you ask AI to do??You can ask these devices to start making coffee, dim the lights when they’re too bright or even make sure you house is secure.

2.??選擇意思恰當(dāng)?shù)膯卧~或詞組來完成下列句子。

1. He always?blares out?his music through the day! I can’t concentrate.

2. The lights are so bright. Can you?dim?them, please?

3. Don’t worry, I don’t need to control the wheel. This car is?self-driving.

4. Be careful how you drink that cup of coffee. It’s?piping?hot.

5. We need to?restock?the shelves as they are nearly empty.