BBC 6分钟英语学习 即时语言

Hello, catherine. Hear from BBC Learning English.

Just so you know, this program is from the BBC Learning English archive.

It was originally broadcast in October 2012 on our A website.

We hope you enjoy it. This is 6 min English from BBC learning english

dot com. Hello, and welcome to six minute English from BBC Learning English, the program in which we talk about a story in the news and learn some vocabulary while we're doing it.

I'm Neil, and joining me today is jen Hi, there.

Jen Hi. Now, this sounds like every struggling language students dream a piece of technology which could put an end to hours and hours of study.

It sounds like something from science fiction, A machine which allows you to speak any language in the world instantly.

OK, well, not quite. But we are talking about an app, a piece of software common on smartphones developed in Japan.

This app allows you to have conversations with another person speaking in a different language, translated in real time, in other words, instantly.

This could put us out of a job.

Neil. Now, come on. It must be time for a language related quiz.

Yes, that's exactly what we will do.

Now, I want to know how many languages there are in the world?

Is it A, about a hundred?

B about a thousand, or C about 6000?

Well, I think there are a lot, but maybe not 6000.

So I'll go for B about 1000.

OK, well, we will find out, as ever, at the end of the program.

Back now to our app. Now, this, of course, isn't the only instant translation technology in the world.

Now, google have something similar, though it's less advanced than this Japanese app.

Listen to the 1st part of a report from the bbc's correspondent, richard Taylor.

How does the Google technology work?

You simply talk into your smartphone, that's then sent to the server from Google, which does real time voice recognition and then machine translation on it, and then that data is sent back to your phone, either as a script, or if you pay a little bit extra in terms of data charges, as a voice file, he says, when you talk into your smartphone, it's sent to the server, a central computer, which other computers get their information from.

The server, does real time translation and then sends back a text or voice file so you read the translation, or, if you pay a little bit more, listen to a translation sent as an audio recording.

Amazing stuff, indeed. But this new app in Japan, developed by the company NTT Docamo, goes even further.

That's right. With this technology, you can have an actual conversation with someone on the other side of the world speaking a different language to the one which is coming out of your mouth.

Incredible. Now, listen to the 2nd part of the report from the bbc's Richard Taylor.

But they've actually taken the concept and applied it to normal voice call.

So you're making a phone call to somebody from Japan, in Japanese, the other side of the world, e.g.

in Britain, it will take that Japanese voice do the real time machine translation on the server.

A couple of seconds later, it will bring it back down to you in English, or at least that's the I So the difference is that this app allows people to speak to foreigners in real time, with slight pause while the real time translation takes place.

So which languages does it convert?

At the moment? Japanese to English, mandarin and Korean.

But more are to follow. I suppose the big question is how accurate is the translation?

Yes, that is the big question.

The bbc's Richard Taylor tried it out with the help of a Japanese translator.

What did he ask? And how good does the translator think the app is?

Hello, how are you? Are there any good restaurants around here?

How well did that do as a translation?

1st of all, well, but it's not perfect.

The reporter asked if there is a good restaurant nearby, and the Japanese translator says, the app was understandable, but not perfect.

Is this technology going to sweep the world?

I wonder. Well, there are some other companies hot on the heels of the Japanese company Anti t Docramo, E.G.

Francis. Alkater Lusan is developing arrival product, which will operate on landline.

And Microsoft is working on something it's calling the translating telephone.

Now, the question I want to ask you, jen is, do

you think this will put an end to language learning forever?

Well, I hope not. I think these types of technologies are always helpful, but nothing will ever replace learning a language.

Now, I know I'm biased, but speaking a foreign language is one of life's great pleasures, and I agree with you.

But of course I would because it's my

job. Before we go, neil, aren't you going to give the answer to the quiz?

OK? yes. I wanted to know how many languages there are in the world?

Is it A, about a hundred?

B about a thousand, or C about 6000?

And I said, be about a thousand.

And you are wrong. I know you speak about a thousand languages, jane, but the answer is about 6000.

Wow. Now, time for a recap of some of the words we heard in today's program.

They are up smartphone in real time, server, hot on the heels.

Join us again soon for more six minute English from BBC learning English dot com.

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Bye. That was 6 min English from BBC learning english dot com.

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