人教版英语选修第四册 Unit 1 Using Language

Host:Welcome back to the show.

欢迎回到节目现场。

Just now we talked about time travel with sci‑fi expert, Simon Phoenix.

刚才我们和科幻专家西蒙·菲尼克斯探讨了时间旅行。

So, if we could move on now, Simon, robots are often in the news these days.

那么西蒙，我们继续往下聊。如今机器人经常见诸新闻报道。

Do you think robots will eventually live among us, and do most of our jobs for us, like in science fiction?

你认为机器人最终会生活在我们当中，并且像科幻作品里那样替我们做大部分工作吗？

Simon:Well, robots already do many jobs, in factories, for example.

嗯，机器人已经在做很多工作了，比如在工厂里。

But they often do simple tasks and do not look like humans, unlike in the movies.

但它们通常只做简单工作，而且外形并不像人类，和电影里不一样。

However, as artificial intelligence develops, we’ll certainly see robots with more complex occupations, such as teaching or nursing, and we are therefore likely to make them look more like us, so we feel more comfortable.

然而，随着人工智能发展，我们肯定会见到从事更复杂职业的机器人，例如教学或者护理。因此我们很可能会把它们做得更像人类，让我们感觉更自在。

Host:What benefits and problems do you think this would bring?

你认为这会带来哪些好处和问题？

Simon:The main benefit would be greater labour efficiency, giving us more time for other things.

主要好处将会是更高的劳动效率，让我们拥有更多时间去做别的事情。

But there would certainly be issues with integrating them into society.

但是把它们融入社会肯定也会产生一些问题。

The more intelligent they become, the more powerful and dangerous they will be, too.

它们变得越智能，也就会越强大、越危险。

Above all, we need to think carefully about how to programme them to protect us humans.

最重要的是，我们需要慎重思考如何编写程序，让它们保护人类。

Host:That reminds me of the Three Laws of Robotics by Isaac Asimov.

这让我想起了艾萨克·阿西莫夫提出的机器人三定律。

Is that what you mean?

你说的是这个意思吗？

Simon:Yes. That’s a good place to start.

对。这是一个很好的出发点。

Asimov was one of the greatest sci‑fi authors, and he wrote the Laws in 1942.

阿西莫夫是最伟大的科幻作家之一，他在1942年写下了这几条定律。

However, he also showed how the Laws could be broken.

不过，他也展示过这些定律是如何被打破的。

I believe he was showing us the problems we would have with such intelligent machines.

我认为他是在向我们展示，面对这类智能机器，我们将会遇到的难题。

Host:In sci‑fi stories, robots often become superior and take over.

在科幻故事里，机器人往往变得更优越，进而接管一切。

Do you think this could really happen?

你觉得这真的会发生吗？

If so, should we not build clever robots?

如果会，那我们是不是就不该制造智能机器人？

Simon:It is very hard to stop technology once it has been created.

一项技术一旦被创造出来，就很难阻止它发展。

Robot technology is developing very fast, so it could be possible.

机器人技术发展十分迅速，所以这是有可能的。

We use technology more and more in our lives.

我们在生活中越来越多地使用科技。

I think the line between humans and robots will be more blurred in the future.

我认为未来人类和机器人之间的界限将会变得更加模糊。

Host:Thanks a lot, Simon.

非常感谢你，西蒙。

So, I take it that you don’t have any robots at home?

这么说来，你家里并没有机器人，是吗？

Simon:Well … yes, I do actually!

呃……其实，我家里还真有！

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