经济学人62:如何用计算机模拟人类错误

 　　Science and Technology

　　科技

　　Computer security

　　计算机安全

　　Blame game

　　推脱责任

　　How to mimic¹ human laxness with computers

　　如何用计算机模拟人类错误

　　TO ERR² is human, but to foul³ things up completely takes a computer, or so the old saw goes.

　　犯错是人类的天性，不过某些错误要完全归咎于电脑，也种说法也说不过去。

　　Although this may seem a little unfair to computers, a group of cybersecurity experts led by Jim Blythe of the University of Southern California are counting on there being at least some truth in the saying.

　　由南加州大学的Jim Blythe领导的一个网络安全专家团队正在研究这种说法的背后是否真的存在着一些事实——虽然说这对于电脑有点不公平。

　　They have created a system for testing computer-security networks by making computers themselves simulate the sorts of human error that leave networks vulnerable.

　　他们设计了一个系统用来测试计算机的安全网络，在这个系统中 ，计算机将会模拟人类的各种错误行动，正是这些导致了网络的脆弱。

　　Mistakes by users are estimated to be responsible for as many as 60% of breaches⁴ of computer security.

　　与破坏计算机安全有关的事件中，由用户自己制造的错误估计占到60%。

　　Repeated warnings about being vigilant⁵, for example, often go unheeded as people fail to recognise the dangers of seemingly innocuous actions such as downloading files.

　　例如，对于危险频繁的警告经常被人们忽略——当人们下载文件时这种看似无害的行为让人很难意识到其中的危险。

　　On top of that, some "mistakes" are actually the result of deliberation.

　　除此之外，一些"错误"甚至是深思熟虑的结果。

　　Users—both regular staff and members of the information-technology (IT) department, who should know better—often disable security features on their computers, because those features slow things down or make the computer more complicated to use.

　　正规的工作人员和信息技术部门的职员他们应该对此有更好的了解——他们通常会关闭电脑上的安全功能，因为这些功能会让系统变慢或者许让电脑使用起来更加复杂。

　　Yet according to Dr Blythe, such human factors are often overlooked when security systems are tested.

　　不过按照Blythe博士的说法，当安全系统进行测试时，这样的人为的因素往往忽略掉。

　　This is partly because it would be impractical⁶ to manipulate the behaviour of users in ways that would give meaningful results.

　　因为这种行为会产生的是有意义的结果，在某种程度上来讲，模拟这种用户的行为是不切实际的。

　　He and his colleagues have therefore created a way of testing security systems with computer programs called cognitive⁷ agents.

　　他和他的同事因此就设计了一种测试安全系统的方法，这种方法包含一种被称之这"认知行为者"的计算机程序。

　　These agents' motives⁸ and behaviours can be fine-tuned to mess things up with the same aplomb⁹ as a real employee.

　　这些行为者的动机和行为与真实的雇员一样有着相应的沉着，它们可以进行精确地调节来搞砸某些事情。

　　The difference is that what happened can be analysed precisely¹⁰ afterwards.

　　有所不同的就是事后可以精确地分析这些行为者所发生的行为。

　　Each agent represents a run-of-the-mill user, a manager or a member of the IT staff.

　　每个行为者都代表一个普通的用户，一个经理或者说是一个信息部门的员工。

　　It is given its own set of beliefs, desires and intentions, along with a job to do and a deadline by which that job must be done.

　　每个行为者有自己的一套信仰，要求和意图，他们有工作并且必须在限定的时间内完成该工作。

　　All operations connected with the job are mediated¹¹ through a standard Microsoft Windows interface¹² that is hooked up to the security system.

　　所有与工作有关的操作都将通过一个标准的微软"视窗"界面进行协调，并且该界面与安全系统相连。

　　Agents can also be given group tasks, which in turn may be influenced by their own group dynamics¹³.

　　同时，可以给行为者们分配集体任务，这些行为者的整体动态反过来又可以影响它们自己。

　　Put simply, the agents can have friends, shared interests and power relations, and can trust some agents more than others, all of which will affect how quickly they perform the job at hand.

　　简而言之，这些行为者可以拥有朋友，共享利益与权力关系，还可以更加信任其他的一些行为者，所有的这些行为都将会影响他们完成手头工作的进度。

　　Another factor that can influence an agent's behaviour is its physiology¹⁴.

　　另外一个可以影响到行为者行为的因素就是它们的生理状态了。

　　Agents can get tired and become hungry, just like people. According to Dr Blythe, "we have focused mainly on fatigue¹⁵, the physical need to take breaks at regular intervals¹⁶, or the need to go to the bathroom."

　　行为者们就像人一样，会疲倦，会饥饿。据Blythe说，"我们已经集中于研究它们的疲劳了，行为者的身体需要定期的休息，或者需要去洗手间。"

　　And agents may also skive off, choosing to switch to a spot of web browsing¹⁷ on a synthetic¹⁸ internet that the researchers have created for the purpose.

　　另外，行为者们也可能会偷懒，会切换到网页去浏览一些网上的同步内容——这些内容研究人员故意设计出来的。

　　The team plans a full-scale test later this year, but preliminary results, which Dr Blythe will present to the Association for the Advancement¹⁹ of Artificial Intelligence's 25th annual conference in San Francisco on August 9th, look promising²⁰.

　　该小组计划于今年晚些时候进行全面的测试，不过初步的结果看起来很有希望，该结果将由Blythe博士在人工智能发展学会[1]第25次年会上发布——会议将于8月9日在旧金山举行。

　　For example, as users fall foul of so-called phishing attacks—giving away sensitive details such as passwords while browsing the internet, or allowing code that corrupts²¹ work files to be downloaded—the ability of IT staff to cope with the consequences diminishes as they become increasingly overwhelmed and tired.

　　例如，用户们遇到的所谓的钓鱼式攻击——在浏览网页的时候会泄露密码等敏感信息，或者那些导致毁坏文件的代码被下载下来——信息技术的工作人们处理这些问题的能力会随着他们增加的重担和持续的疲倦而下降。

　　The next stage after applying emotional and physiological²² pressure to the agents is to apply financial pressure—by constraining²³, for example, an agent's income compared with the amount of money it needs to earn in order to meet its outgoings.

　　在考察了情绪和生理的压力后，下个阶段将会对行为者引入财务的压力因素的考察——例如，与满足一个行为者开支所需的收入相比，通过限制它的收入来实现关于这种因素的考察。

　　Doing this may tempt²⁴ some agents to double deal.

　　这样做的话，会使得一些行为者变得口是心非。

　　In time, then, Dr Blythe's agents may serve to vindicate²⁵ another familiar saying about computers: that behind every error blamed on computers there are at least two human errors, including the error of blaming it on the computer.

　　不久以后，Blythe博士的行为者或许就会证明另外一种关于电脑熟悉的说法：每个人该指责的电脑背后至少有两个人为的错误，其中包括指责计算机错误的这个错误。

1 mimic   

v.模仿，戏弄；n.模仿他人言行的人

参考例句：

• A parrot can mimic a person's voice.鹦鹉能学人的声音。
• He used to mimic speech peculiarities of another.他过去总是模仿别人讲话的特点。

2 err   

vi.犯错误，出差错

参考例句：

• He did not err by a hair's breadth in his calculation.他的计算结果一丝不差。
• The arrows err not from their aim.箭无虚发。

3 foul   

adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规

参考例句：

• Take off those foul clothes and let me wash them.脱下那些脏衣服让我洗一洗。
• What a foul day it is!多么恶劣的天气！

4 breaches   

破坏( breach的名词复数 )； 破裂； 缺口； 违背

参考例句：

• He imposed heavy penalties for breaches of oath or pledges. 他对违反誓言和保证的行为给予严厉的惩罚。
• This renders all breaches of morality before marriage very uncommon. 这样一来，婚前败坏道德的事就少见了。

5 vigilant   

adj.警觉的，警戒的，警惕的

参考例句：

• He has to learn how to remain vigilant through these long nights.他得学会如何在这漫长的黑夜里保持警觉。
• The dog kept a vigilant guard over the house.这只狗警醒地守护着这所房屋。

6 impractical   

adj.不现实的，不实用的，不切实际的

参考例句：

• He was hopelessly impractical when it came to planning new projects.一到规划新项目，他就完全没有了实际操作的能力。
• An entirely rigid system is impractical.一套完全死板的体制是不实际的。

7 cognitive   

adj.认知的，认识的，有感知的

参考例句：

• As children grow older,their cognitive processes become sharper.孩子们越长越大，他们的认知过程变得更为敏锐。
• The cognitive psychologist is like the tinker who wants to know how a clock works.认知心理学者倒很像一个需要通晓钟表如何运转的钟表修理匠。

8 motives   

n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• to impeach sb's motives 怀疑某人的动机
• His motives are unclear. 他的用意不明。

9 aplomb   

n.沉着，镇静

参考例句：

• Carried off the difficult situation with aplomb.镇静地应付了困难的局面。
• She performs the duties of a princess with great aplomb.她泰然自若地履行王妃的职责。

10 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

11 mediated   

调停，调解，斡旋( mediate的过去式和过去分词 )； 居间促成； 影响…的发生； 使…可能发生

参考例句：

• He mediated in the quarrel between the two boys. 他调解两个孩子之间的争吵。
• The government mediated between the workers and the employers. 政府在工人与雇主间搞调和。

12 interface   

n.接合部位，分界面；v.(使)互相联系

参考例句：

• My computer has a network interface,which allows me to get to other computers.我的计算机有网络接口可以与其它计算机连在一起。
• This program has perspicuous interface and extensive application. 该程序界面明了，适用范围广。

13 dynamics   

n.力学，动力学，动力，原动力；动态

参考例句：

• In order to succeed,you must master complicated knowledge of dynamics.要取得胜利，你必须掌握很复杂的动力学知识。
• Dynamics is a discipline that cannot be mastered without extensive practice.动力学是一门不做大量习题就不能掌握的学科。

14 physiology   

n.生理学，生理机能

参考例句：

• He bought a book about physiology.他买了一本生理学方面的书。
• He was awarded the Nobel Prize for achievements in physiology.他因生理学方面的建树而被授予诺贝尔奖。

15 fatigue   

n.疲劳，劳累

参考例句：

• The old lady can't bear the fatigue of a long journey.这位老妇人不能忍受长途旅行的疲劳。
• I have got over my weakness and fatigue.我已从虚弱和疲劳中恢复过来了。

16 intervals   

n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息

参考例句：

• The forecast said there would be sunny intervals and showers. 预报间晴，有阵雨。
• Meetings take place at fortnightly intervals. 每两周开一次会。

17 browsing   

v.吃草( browse的现在分词 )；随意翻阅；（在商店里）随便看看；（在计算机上）浏览信息

参考例句：

• He sits browsing over[through] a book. 他坐着翻阅书籍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Cattle is browsing in the field. 牛正在田里吃草。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 synthetic   

adj.合成的，人工的；综合的；n.人工制品

参考例句：

• We felt the salesman's synthetic friendliness.我们感觉到那位销售员的虚情假意。
• It's a synthetic diamond.这是人造钻石。

19 advancement   

n.前进，促进，提升

参考例句：

• His new contribution to the advancement of physiology was well appreciated.他对生理学发展的新贡献获得高度赞赏。
• The aim of a university should be the advancement of learning.大学的目标应是促进学术。

20 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

21 corrupts   

（使）败坏( corrupt的第三人称单数 )； （使）腐化； 引起（计算机文件等的）错误； 破坏

参考例句：

• The unrighteous penny corrupts the righteous pound. 不正当得来的便士使正当得来的英镑也受到玷污。
• Blue cinema corrupts the souls of people. 黄色电影腐蚀人们的灵魂。

22 physiological   

adj.生理学的，生理学上的

参考例句：

• He bought a physiological book.他买了一本生理学方面的书。
• Every individual has a physiological requirement for each nutrient.每个人对每种营养成分都有一种生理上的需要。

23 constraining   

强迫( constrain的现在分词 )； 强使； 限制； 约束

参考例句：

• He was constraining his mind not to wander from the task. 他克制着不让思想在工作时开小差。
• The most constraining resource in all of these cases is venture capital. 在所有这些情况下最受限制的资源便是投入资本。

24 tempt   

vt.引诱，勾引，吸引，引起…的兴趣

参考例句：

• Nothing could tempt him to such a course of action.什么都不能诱使他去那样做。
• The fact that she had become wealthy did not tempt her to alter her frugal way of life.她有钱了，可这丝毫没能让她改变节俭的生活习惯。

25 vindicate   

v.为…辩护或辩解，辩明；证明…正确

参考例句：

• He tried hard to vindicate his honor.他拼命维护自己的名誉。
• How can you vindicate your behavior to the teacher?你怎样才能向老师证明你的行为是对的呢？