新奇事件簿 日本销售家用机器人

A Japanese company started selling a futuristic home robot on September 16. The meter-high humanoid may make housework a thing of the past for the rich. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries put its internet-linked Wakamaru robot on sale at a price of $150,000. Just 100 of these home helps will initially¹ be available. The robot is the idea of Japanese designer Toshiyuki Kita. He said his creation was “designed in the shape of a human being so that it is not considered simply a machine” and that it has an “independent personality”.

9月16日，日本公司开始售卖家用机器人。对于富裕阶层而言，一米高人形机器人将让家务成为过去时。三菱重工售卖联网机器人“Wakamaru”，售价为15万美金。初期销售数量仅为100台。机器人灵感来源于设计师喜多俊之。他称我们将机器人打造成人形，所以它不仅仅是一台机器，且拥有“独立人格”。

The robot has an impressive number of features. It is capable of recognizing up to ten individuals by name and has a vocabulary of 10,000 words. It can also navigate² its way around the house. The Wakamaru website explains three major functions that will help the lives of the robot’s users. It can live with the family and provide daily schedules; it can speak with the family and be a friend; and it has its own role of looking after the house when no one is home. However, the price needs to come down to make it affordable³ by all.

这款机器人有诸多特点。听名识人达10人之多，还拥有一万词汇量。并能够独立导航。为帮助用户更好应用，“Wakamaru”官网对其中三大功能进行了说明。它能够提供家用日常时刻表；还能与家庭成员对话，与他们成为朋友；独自在家时，它将开启自己独有的“顾家”功能。但要想被广泛接纳还需降价。

1 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

2 navigate   

v.航行，飞行；导航，领航

参考例句：

• He was the first man to navigate the Atlantic by air.他是第一个飞越大西洋的人。
• Such boats can navigate on the Nile.这种船可以在尼罗河上航行。

3 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。