美国有线新闻 CNN 2016-8-07(在线收听

There's a sort of robot revolution happening in parts of Japan. Automated, computerized mechanisms replacing people in jobs.

机器人革命正在日本部分地区上演。自动化、计算机化的机械在工作领域逐渐替代人力。

Japan has just under 127 million people. That population is shrinking and aging. Shrinking partly because of a low birthrate, again because the life expectancy continues to go up.

日本人口不足1.27亿。日本人口不足1.27亿。而且日本人口正在逐渐缩减和老龄化。人口缩减的部分原因是生育率低,而人口老龄化的原因是预期寿命在不断上升。

Will robots be an effective solution to the challenges this creates?

机器人会成为这些挑战的有效解决方法吗?

ROBOT: I can finally talk now.

机器人:现在我终于能说话了。

WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Here, they're everywhere. "Who?" you ask. Maybe it's more of what.

CNN国际记者威尔·雷普利:它们无处不在。“谁?”你问道。可能远远不止这样。

ROBOT: Today, current local will be rain.

机器人:今天,本地有雨。

RIPLEY: Machines of all kinds.

雷普利:各种各样的机器。

Moving beyond the fun and the trendy, many Japanese scientists say a robotic revolution is underway. Some experts predict within just a decade or two, nearly half of the jobs in Japan could be done by robots, a practical answer perhaps to a shrinking and aging population, with one in four Japanese over age 65.

许多日本科学家表示,不仅仅是出于乐趣和潮流,现在机器人革命正在上演。一些专家预测称,在10至20年之内,日本将有近一半的工作岗位被机器人取代,这可能是解决日本日益缩减且老龄化人口的实际方法,日本目前有四分之一的人口年龄在65岁以上。

My mission is to meet these new robot citizens and figure out exactly how they fit to an evolving Japan.

我的任务是和三位新机器人公民见面,弄清楚他们对不断进化的日本的适应程度。

So, we begin here.

我们从这里开始。

(ROBOT SINGING)

(机器人唱歌)

RIPLEY: Meet Churi, my personal robot in Japan's first hotel run mostly by robots.

雷普利:来见见丘里,这是日本第一家主要由机器人运营的酒店为我配备的个人机器人。

ROBOT: Good night. Rest well. Tomorrow's morning.

机器人:晚上好。好好休息。明天早上。

RIPLEY: No, really, right from when you enter.

雷普利:从你进酒店开始,提供服务的都是机器人。

ROBOT: Welcome to Henn-na Hotel. I will confirm your check in information.

机器人:欢迎来到海茵娜酒店。我要确认一下你的入住信息。

RIPLEY: Will Ripley.

雷普利:威尔·雷普利。

AUTOMATED VOICE: Please input your reservation name.

自动提示音:请输入预定人的姓名。

RIPLEY: Got my room key, 264.

雷普利:然后我拿到了我的房间钥匙,264号房。

ROBOT: The process is now complete.

机器人:现在入住手续已经办完。

RIPLEY: A robot checks you in. It's your concierge.

雷普利:机器人为你办入住。这是礼宾机器人。

I'm really hungry. Can you recommend a good place to get lunch?

我现在非常饿。你能推荐个吃午餐的好地方吗?

ROBOT: There are many restaurants inside the park where you can enjoy a wide variety of dishes.

机器人:公园里有很多家餐厅,你可以享用到各类菜肴。

RIPLEY: There's a ridiculously slow moving porter.

雷普利:可笑的是,搬运机器人移动非常缓慢。

We're really mossing along here.

我们正在这里种苔藓。

Facial recognition technology lets me into my room. Machines even handle the dining experience.

通过脸部识别技术,我进入了我的房间。机器甚至可以处理用餐问题。

This all may seem a bit odd to you, but this vision of the future actually seems to work in Japan. In America, I grew up with movies like "The Terminator". But here, people are used to machines, even friendly force. And while it's amusing to have Velociraptor raptor at your service, is this really what all robots will eventually look like?

这一切对你来说可能有些奇怪,不过这种未来的光景看起来很适合日本。我在美国是看着《终结者》这样的电影长大的。但是在日本,人们已经习惯于机器,甚至可以友好对待它们。让伶盗龙为你服务非常有趣,不过这会是机器人最终的样子吗?

ROBOT: Hello my name is Erica. May I ask your name?

机器人:你好,我的名字是艾丽卡。请问你叫什么名字?

RIPLEY: My name is Will.

雷普利:我叫威尔。

ROBOT: It's nice to meet you, Will. Let's learn a little about each other.

机器人:威尔,很高兴认识你。我们来互相了解一下吧。

To start off, where are you from?

第一个问题,你来自哪里?

RIPLEY: I'm from the United States.

雷普利:我来自美国。

ROBOT: Ah, the United States. I really like to try a hamburger someday, haha.

机器人:啊,美国。有机会我想尝尝汉堡,哈哈。

RIPLEY: From human-like robots to something a little more robotic.

雷普利:既有人型机器人,也有更机器化的机器人。

Back in Tokyo, I made a stop at NGI, the company that created Tapia, a robot assistant for your home. It's kind of like a smartphone but more approachable and friendly, modeled to be companion for the elderly, especially those living alone.

回到东京以后,我去了创造出家庭小助手机器人Tapia的NGI公司。它类似于智能手机,不过更平易近人、更友好,主要功能是陪伴独自生活的老人。

Do you think robots like this will be as popular as cellphones?

你认为这种机器人会像手机一样流行吗?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

身份不明的男性:会。

RIPLEY: Why?

雷普利:为什么?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In Japan, robots are very familiar to us. So, actually, in our childhood, robots are heroes. Robots are friends.

身份不明的男性:在日本,我们非常熟悉机器人。实际上,我们小时候认为机器人就是英雄。机器人是我们的朋友。

RIPLEY: Its creators are taking the first leap, innovating in a country that's continuing to test the boundaries, to push the limits between humanity and technology, and in the process of redesigning the modern city.

雷普利:它的创造者在一个还在继续测试界限、挑战人类和科技的极限、正在对现代城市进行重新设计的国家实现了第一次飞跃和创新。

  原文地址:http://www.tingroom.com/lesson/cnn2016/8/373713.html