VOA标准英语2011--Artificial Speech Mimics Real Thing

Artificial Speech Mimics¹ Real Thing

 

合成声音发展渐入佳境 未来虚拟声音真假难辨

At a University of Arizona laboratory, Professor Brad Story analyzes² the voices of singers, actors and public speakers both live and on audio tape.

在亚利桑那大学实验室, Brad·Story教授分析现场及录影带中歌手,演员及公众演讲的声音。

Computers break down speech digitally. Magnetic-resonance equipment freezes images of the throat, tongue, teeth, and lips as they create sound.

电脑将声音数字化分解。磁力共振设备在产生声音的时候将发声者的喉咙、舌头、牙齿、嘴唇的行为停滞。

This is pure research, but it has practical applications. Story’s findings may one day help performers and those suffering from Parkinson’s Disease and other medical conditions. In the former case, it looks like it won’t be long before singers can employ synthesized backup singers.

这是纯粹的理论研究,但它具有实际用途。Story的发现可能有一天会帮助表演者和帕金森病的患者及其他医疗状况。看来不用多久,歌手就可以合成背景人工歌曲。

In the latter case, this research can help the medical community develop therapy that improves patients’ quality of speech.

在后一情况下,本研究可以帮助医疗机构改善病人治疗疗效。

Story is especially fascinated by synthetic³ voices, used in everything from video games to machines that translate documents into spoken words for the visually impaired⁴. He is working to make these artificial voices sound more human by re-creating the complicated physics that go into the production of speech.

Story特别着迷于合成应用于各个方面的声音,从电子游戏到为残障人士而设计的翻译文件成为真人语音的机器。通过把演讲中的语言重新创造成复杂的物理符号，他致力于使这些人造声音能够更人化。

They include the intake⁵ of air into one’s lungs, the mechanics of vocal⁶ folds in the larynx, and the movement of acoustic⁷ waves through the vocal tract⁸.

这些包括人体摄入肺中的空气量 ,喉咙中的声音震荡，声道中的声波等等。

Artificial speech will one day be so advanced that it could be difficult to differentiate9 beween real and made-up sound.

Typical synthesized speech sounds robotic because it’s difficult to duplicate human anatomy¹⁰. Story says that’s because it takes more muscles to say a few words than it does to play the piano.

典型的合成语音听起来像机器人是因为很难复制人体解剖。Story表示是因为说几句话就需要更多的肌肉运动。

Story says singing is in some ways easier to simulate, because it tends to have long, sustained vowels¹¹, a more precise pitch, and a musical score to mask the imperfections. There is already a singing synthesizer, marketed by the Japanese company Yamaha, called “Vocaloid,” that allows users to compose and perform new songs.

Story表示唱歌在某些方面更容易模拟,因为它往往会有长的、持续的元音，更精准的高音,掩盖瑕疵的配乐。日本雅马哈公司已经有一种被称为“Vocaloid”的唱歌合成器,它允许用户作曲及演奏新的歌曲。

Once scientists are successful in duplicating whole blocks of speech, Story says, surgeons can predict how patients will sound after throat surgery, and can make synthesized speech sound realistic for patients who cannot speak at all.

一旦科学家成功复制大部分的语言, Story表示,外科医生就能够预测患者咽喉手术后的发声状况,合成语音会使不能说话的患者音色听起来很真实。

And some day, he confidently predicts, the general public will hear artificial speech on the telephone, in games, and on buses and subways that sounds so natural, we’ll have a difficult time telling the difference between real and made-up human voices.

有一天,他自信地预测,公众演讲将听到电话、游戏、公共汽车和地铁的自然人工语音,我们将很难分辨真实和虚拟的声音。

1 mimics   

n.模仿名人言行的娱乐演员，滑稽剧演员( mimic的名词复数 )；善于模仿的人或物v.（尤指为了逗乐而）模仿( mimic的第三人称单数 )；酷似

参考例句：

• Methods:Models were generate by CT scan,Mimics software and Abaqus software. 方法：采用CT扫描，Mimics软件和Abaqus软件的CAD进行三维有限元模型的创建。 来自互联网
• Relaxing the mind and body mimics the effect that some blood-pressure pills would have. 放松身心会产生某些降压药才能产生的效果。 来自辞典例句

2 analyzes   

v.分析( analyze的第三人称单数 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析

参考例句：

• This approach analyzes management by studying experience usually through cases. 这个学派通常从实例获得经验，用以分析管理。 来自辞典例句
• The econometrician analyzes statistical data. 经济计量学者要分析统计材料。 来自辞典例句

3 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。

4 impaired   

adj.受损的；出毛病的；有（身体或智力）缺陷的v.损害，削弱( impair的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Much reading has impaired his vision. 大量读书损害了他的视力。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• His hearing is somewhat impaired. 他的听觉已受到一定程度的损害。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 intake   

n.吸入，纳入；进气口，入口

参考例句：

• Reduce your salt intake.减少盐的摄入量。
• There was a horrified intake of breath from every child.所有的孩子都害怕地倒抽了一口凉气。

6 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

7 acoustic   

adj.听觉的，声音的；(乐器)原声的

参考例句：

• The hall has a fine acoustic.这个大厅的传音效果很好。
• Animals use a whole rang of acoustic, visual,and chemical signals in their systems of communication.动物利用各种各样的听觉、视觉和化学信号来进行交流。

8 tract   

n.传单，小册子，大片(土地或森林)

参考例句：

• He owns a large tract of forest.他拥有一大片森林。
• He wrote a tract on this subject.他曾对此写了一篇短文。

9 differentiate   

vi.(between)区分；vt.区别；使不同

参考例句：

• You can differentiate between the houses by the shape of their chimneys.你可以凭借烟囱形状的不同来区分这两幢房子。
• He never learned to differentiate between good and evil.他从未学会分辨善恶。

10 anatomy   

n.解剖学，解剖；功能，结构，组织

参考例句：

• He found out a great deal about the anatomy of animals.在动物解剖学方面，他有过许多发现。
• The hurricane's anatomy was powerful and complex.对飓风的剖析是一项庞大而复杂的工作。

11 vowels   

n.元音，元音字母( vowel的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Vowels possess greater sonority than consonants. 元音比辅音响亮。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Note the various sounds of vowels followed by r. 注意r跟随的各种元音的发音。 来自超越目标英语 第3册