VOA常速英语2019--智能建筑竟然可以感知危险

Intelligent Threat-Sensing Building on Horizon

In this virtual video, an active shooter is in a school. How do the people inside respond? Will they respond differently if the building is designed in a different way? Virtual reality is the first step to answering these questions to help engineers create a safer building, says Gale¹ Lucas who researches human-computer interaction. We’re interested in looking at how different building attributes affect responses to incidents of extreme violence. And that’s something that we can’t manipulate easily in the real world. But in virtual reality, all of that is possible and it’s possible safe and ethically². Soon, teachers and office workers will be tested to see how they react doing a virtual violent incident staged inside various office and school building designs. Treadmills³ similar to this one will be used so they can run or walk.

在这段虚拟视频中，有一名激进的枪手出现在学校里。那么学校里的人们会作何反应呢？如果这座建筑采用了一种不同的设计方式，那么人们的反应是否会有所不同？研究人机交互的盖尔·卢卡斯表示，虚拟现实是回答这些问题的第一步，从而可以帮助工程师搭建起更安全的建筑。我们感兴趣的是不同的建筑属性会如何影响人们对极端暴力事件的反应。这是我们在现实世界中无法轻易操纵的东西。但在虚拟现实中，所有这些都是可能的，在安全和道德上也是可能实现的。很快，教师和办公室工作人员将接受测试，看看在各种办公室和学校建筑设计里上演的虚拟暴力事件中，他们会做出合种反应。到时候将使用类似于这个的跑步机，以便他们可以奔跑或行走。

The designers will look at the number of exits, hiding places and weather glass windows should be clearer frosted based on the recommendations of government and security experts. Burcin Becerik-Gerber specializes in intelligent environments. There are so many recommendations out there and there is so much money being invested on these recommendations. But they’re not well tested in the real world in terms of how they play out. A design features such as frosted glass may keep people safe in a situation like this, but may not be ideal in normal circumstances, such as when school staff want to see inside a classroom. I think the answer is having more dynamic kinetic⁴ elements. Instead of thinking building elements as static, we’re talking about maybe frosted versus⁵ normal glass. But they can have the intelligence when the building senses the threats. So a clear glass window can become frosted, Becerik-Gerber adds when there’s a threat, artificial intelligence and sensors⁶ and buildings can make this possible. It could be the case that were there are sensors and then they pick up the noise levels.

设计者将根据政府和安全专家的建议，查看出口、藏身地点的数量，以及防风雨玻璃窗是否应该制成磨砂面。柏克银·贝斯里克·格尔博专攻智能环境的研究。在这一方向上外界给出了很多建议，针对这些建议也有大笔资金投入其中。但在现实世界中，没有办法很好地去检测这些建议是否真的可行。像磨砂玻璃这样的设计可能会在这样的情况下保证人们的安全，但在正常情况下可能会不便使用，例如当学校工作人员想要观察教室里面的情况的时候。我认为这一问题的解决答案是投入更多的动态动力学元素。 不把建筑元素想成一成不变的，而把目光投向比如将磨砂玻璃和普通玻璃进行对比。但当建筑感觉到威胁时，它们可以智能感应。所以透明的玻璃窗可以变为磨砂面，贝斯里克·格尔博补充道，当存在威胁时，人工智能传感器和建筑可以使之成为可能。如果安装了传感器，那么它们就会接收到噪音。

And if there’s a shooting obviously there will... it will come with some increased noise levels and shouting another... other are there clues. So the building can have, for example, dynamic walls that lock up, maybe, the bad actor in the building. An intelligent building can produce digital signage that points occupants to the safest exits away from the violence. If we have the right mindset and and the willingness to implement⁷, they’re not very high-tech⁸. So I don’t believe we are too far from having these kind of intelligent environments. Once researchers understand how different design features influence people’s behavior, they can design better buildings and know which types of technologies will keep people safe during an act of mass violence.

如果发生枪击，肯定会提高噪音、有枪击声，还会有其它线索。所以建筑里面可以设计动态墙壁，使之可以把坏人锁定在其中。智能建筑可以制作数字标牌，将居住者指向远离暴力的最安全出口。如果我们有正确的观念和乐于实施的意愿，其实这些并不是很难实现的高科技产品。所以我认为我们离拥有这样的智能环境并不是太远。一旦研究人员了解了不同的设计特征如何影响人们的行为，他们就可以设计出更好的建筑，并知道哪些类型的技术可以在大规模暴力行为中保护人们的安全。

1 gale   

n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等）

参考例句：

• We got our roof blown off in the gale last night.昨夜的大风把我们的房顶给掀掉了。
• According to the weather forecast,there will be a gale tomorrow.据气象台预报，明天有大风。

2 ethically   

adv.在伦理上，道德上

参考例句：

• Ethically , we have nothing to be ashamed about . 从伦理上说，我们没有什么好羞愧的。
• Describe the appropriate action to take in an ethically ambiguous situation. 描述适当行为采取在一个道德地模棱两可的情况。

3 treadmills   

n.枯燥无味的工作[生活方式]( treadmill的名词复数 )；（尤指旧时由人或牲畜踩动踏板使之转动的）踏车；（锻炼身体的）跑步机，走步机

参考例句：

• But soon, you may think microwave ovens and treadmills too. 但是不久的将来，您可能还会想到微波炉或健身踏车什么的。 来自互联网
• The Gym has several treadmills an X-trainer machine, bicycles, weights and mats for floor work. 体育馆里配备了：跑步机、教练机、自行车、哑铃和专为做地板运动准备的垫子。 来自互联网

4 kinetic   

adj.运动的；动力学的

参考例句：

• There exist many sources of energy both potential and kinetic.存在着许多势能和动能的能源。
• The kinetic theory of gases is the best known example.气体动力学理论就是最有名的例子。

5 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

6 sensors   

n.传感器，灵敏元件( sensor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were more than 2000 sensors here. 这里装有两千多个灵敏元件。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Significant changes have been noted where sensors were exposed to trichloride. 当传感器暴露在三氯化物中时，有很大变化。 来自辞典例句

7 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

8 high-tech   

adj.高科技的

参考例句：

• The economy is in the upswing which makes high-tech services in more demand too.经济在蓬勃发展，这就使对高科技服务的需求量也在加大。
• The quest of a cure for disease with high-tech has never ceased. 人们希望运用高科技治疗疾病的追求从未停止过。