人工智能技术已经被应用在我们生活的方方面面，比如自动驾驶、智能导航、聊天机器人等。我们的家居生活是否也能从中获益？你想要人工智能 “管家” 吗？

词汇：lifestyle 生活方式

• Artificial intelligence becoming self-aware and exterminating 消灭 the human race is a common theme in science fiction. But the levels of high intelligence that AI could reach is a real concern 担心 among some scientists. But with more talk of AI and smart devices in the home, what are the positives of bringing these things into your life?

  人工智能变得有自我意识并消灭人类是科幻小说中的一个常见主题。但是，人工智能可能达到的高智能水平是一些科学家真正担心的。但是，随着更多关于人工智能和家庭智能设备的讨论，将这些东西带入你的生活有哪些积极意义？

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• Hans Rosling, a professor of international health, once spoke about the impact 巨大影响 and changes that the washing machine made. The once arduous 费力的 task of cleaning clothes by hand was taken on by a machine and freed up 空出来 more time for other activities. There are so many smart devices that you can fill your home with. Imagine waking up to find a piping hot 滚烫的, freshly brewed 冲（咖啡） cup of coffee, spotless 一尘不染的 floors that have been recently vacuumed 用吸尘器清扫 and the house set to the perfect temperature. With smart devices, these things can happen while you sleep. The potential 潜在的 to pre-program and automate parts of your life means that you can focus on other tasks in your life.

  国际卫生学教授汉斯·罗斯林(Hans Rosling)曾经谈到洗衣机带来的影响和变化/改变。曾经用手清洗衣服的艰巨任务由机器承担/曾经繁重的手工清洗衣物的工作被机器取代了，为其他活动腾出了更多时间。有这么多的智能设备可以装满你的家让你的家充满了活力。想象一下，一觉醒来，发现一杯热气腾腾的新煮咖啡，刚刚被吸过一尘不染的地板，房子被调到了完美的温度。有了智能设备，这些事情可以在你睡觉时发生。预先编程并使你的生活部分自动化的潜力意味着你可以专注于你生活中的其他任务。

  ⭐ impact 影响; arduous [ˈɑːrdʒuəs] 费力的; free up 腾出（时间）; piping hot [ˈpaɪpɪŋ] 滚烫的，热气腾腾的; spotless [ˈspɑːtləs] 一尘不染的; vacuum [ˈvækjuːm] 用吸尘器清扫; temperature 温度; pre-program 预设; automate 使自动化;

• But there is a difference between smart devices and AI. Smart devices are the things that get on with the tasks, while AI can ‘think’ or interact 互动, and can be used to control the smart devices. There are many voice-activated AI systems which can control the smart devices around your home. You can ask these devices to start making coffee, dim 调暗 the lights when they’re too bright or even make sure the house is secure. You can inquire as to the weather outside, ask them to blare out 大声播放 music or search the internet for you when you have a burning question about history or the latest cooking recipes. Some of these devices even have a sense of humour, and upon asking them certain questions, they will retort 反驳. In short, in some ways, they can act as company.

  但智能设备和人工智能之间是有区别的。智能设备是处理任务的东西，而人工智能可以思考或互动，可以用来控制智能设备。现在有很多声控人工智能系统，可以控制你家里的智能设备。你可以让这些设备开始煮咖啡，当它们太亮时调暗灯光，甚至确保房子安全。你可以询问外面的天气，让他们大声播放音乐，或者当你有关于历史或最新烹饪方法的迫切问题时，为你搜索互联网。其中一些设备甚至有幽默感，在问它们某些问题时，它们会反驳。简而言之，在某些方面，它们可以充当同伴。

  ⭐ voice-activated 声控的; dim 调暗; secure 安全的; blare out [bleə(r)] 大声播放; burning 事关紧要的; retort [rɪˈtɔːt] 反驳;

• But how far will it go? Well, we already have self-driving cars and sentient tech that can automatically order the delivery of certain products to restock 补充 our fridge when we’re running low, but often in films and games we see humanoid 人形 robots taking over all of the domestic duties 家务. It seems for now, that those things only live in our imaginations, but we could be seeing them sooner than we think.

  但它能走多远？嗯，我们已经有了自动驾驶汽车和有感知能力的技术，当我们的冰箱里的食物不够时，它们可以自动订购某些产品来补充我们的食物（可以在我们的冰箱缺货时自动订购某些产品来补充），但在电影和游戏中，我们经常看到人形机器人接管所有的家务。目前看来，这些东西只存在于我们的想象中，但我们可能会比想象中(的)更快地看到它们。

  ⭐ self-driving 自动驾驶; sentient [ˈsentiənt] 有感应力的，智能的; restock 给（冰箱）补充食物; run low 快用完; humanoid [ˈhjuːmənɔɪd]  adj. 像人的n. 类人动物; humanoid robots人形机器人; domestic duties 家务;

词汇表

impact 影响

arduous [ˈɑːrdʒuəs] 费力的

free up 腾出（时间）

piping hot [ˈpaɪpɪŋ] 滚烫的，热气腾腾的

spotless [ˈspɑːtləs] 一尘不染的

vacuum [ˈvækjuːm] 用吸尘器清扫

temperature 温度

pre-program 预设

automate 使自动化

voice-activated 声控的

dim 调暗

secure 安全的

blare out [bleə(r)] 大声播放

self-driving 自动驾驶

sentient [ˈsentiənt] 有感应力的，智能的

restock 给（冰箱）补充食物

run low 快用完

humanoid [ˈhjuːmənɔɪd]  adj. 像人的n. 类人动物; humanoid robots人形机器人

测验与练习

1.  阅读课文并回答问题。

1. What concerns do some scientists have about AI?

2. What was the benefit of having a washing machine, according to Hans Rosling?

3. True or False? Smart devices cannot operate while you are asleep.

4. What is the difference between smart devices and AI?

5. What sort of things can you ask AI to do?

2.  选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。

1. He always _______ his music through the day! I can’t concentrate.

humanoid                   automate                         sentient                  blares out

1. The lights are so bright. Can you _______ them, please?

piping                         humanoid                        dim                          spotless

1. Don’t worry, I don’t need to control the wheel. This car is _______.****

piping                         self-driving                      blares out                 automate

1. Be careful how you drink that cup of coffee. It’s _______ hot.

piping                         secure                             humanoid                 dim

1. We need to _______ the shelves as they are nearly empty.

sentient                      restock                            spotless                    piping

答案

1.  阅读课文并回答问题。 ****

1. What concerns do some scientists have about AI? The levels of high intelligence that AI could reach is actually a real concern among some scientists.

2. What was the benefit of having a washing machine, according to Hans Rosling? The once arduous task of cleaning clothes by hand was taken on by a machine and freed up more time for other activities.

3. True or False? Smart devices cannot operate while you are asleep. False. Smart devices can operate while you are asleep.

4. What is the difference between smart devices and AI? Smart devices are the things that get on with tasks and be pre-programmed, while AI implies a level of thinking or interaction.

5. What sort of things can you ask AI to do? You can ask these devices to start making coffee, dim the lights when they’re too bright or even make sure you house is secure.

2.  选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。

1. He always blares out his music through the day! I can’t concentrate.

2. The lights are so bright. Can you dim them, please?

3. Don’t worry, I don’t need to control the wheel. This car is self-driving.

4. Be careful how you drink that cup of coffee. It’s piping hot.

5. We need to restock the shelves as they are nearly empty.