外研版选修三册第四单元阅读讲解

Unit 4 A glimpse of the future

第38页阅读讲解

Artificial Intelligence: A REAL THREAT?
人工智能：真正的威胁？

In the words of Professor Stephen Hawking, artificial intelligence will be “either the best, or the worst thing, ever to happen to humanity”. Technology of Tomorrow Forum wants to hear your thoughts on AI. Is it our greatest human achievement so far? Or is it the biggest threat to our existence?
用斯蒂芬·霍金教授的话说，人工智能将是“人类有史以来最好或最坏的事情”。明日科技论坛希望听到您对人工智能的想法。到目前为止，人工智能算是我们人类最伟大的成就还是对我们生存的最大威胁呢？

Millenniumbutterfly
千禧蝶

1 Thanks to AI, I've got my own super-smart personal assistant built into my phone. She always has an immediate answer for any question I put to her, and even uses my answers to learn more about my preferences. It used to feel like 50 per cent of my time was spent researching new restaurants. In contrast, my PA only needs a few seconds to find the right place. Every recommendation she gives me is great since she can predict if I will like a particular restaurant.
多亏了人工智能，我才可以在手机中内置个人超级智能私人助手。我向她提任何问题，她总能立即答复，甚至可以通过我的答案了解更多关于我的个人偏好。过去，我觉得自己有50%的时间花在了研究新餐厅上，相比之下，有了私人助手，只需数秒就能找到正确的餐厅了。因为她可以预测我是否会喜欢某一个餐厅，所以她给我的每一个建议都很棒。

2 And speaking of hanging out, I'm hoping that selfdriving cars are available soon. I've been taking driving lessons for over a year, and still haven't got my licence. Self-driving cars can learn to drive in the same way that we do, and can make judgements based on information. And as they won't be susceptible to human error, they'll certainly be a lot safer. The only thing is that there might be a few machine-learning problems when the first cars hit the market, so perhaps I'd better learn to drive first. Still, I do think that developments in AI will on the whole make doing day-to-day things a lot easier.
说到出去玩，我希望自动驾驶汽车能很快面世。我已经上驾驶课一年多了，但仍然没有拿到驾照。自动驾驶汽车可以学习与我们相同的驾驶模式，并且可以根据信息做出判断。而且由于它们不会受到人为错误的影响，肯定会安全得多。唯一的问题是，当第一批汽车上市时，可能会有一些机器学习问题，所以也许我最好先学会驾驶。不过，我确实认为，总体而言，人工智能的发展将使日常工作变得更加容易。

Popkid
小破孩儿

3 The technology you're using and enjoying today is a basic form of AI which can't think independently without programming. Of course, it could be very useful to have a more advanced form of AI – a truly independent form of artificial intelligence, capable of exercising its own judgement, could help us solve many of the world's problems. But have you ever thought about the risks? After all, why would an independent form of AI need to consider the opinions and desires of humans? We could be seen as a “small” inconvenience that's in the way of a solution to a bigger problem. If we're lucky, AI might think we're valuable enough to keep around. If not, it might wipe us all out!
你今天正在使用和享受的技术是人工智能的基本形式，没有程序它就无法独立思考。当然，拥有更先进的人工智能形式非常有用，这种更先进的人工智能形式是一种真正独立的人工智能形式，能够运用自己的判断方，可以帮助我们解决世界上的许多问题。但是你是否考虑过风险？毕竟，为什么独立的人工智能形式需要考虑人类的选择和欲望？我们可能会被视为解决更大问题道路上的一个“小”麻烦。如果幸运的话，人工智能可能会认为我们足够有价值，可以留下来。否则，它可能会扫清我们所有人！

4 Even if that doesn't happen, there are other risks. Millenniumbutterfly, you say how great it would be to have self-driving cars, but what about all the taxi drivers who would lose their jobs? They would just be among the first victims of AI. Nearly every job is potentially at risk in the long run. Even journalists are now being replaced with technology that can write basic news reports. As it is, almost 50 per cent of US jobs are at risk from automation in the next 20 years.
尽管还没有发生什么，但确实存在其他的风险。千禧蝶，你说拥有自动驾驶汽车会很棒，但出租车司机会失业这个问题呢？他们将会是人工智能的第一批受害者。长此以往，几乎所有工作都可能处于潜在危险之中。甚至现在的新闻工作者也正在被可以撰写简单的新闻报道的技术所取代。实际上，在未来20年中，美国有将近50%的工作会受到自动化的威胁。

5 The truth is that none of us is prepared for the challenges of AI.
了面对人工智能的挑战的准备。

Pink_haze
粉红烟雾

6 Machine learning is something we have come to accept as a part of our modern world. I believe most of the value of AI lies in its capacity to analyse and interpret vast amounts of data, which means it can even solve problems that are too challenging for human experts.
机器学习作为现代世界的一部分，已经成为我们接受的东西。我认为人工智能的大部分价值在于它分析和解析庞大数据的能力，也就是说它甚至能够解决对于人类专家来说具有挑战性的问题。

7 But while super-intelligent AI could be the biggest leap forward in human history, if it goes wrong or falls into the wrong hands, it could also be the most dangerous. However, AI is not going to go away. We have no choice but to embrace it and regulate it. One thing I think we all agree on, though, is that saying “My AI did it!” won't be any excuse for illegal or immoral behaviour!
虽然超智能AI可能是人类有史以来的最大飞跃，但如果出错或者落入坏人手中，它同时可能是最危险的。但是，人工智能不会消失。我们别无选择，只能接受它并加以规范。不过，我想大家都认可的点就是， “这是我的A1做的！”这句话不会成为非法行为或不道德行为的任何借口。

第44页阅读讲解

A Boy's Best Friend
勇孩的挚友

1 Mr Anderson said, “Where's Jimmy, dear?” “Out on the crater,” said Mrs Anderson. “Robutt is with him. Did he arrive?” “Yes. He's at the rocket station, going through the tests. I haven't really seen one since I left Earth 15 years ago.”
安德森先生问：“亲爱的，吉米在哪儿？”“在外面的环形山上，”安德森太太回答道，“罗布特跟吉米在一起。它到了吗？”“是的，在火箭站，正在接受测试。自从15年前我离开地球后，就从没见过真正的狗了。”

2 “Jimmy has never seen one,” said Mrs Anderson.
“吉米从来没见过狗。”安德森太太说。

3 “Because he's Moon-born and can't visit Earth. That's why I'm bringing one here. I think it's the first one ever on the Moon.”
“因为吉米是在月球上出生的，他不能去地球。所以我要带过来一只。我觉得这应该是月球上有史以来的第一只狗。”

4 Jimmy was out on the crater, as his mother had said. His arms and legs were long and agile. He looked thicker and stubbier with his spacesuit on, but he could handle the lunar gravity as no Earth-born human being could. The outer side of the crater sloped southward and the Earth, which was low in the southern sky, was nearly full, so that the entire crater-slope was brightly lit. The slope was a gentle one and even the weight of the spacesuit couldn't keep Jimmy from racing up it in a floating hop that made the gravity seem nonexistent.
正如吉米妈妈所说，他在外面的环形山上。吉米手长脚长，行动灵活。穿着太空服的吉米虽看起来臃肿矮胖了一些，但他能承受月球引力，而在地球出生的人是不能承受这种引力的。环形山外侧向南倾斜，南面天空下方的地球全部显现出来，因此整个环形山山坡明亮了起来。山坡非常平缓，即使吉米穿着厚重的太空服，也不能阻碍他跳着跃向山坡，就好像引力不存在一样。

5 “Come on, Robutt,” he shouted. Robutt, who could hear him by radio, squeaked and bounded after.
“快过来，罗布特。”他大喊。靠电波辨认声音的罗布特发出叫声，跳着跑向吉米。

6 Jimmy, expert though he was, couldn't outrace Robutt, who didn't need a spacesuit, and had four legs and tendons of steel. Jimmy couldn't go wrong while Robutt was around, tripping him when he was too near a rock, or jumping on him to show how much he loved him, or circling around and squeaking low and scared when Jimmy hid behind a rock, when all the time Robutt knew well enough where he was.
论速度，吉米虽然是个能手，但他比不过罗布特，因为它有四条腿和钢铁做的肌腱，还不用穿太空服。只要有罗布特相伴，吉米就没有危险。当吉米过于靠近一块岩石，它会扑倒他；罗布特还会扑向他，以表达爱意；当吉米藏在岩石后，罗布特就原地打转，低吼，战战兢兢，不论什么时候，罗布特都对吉米的位置了如指掌。

7 He heard his father's voice on his private wavelength. “Jimmy, come back. I have something to tell you.”
吉米通过自己的专属波长接收到了爸爸的声音， “吉米，回来一下。我有事情要和你说。

8 Mr Anderson was smiling. “We have something for you, Jimmy. It's at the rocket station now, but we'll have it tomorrow after all the tests are over.”
安德森先生面带微笑， “吉米，我们有东西要给你，它现在就在火箭建站，但是要等到明天所有测试结束后，我们才能接到它。”

9 “From Earth, Dad?”
“是从地球来的吗,爸爸? ”

10 “A dog from Earth, son. The first dog on the Moon. You won't need Robutt any more. We can't keep them both, and some other boy or girl will have Robutt.” He seemed to be waiting for Jimmy to say something, then he said, “You know what a dog is, Jimmy. It's the real thing. Robutt's only a mechanical imitation, a robot-mutt. That's how he got his name.”
“是从地球来的小狗，儿子，是月球上的第一只狗。你将不再需要罗布特了。我们不能同时要两只，其他的孩子会收养罗布特。”他好像在等吉米说点什么，接着又说， “你会知道什么才是真正的狗，吉米。狗是有生命的。罗布特仅仅是机械仿制品，是一只机器狗罢了。所以它才叫罗布特。”

11 Jimmy frowned. “Robutt isn't an imitation, Dad.”
吉米皱皱眉头， “爸爸，罗布特不是仿制品。”

12 “Robutt's just steel and wiring and a simple positronic brain.”
“罗布特只是用钢铁和电线制造的，只有一个简单的正电子大脑。”

13 “He does everything I want him to do, Dad. He understands me.”
“爸爸，我想让它做什么，它都能做到，它懂我。”

14 “No, son. Robutt is just a machine. It's just programmed to act the way it does. A dog is alive. You'll see the difference once he gets here.”
“不是这样的，儿子。罗布特只是一个机器。它的反应只不过是按照编好的程序去做而已。正的狗是有生命的。等小狗来了，你就会明白二者的不同之处了。”

15 Jimmy looked at Robutt, who was squeaking again, a very low, slow squeak that seemed frightened. Jimmy held out his arms and Robutt was in them in one bound.
吉米看着又在吼叫的罗布特，它的叫声非常低沉缓慢，好像受到了惊吓。吉米伸出双臂，罗布特一跃跳了上去。

16 Jimmy said, “What will the difference be between Robutt and the dog?”
吉米问：“那罗布特和真正的小狗有什么不一样呢？

17 “It's hard to explain,” said Mr Anderson, “but it will be easy to see. The dog will really love you. Robutt is just adjusted to act as though it loves you.”
“这很难解释。”安德森先生说， “但用眼睛看的话，会很容易。小狗会真的爱你，而罗布特只是设定好，假装很爱你。”

18 “But, Dad, we don't know what's inside the dog, or what his feelings are. Maybe it's just acting, too.”
“但是，爸爸，我们并不知道小狗真正想的是什么，它是什么感觉。可能它也只是在假装。”

19 Mr Anderson frowned. “Jimmy, you'll know the difference when you experience the love of a living thing.”
安德森先生眉头一皱， “吉米，如果你体验过一个生命体对你的爱时，你就会明白其中的不同。”

20 Jimmy held Robutt tightly. He was frowning, too, and the desperate look on his face meant that he wouldn't change his mind. He said, “But what's the difference how they act? How about how I feel? I love Robutt and that's what counts.”
吉米紧紧抱着罗布特。他也皱着眉头，脸上的坚定表明他不愿改变心意。他说：“那它们在行为上有什么不一样？那我的想法呢？我爱罗布特，我觉得这是最重要的。”

21 And the little robot-mutt, which had never been held so tightly in all its existence, squeaked high and rapid squeaks – happy squeaks.
小小的机器狗自出现以来从未被抱得那么紧，它发出尖细且急促的叫声,那是快乐的叫声。

(Adaptation of excerpts from “A Boy's Best Friend” by Isaac Asimov)
（节选自艾萨克·阿西莫夫的《男孩的挚友》）