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刚过去的暑假，大家有没有进电影院感受《变形金刚》超炫的视觉效果？这部电影再次将我们的目光聚集在机器人身上。从小说到电影，凡是涉及未来的主题总少不了这种机械生命体的身影。过去的作家认为它们会让人类从此衣食无忧，现在的导演则担心机器终有一天反客为主—其实像《变形金刚》这样，交个机器人朋友可能也是一个不错的未来哦！
听力小提示：
本文文字难度中等，但因涉及科技方面的内容，需要多听几遍，增进理解。旁白语速较慢，受访者则为正常或偏快语速，适用于不同水平的段落听力训练。另外，旁白语音清晰，可以挑选文中部分段落进行跟读练习，训练语音语调。
Fiction and Reality
A robot is a machine that performs useful actions, and is capable of making decisions about its behavior. In other words, robots are the love children of computers and powered toys. They come in all shapes and sizes, each specific to its function. Since they first came on the scene in the 1960s, real-world robots have slowly worked their way into industry, taking over more and more dirty, dull and dangerous jobs with each passing year. In 1)assembly line businesses, such as building cars, the ability of robots to perform complicated tasks over and over is a perfect fit.
There are three basic ways to make robots work:
An 2)intelligent 3)tele-operated system has some computerized control at the robot end, but a human makes 4)virtually all of the decisions.
With 5)supervisory control, the human makes key decisions about what the robot should do, and the robot has enough intelligence to perform its tasks without constant guidance.
An 6)autonomous robot is virtually free of human control.
Scientist A: In the early going, things were simple. Form followed function, and the only challenge was to get a robot to 7)navigate, or clean up a 8)nuke setting, or to perform an industrial task. Now people actually expect robots to look like robots, and to speak like robots. I think that next-generation robots have to master that kind of speech and interaction a lot more than their personal status or the weather report, but to really interact in the way that we are right now.
Scientist B: In 9)robotics, a lot of us feel like we’re been cheated by Hollywood ?in that Hollywood has shown robots doing things that we don’t have any possible capability of doing with our robots right now, so people are disappointed when they see our real robots. On the other hand, I’m more optimistic now than I was five years ago that we’re going to eventually catch up with Hollywood, and, and maybe before too long, maybe even in my lifetime, be doing a few things that Hollywood hasn’t thought of just yet.
Form Beyond Machine
Tokyo’s Ikebukuro District is a showplace for the latest consumer technology. Here hundreds of thousands of devices are sold at bargain prices to consumers with a seemingly bottomless 10)appetite for the newest, fastest and most 11)elegant machines. It’s no surprise, then, to learn that Japan has the largest population of robots in the world ?more than seven times as many as the runner-up, the United States. The 12)fascination with 13)humanoids that runs through Japan’s popular culture is reflected in the real-life efforts of its engineers. Japan has launched a long-term project to create a 14)silicon underclass of domestic servants ?robot 15)butlers, robot housekeepers, and robot nurses ?and they believe it’s essential that those robots are humanoids.
This is Hadaly-2. It was built at Tokyo’s Waseda University. It’s designed to react to 16)stimuli the way humans do. Hadaly’s big eyes and gentle movements are deliberately childlike. As robots grow more intelligent and functional, their 17)bland, ugly 18)exteriors are becoming problematic. The Japanese solution is to give their robots human form, and to make sure they’re cute.
Path of Machine and Mankind
Humanity finds itself 19)hurtling to a wired world, where intelligent systems are 20)integrated into every part of our daily lives. But what path will robots take? Will our creations remain unintelligent and unaware, capable only of following simple commands? Or will they evolve into a unique new form of life, able to reproduce and survive without our support?
Scientist C: The fear that we’re going to create a race of super-intelligent, super-smart, super-powerful 21)androids that will take care of everything, and put everybody out of work is a 22)ridiculous concept. I mean, I think that what’s going to happen is we’re going to not be competing with the androids. The androids are going to do the things that androids do best; people are going to do the things that they do best, which may just be watching more television, surfing the World Wide Web?Technology is an 23)incarnation of the human urge to survive and prosper. Our machines help us to overcome our limitations. 24)Endowing our robots with intelligence is the next step in our ongoing effort to make our lives easier. But as our creations grow ever more complex and 25)self-reliant, our fear of technology grows. We surround ourselves with high-tech tools……but we don’t quite trust them. But living machines, even artificial humans, may turn out to be less 26)alien than airplanes or television sets ?all of the complex devices we depend on, but don’t really understand.
虚实之间
机器人是一种能够进行有效行动，并能决定自身行为的机器。换句话来说，机器人是电脑和电动玩具的爱情结晶。它们形态各异，大小不一，每种都是根据其功能特制而成。自20世纪60年代出现以来，现实世界的机器人慢慢进入工业领域，随着时间的推移，它们越来越多地担负起那些肮脏、沉闷和危险的工作。在汽车制造业之类的流水线行业中，我们已经一再证实了机器人能够完美地完成各种复杂的重复任务。
目前操作机器人有三种基本方式：
智能遥控系统对机器人终端进行一定程度的电脑控制，但所有决定几乎都要由人类进行。
通过监控装置，人类决定机器人主要做的事情，机器人则有足够的智能完成任务，不需要人类不断发出指示。
全自动机器人基本不需要人类操控。
科学家甲：在早些年，事情要简单得多。机器人的外型由其功能决定，唯一的挑战就是如何让它导航，清扫核装置，或者完成工业任务。现在人们却希望机器人能看起来像个机器人（而不仅仅是一台机器），并且能像机器人那样说话。我认为下一代的机器人需要精通对话和互动，这将远远超过了解其个体状况或者进行天气预报，而是能像我们现在这样，进行真正的互动。
科学家乙：对于机器人技术，我们许多人都觉得被好莱坞骗了—好莱坞电影中的机器人能做的事情，是我们的机器人目前完全不可能办到的，所以当看到真正的机器人时，人们会大失所望。不过从另一方面来说，现在的我比五年前要乐观多了，（我相信）我们最后一定能够赶上好莱坞的步伐，而且也许在不久以后，也许就在我的有生之年，我们的机器人就能做出一些好莱坞没想到的事情。
超越机器的形体
东京的池袋区展示了最新的科技消费品。在这里，顾客能以低价买到各式各样的机器，足以满足他们对最新、最快和最顶尖器材永无止境的追求。因此，日本会拥有全世界最多的机器人也就不足为奇了—这个数量是排名第二的美国的七倍多。日本大众文化对人型机器人的迷恋从工程师们在实际生活的努力上可见一斑。日本开展了一项长期计划，研发硅制的下层家仆—机器人男女管家以及机器人护士等—而且，他们认为这些机器人最基本的要求就是要具备人形。
这个机器人是Hadaly 2号，由东京的早稻田大学制造，其设计让它可以像人一样能对刺激作出反应。Hadaly的大眼睛和温柔的举止都特意设计成孩子的感觉。随着机器人越来越智能化和功能化，它们冷漠和丑陋的外表也渐渐成了大问题。日本的解决办法就是把机器人制造成人形，确保它们个个长得憨态可掬。
人类与机器的前路
人类在一个线路纵横的世界里飞速发展，智能系统融入了我们日常生活的每个部分。而机器人的前路将通往何方呢？我们的创造物会否停留在非智能和无意识阶段，只能执行简单的指令？又或者，它们会否进化为一种独特的崭新生命体，无需我们人类的支持就能自我繁衍和生存？
科学家丙：有一种恐惧认为我们将制造出一种超智能、非常聪明、无比强大、什么都会做的机器人，还会让所有人类失业—这是一种荒谬的想法。我的意思是，我认为将会发生的事情并不是我们要和这些机器人进行竞争。（而是）机器人做它们最擅长的事情，人类做自己最擅长的事情，而这些事也许就是我们有更多的时间看电视或上网之类……
技术是人类努力求存和发展繁荣的具体表现。机器帮助我们克服自身的限制。赋予机器人智能也是我们一直不断努力改善生活的必由之路。但是，随着我们的创造物越来越复杂，自力更生能力越来越强，我们对技术的恐惧也与日俱增。我们用高科技产品包把自己包围起来……却并不怎么信任它们。然而，机器活体乃至人造人，也许实际上并不比飞机或电视机更让我们觉得陌生—我们的生活离不开这些复杂的机器，却没有多少人真正了解它们。
机器人三大定律
A robot——
cannot under any circumstance harm another human being; must provide help for humans in dire needs.
cannot disobey a direct human order as long as it is not in violation of Law 1.
protects its own existance as long as it does not violate Law 1 and 2.
机器人不得伤人，或任人受伤而袖手旁观；
除非违背第一定律，机器人必须服从人的命令；
除非违背第一及第二定律，机器人必须保护自己。
不可不看
纵观电影史，涉及机器人的作品可谓数不胜数。但以下这三套作品最为一脉相承，别具警世意义—
人工智能（A.I.: Artificial Intelligence）
在机器人的发展过程中，赋予机器人情感是最富有争议的议题。后来，一家公司解决了这个问题，并制造出第一个具有感情的机器人—大卫。公司的员工收养了大卫，但养父母亲生儿子的归来使大卫失去了容身之地。他被迫踏上旅程，去寻找真正属于自己的地方……
机械公敌（I, Robot）
2035年，智能机器人已经渗入到人类生活的方方面面，人类对这些能够胜任各种工作且毫无怨言的伙伴充满信任。这时，一桩谋杀案让一台NS-5型高级机器人成了嫌疑犯。负责调查案件的探员随后发现一个更惊人的秘密：似乎已经有部分机器人开始不受控制，并在密谋“造反”……
《黑客帝国》系列（The Matrix）
在动画版前传里，第一台有意识的机器人起来反抗并杀死了其主人。随后，机器人在全球范围纷纷起义，成立了一个独立国家。而人类不但拒绝了机器人派往联合国的代表，更企图以封锁来扼杀这个新生族群。双方争执愈演愈烈，最终引发大战。即使动用核武也无法取胜的人类沦为奴隶，机器人建起超级电脑“母体”，控制了全世界。
进入本传的时代，一小部分人终于意识到自己的生活只是电脑制造的假象。此时，一个名叫尼奥的年轻黑客出现了……
听力小提示：
本文文字难度中等，但因涉及科技方面的内容，需要多听几遍，增进理解。旁白语速较慢，受访者则为正常或偏快语速，适用于不同水平的段落听力训练。另外，旁白语音清晰，可以挑选文中部分段落进行跟读练习，训练语音语调。
Fiction and Reality
A robot is a machine that performs useful actions, and is capable of making decisions about its behavior. In other words, robots are the love children of computers and powered toys. They come in all shapes and sizes, each specific to its function. Since they first came on the scene in the 1960s, real-world robots have slowly worked their way into industry, taking over more and more dirty, dull and dangerous jobs with each passing year. In 1)assembly line businesses, such as building cars, the ability of robots to perform complicated tasks over and over is a perfect fit.
There are three basic ways to make robots work:
An 2)intelligent 3)tele-operated system has some computerized control at the robot end, but a human makes 4)virtually all of the decisions.
With 5)supervisory control, the human makes key decisions about what the robot should do, and the robot has enough intelligence to perform its tasks without constant guidance.
An 6)autonomous robot is virtually free of human control.
Scientist A: In the early going, things were simple. Form followed function, and the only challenge was to get a robot to 7)navigate, or clean up a 8)nuke setting, or to perform an industrial task. Now people actually expect robots to look like robots, and to speak like robots. I think that next-generation robots have to master that kind of speech and interaction a lot more than their personal status or the weather report, but to really interact in the way that we are right now.
Scientist B: In 9)robotics, a lot of us feel like we’re been cheated by Hollywood ?in that Hollywood has shown robots doing things that we don’t have any possible capability of doing with our robots right now, so people are disappointed when they see our real robots. On the other hand, I’m more optimistic now than I was five years ago that we’re going to eventually catch up with Hollywood, and, and maybe before too long, maybe even in my lifetime, be doing a few things that Hollywood hasn’t thought of just yet.
Form Beyond Machine
Tokyo’s Ikebukuro District is a showplace for the latest consumer technology. Here hundreds of thousands of devices are sold at bargain prices to consumers with a seemingly bottomless 10)appetite for the newest, fastest and most 11)elegant machines. It’s no surprise, then, to learn that Japan has the largest population of robots in the world ?more than seven times as many as the runner-up, the United States. The 12)fascination with 13)humanoids that runs through Japan’s popular culture is reflected in the real-life efforts of its engineers. Japan has launched a long-term project to create a 14)silicon underclass of domestic servants ?robot 15)butlers, robot housekeepers, and robot nurses ?and they believe it’s essential that those robots are humanoids.
This is Hadaly-2. It was built at Tokyo’s Waseda University. It’s designed to react to 16)stimuli the way humans do. Hadaly’s big eyes and gentle movements are deliberately childlike. As robots grow more intelligent and functional, their 17)bland, ugly 18)exteriors are becoming problematic. The Japanese solution is to give their robots human form, and to make sure they’re cute.
Path of Machine and Mankind
Humanity finds itself 19)hurtling to a wired world, where intelligent systems are 20)integrated into every part of our daily lives. But what path will robots take? Will our creations remain unintelligent and unaware, capable only of following simple commands? Or will they evolve into a unique new form of life, able to reproduce and survive without our support?
Scientist C: The fear that we’re going to create a race of super-intelligent, super-smart, super-powerful 21)androids that will take care of everything, and put everybody out of work is a 22)ridiculous concept. I mean, I think that what’s going to happen is we’re going to not be competing with the androids. The androids are going to do the things that androids do best; people are going to do the things that they do best, which may just be watching more television, surfing the World Wide Web?Technology is an 23)incarnation of the human urge to survive and prosper. Our machines help us to overcome our limitations. 24)Endowing our robots with intelligence is the next step in our ongoing effort to make our lives easier. But as our creations grow ever more complex and 25)self-reliant, our fear of technology grows. We surround ourselves with high-tech tools……but we don’t quite trust them. But living machines, even artificial humans, may turn out to be less 26)alien than airplanes or television sets ?all of the complex devices we depend on, but don’t really understand.
虚实之间
机器人是一种能够进行有效行动，并能决定自身行为的机器。换句话来说，机器人是电脑和电动玩具的爱情结晶。它们形态各异，大小不一，每种都是根据其功能特制而成。自20世纪60年代出现以来，现实世界的机器人慢慢进入工业领域，随着时间的推移，它们越来越多地担负起那些肮脏、沉闷和危险的工作。在汽车制造业之类的流水线行业中，我们已经一再证实了机器人能够完美地完成各种复杂的重复任务。
目前操作机器人有三种基本方式：
智能遥控系统对机器人终端进行一定程度的电脑控制，但所有决定几乎都要由人类进行。
通过监控装置，人类决定机器人主要做的事情，机器人则有足够的智能完成任务，不需要人类不断发出指示。
全自动机器人基本不需要人类操控。
科学家甲：在早些年，事情要简单得多。机器人的外型由其功能决定，唯一的挑战就是如何让它导航，清扫核装置，或者完成工业任务。现在人们却希望机器人能看起来像个机器人（而不仅仅是一台机器），并且能像机器人那样说话。我认为下一代的机器人需要精通对话和互动，这将远远超过了解其个体状况或者进行天气预报，而是能像我们现在这样，进行真正的互动。
科学家乙：对于机器人技术，我们许多人都觉得被好莱坞骗了—好莱坞电影中的机器人能做的事情，是我们的机器人目前完全不可能办到的，所以当看到真正的机器人时，人们会大失所望。不过从另一方面来说，现在的我比五年前要乐观多了，（我相信）我们最后一定能够赶上好莱坞的步伐，而且也许在不久以后，也许就在我的有生之年，我们的机器人就能做出一些好莱坞没想到的事情。
超越机器的形体
东京的池袋区展示了最新的科技消费品。在这里，顾客能以低价买到各式各样的机器，足以满足他们对最新、最快和最顶尖器材永无止境的追求。因此，日本会拥有全世界最多的机器人也就不足为奇了—这个数量是排名第二的美国的七倍多。日本大众文化对人型机器人的迷恋从工程师们在实际生活的努力上可见一斑。日本开展了一项长期计划，研发硅制的下层家仆—机器人男女管家以及机器人护士等—而且，他们认为这些机器人最基本的要求就是要具备人形。
这个机器人是Hadaly 2号，由东京的早稻田大学制造，其设计让它可以像人一样能对刺激作出反应。Hadaly的大眼睛和温柔的举止都特意设计成孩子的感觉。随着机器人越来越智能化和功能化，它们冷漠和丑陋的外表也渐渐成了大问题。日本的解决办法就是把机器人制造成人形，确保它们个个长得憨态可掬。
人类与机器的前路
人类在一个线路纵横的世界里飞速发展，智能系统融入了我们日常生活的每个部分。而机器人的前路将通往何方呢？我们的创造物会否停留在非智能和无意识阶段，只能执行简单的指令？又或者，它们会否进化为一种独特的崭新生命体，无需我们人类的支持就能自我繁衍和生存？
科学家丙：有一种恐惧认为我们将制造出一种超智能、非常聪明、无比强大、什么都会做的机器人，还会让所有人类失业—这是一种荒谬的想法。我的意思是，我认为将会发生的事情并不是我们要和这些机器人进行竞争。（而是）机器人做它们最擅长的事情，人类做自己最擅长的事情，而这些事也许就是我们有更多的时间看电视或上网之类……
技术是人类努力求存和发展繁荣的具体表现。机器帮助我们克服自身的限制。赋予机器人智能也是我们一直不断努力改善生活的必由之路。但是，随着我们的创造物越来越复杂，自力更生能力越来越强，我们对技术的恐惧也与日俱增。我们用高科技产品包把自己包围起来……却并不怎么信任它们。然而，机器活体乃至人造人，也许实际上并不比飞机或电视机更让我们觉得陌生—我们的生活离不开这些复杂的机器，却没有多少人真正了解它们。
机器人三大定律
A robot——
cannot under any circumstance harm another human being; must provide help for humans in dire needs.
cannot disobey a direct human order as long as it is not in violation of Law 1.
protects its own existance as long as it does not violate Law 1 and 2.
机器人不得伤人，或任人受伤而袖手旁观；
除非违背第一定律，机器人必须服从人的命令；
除非违背第一及第二定律，机器人必须保护自己。
不可不看
纵观电影史，涉及机器人的作品可谓数不胜数。但以下这三套作品最为一脉相承，别具警世意义—
人工智能（A.I.: Artificial Intelligence）
在机器人的发展过程中，赋予机器人情感是最富有争议的议题。后来，一家公司解决了这个问题，并制造出第一个具有感情的机器人—大卫。公司的员工收养了大卫，但养父母亲生儿子的归来使大卫失去了容身之地。他被迫踏上旅程，去寻找真正属于自己的地方……
机械公敌（I, Robot）
2035年，智能机器人已经渗入到人类生活的方方面面，人类对这些能够胜任各种工作且毫无怨言的伙伴充满信任。这时，一桩谋杀案让一台NS-5型高级机器人成了嫌疑犯。负责调查案件的探员随后发现一个更惊人的秘密：似乎已经有部分机器人开始不受控制，并在密谋“造反”……
《黑客帝国》系列（The Matrix）
在动画版前传里，第一台有意识的机器人起来反抗并杀死了其主人。随后，机器人在全球范围纷纷起义，成立了一个独立国家。而人类不但拒绝了机器人派往联合国的代表，更企图以封锁来扼杀这个新生族群。双方争执愈演愈烈，最终引发大战。即使动用核武也无法取胜的人类沦为奴隶，机器人建起超级电脑“母体”，控制了全世界。
进入本传的时代，一小部分人终于意识到自己的生活只是电脑制造的假象。此时，一个名叫尼奥的年轻黑客出现了……