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One of the best things about travel is the chance to try all the different food. In Tokyo, Japan, the 1)sashimi is unbelievable. You’ll just have to take my word for it. But imagine if you could sample the delights of the world without leaving the comfort of your 2)lounge room. That day might not be too far away.
Scientists at the University of Tsukuba have been developing a new technology that lets you taste food, and gives you the 3)sensation of eating, through your computer.
There’s nothing like biting into a good apple, and you actually have that good experience through all of your five senses. Now, I’ve been assured that with this equipment here, I can have the experience of a good apple without the apple.
Remarkably, all taste sensations can be reduced down to just five base elements: sweet, salty, sour, bitter and a 4)savoury flavour which Japanese scientists call unami. The combination of these five flavours give all foods their taste.
This device here will deliver a measured dose of this liquid. It’s not apple juice. It’s actually a mixture of chemicals in the right proportions that make up apple flavour.
The next part of the computer taste is recreating the physical sensation of chewing. This is achieved by measuring the force 5)exerted when biting through various foods, and recording that information in the computer.
Everything’s in place. We’re ready to try our 6)virtual apple. OK. This is like taking the first bite of the perfect summer apple. Ummm...ugh... Yeah, OK. Tastes a little bit like apple.
That’s not like 7)crunching an apple, though, at all. This...Did it sound like it? Yeah, it sounded like it. Sounded like chewing an apple, in my 8)jawbones here. Let’s just compare it to the real thing. Hmmm. Well, you can’t beat the real thing.
While the scientists are working on developing the flavour menu, the real challenge is getting the 9)texture right.
OK, now we’re gonna to try a cracker. This is the real thing. OK, we know what cracker tastes like. Now for the virtual cracker. That’s better than the apple, actually.
Eventually scientists see long-distance applications for this taste technology. Try any food, anywhere, before you buy. The big question is, of course, why? Well, in this instance, the science is ahead of the application. But, beyond tomorrow, taste technology may be used to market test new flavours or sell foods internationally, by giving people the chance to taste-test it first.
But really, when it 10)comes down to it, you just can’t replace the real thing, can you?
旅游的其中一个好处就是有机会品尝各种不同的食物。在日本东京，鱼生非常美味，这一点你一定要相信我的话。不过想像一下，如果你不用离开你家舒适的起居室就可以试尝世界美食会是什么样的感觉，而那一天并不遥远。
日本筑波大学的科学家正研发一项新技术，让你可以通过电脑品尝食物，并同时有进食的感觉。
吃美味的苹果是件再好不过的事了，而且你的五种官能都会有不错的体验。现在他们向我保证说，用这种仪器即使没有苹果我也能体验到吃美味苹果的感觉。
不可思议的是，人的所有味觉可以还原为五种基本元素：甜、咸、酸、苦，还有一种好吃的味道，日本科学家称之为鲜味。五种味道的不同组合构成了各种不同食物的味道。
这台仪器会流出适量的液体，这可不是苹果汁，而是不同的化学物按一定比例制成的混合液，它有苹果的味道。
电脑尝味的下一步，是再造咀嚼的感觉。通过测量咬不同食物所用的力度，将其记录在电脑里。
万事俱备。我们要试吃虚拟苹果了。好了，这感觉像是在吃第一口美味的夏日苹果一般。呃，好吧，味道有点像苹果。
可它完全没有咬苹果的感觉，这个……声音像吧？声音像，听起来像在我的颚骨里咬苹果。我们把它和真苹果比较一下。嗯，还是比不上真的好。
科学家正研究增加更多食物的味道，真正的难题在于如何将口感做得恰到好处。
好，现在试吃一块饼干。这块是真饼干。好，我们现在知道吃饼干的味道了。现在轮到虚拟饼干了。这比苹果要好一点，真的。
科学家预测这种尝味技术最终可以投入远程应用。你可以购买前在任何地方试吃食物。当然，真正的问题是为什么要这么做？就这方面而言，科学走在了实际应用的前面。但在将来，味道科技也许可以用来测试市场对新味道的反应，或让消费者先试味，做到在全球范围出售食品。
但说到底，假的取代不了真的，对不对？
翻译：丁一
Scientists at the University of Tsukuba have been developing a new technology that lets you taste food, and gives you the 3)sensation of eating, through your computer.
There’s nothing like biting into a good apple, and you actually have that good experience through all of your five senses. Now, I’ve been assured that with this equipment here, I can have the experience of a good apple without the apple.
Remarkably, all taste sensations can be reduced down to just five base elements: sweet, salty, sour, bitter and a 4)savoury flavour which Japanese scientists call unami. The combination of these five flavours give all foods their taste.
This device here will deliver a measured dose of this liquid. It’s not apple juice. It’s actually a mixture of chemicals in the right proportions that make up apple flavour.
The next part of the computer taste is recreating the physical sensation of chewing. This is achieved by measuring the force 5)exerted when biting through various foods, and recording that information in the computer.
Everything’s in place. We’re ready to try our 6)virtual apple. OK. This is like taking the first bite of the perfect summer apple. Ummm...ugh... Yeah, OK. Tastes a little bit like apple.
That’s not like 7)crunching an apple, though, at all. This...Did it sound like it? Yeah, it sounded like it. Sounded like chewing an apple, in my 8)jawbones here. Let’s just compare it to the real thing. Hmmm. Well, you can’t beat the real thing.
While the scientists are working on developing the flavour menu, the real challenge is getting the 9)texture right.
OK, now we’re gonna to try a cracker. This is the real thing. OK, we know what cracker tastes like. Now for the virtual cracker. That’s better than the apple, actually.
Eventually scientists see long-distance applications for this taste technology. Try any food, anywhere, before you buy. The big question is, of course, why? Well, in this instance, the science is ahead of the application. But, beyond tomorrow, taste technology may be used to market test new flavours or sell foods internationally, by giving people the chance to taste-test it first.
But really, when it 10)comes down to it, you just can’t replace the real thing, can you?
旅游的其中一个好处就是有机会品尝各种不同的食物。在日本东京，鱼生非常美味，这一点你一定要相信我的话。不过想像一下，如果你不用离开你家舒适的起居室就可以试尝世界美食会是什么样的感觉，而那一天并不遥远。
日本筑波大学的科学家正研发一项新技术，让你可以通过电脑品尝食物，并同时有进食的感觉。
吃美味的苹果是件再好不过的事了，而且你的五种官能都会有不错的体验。现在他们向我保证说，用这种仪器即使没有苹果我也能体验到吃美味苹果的感觉。
不可思议的是，人的所有味觉可以还原为五种基本元素：甜、咸、酸、苦，还有一种好吃的味道，日本科学家称之为鲜味。五种味道的不同组合构成了各种不同食物的味道。
这台仪器会流出适量的液体，这可不是苹果汁，而是不同的化学物按一定比例制成的混合液，它有苹果的味道。
电脑尝味的下一步，是再造咀嚼的感觉。通过测量咬不同食物所用的力度，将其记录在电脑里。
万事俱备。我们要试吃虚拟苹果了。好了，这感觉像是在吃第一口美味的夏日苹果一般。呃，好吧，味道有点像苹果。
可它完全没有咬苹果的感觉，这个……声音像吧？声音像，听起来像在我的颚骨里咬苹果。我们把它和真苹果比较一下。嗯，还是比不上真的好。
科学家正研究增加更多食物的味道，真正的难题在于如何将口感做得恰到好处。
好，现在试吃一块饼干。这块是真饼干。好，我们现在知道吃饼干的味道了。现在轮到虚拟饼干了。这比苹果要好一点，真的。
科学家预测这种尝味技术最终可以投入远程应用。你可以购买前在任何地方试吃食物。当然，真正的问题是为什么要这么做？就这方面而言，科学走在了实际应用的前面。但在将来，味道科技也许可以用来测试市场对新味道的反应，或让消费者先试味，做到在全球范围出售食品。
但说到底，假的取代不了真的，对不对？
翻译：丁一