《理工英语3 》教材文章（中英文对照）
Unit 1 Green Home Design
Reading 1
Five Tips for Making Your House Greener
使房子更环保的5个建议
There are plenty of ways to make your house greener. It doesn’t matter how many people reside in your home. It doesn’t even matter about the size of your home. What matters is how your house looks and how it affects you and others residing in it.
有许多方法使你的房子变得更环保，不管有多少人住在你的房子里，也不管你的房子有多大，要紧的是你的房子看起来如何以及它怎样影响你和住在房子里的其他人。
It is very important to make your house greener because it has a direct impact on your health. If you keep your house green, you avoid the risk of many dangerous diseases. Here are some ways to keep your house greener.
把房子变得更环保十分重要，因为这直接关系到你的健康。如果房子环保，你就避免了罹患许多危险疾病的风险。以下是使房子更环保的几种方法。
1. Good and reliable interior
1.室内建筑要优质环保
Indoor material must be of good quality for windows, doors, cupboards etc. These things play an important role in keeping the house green. Doors and cupboards must be of high quality wood. Aluminum windows should be used. You should use high-quality paints for walls, doors, windows and cupboards.
室内窗、门和橱柜等一定要用优质材料，这些对于保持房子环保起着重要的作用。门和橱柜必须是高质量的木材，要用铝质窗，要用高质量的涂料来刷墙、门、窗和橱柜。
2. Wide windows and doors for ventilation
2.常开门窗进行通风
Oxygen is a necessary element for life. For a healthy life, windows and doors should be wide and usually they should be kept open for at least 15 hours a day, as fresh air is good for your health.
氧气是生命中不可或缺的元素。若想健康，门窗每天至少应敞开15小时，因为新鲜空气对健康有益。
3. Plants and flowers around the house
3.屋里多养花草绿植
No one wants an empty house, and plants definitely play an air-freshening role. First, plants provide you with oxygen necessary for survival. Second, plants and especially flowers spread an attractive fragrance. All unhealthy odors are eradicated from your home and you feel fresh whenever you are inside it. Flowers also make your home interior look more appealing.
没有人想要一栋空房，植物显然起着着净化空气的作用。首先，植物提供了生存必需的氧气。其次，植物，尤其是花儿会散发出迷人的香味，所有不健康的气味都会被清除掉，无论何时你身处室内都能感到很清新。花儿也使家里看起来更令人心旷神怡。
4. Regular disposal of waste
4.定期处理垃圾
It’s very important to dispose of waste far away from your home every day. When waste is kept untouched for many days, it attracts bacteria and viruses. Flies and mosquitoes are attracted to garbage and start multiplying in such places. As a result, diseases are caused.
每天将你家里的垃圾远远地处理掉也很重要。几天不处理，垃圾就会滋生细菌和病毒，引来苍蝇和蚊子并开始在这些地方繁殖，从而造成疾病。
5. Use of anti-bacterial cleaning materials
5.使用杀菌清洁物品
Usually unclean fans, floors and walls breed bacteria and viruses, which are then carried by flies and mosquitoes. These carriers then infect humans through contaminated food or by direct contact with the body. It’s always recommended to use anti-bacterial or anti-viral cleaners to clean fans, walls, floors, laptops, and TVs.
通常，不干净的风扇、地板和墙壁滋生细菌和病毒，然后由苍蝇和蚊子携带，通过污染食物或与直接的身体接触使人类被感染。要使用抗菌或抗病毒清洁剂来清洁风扇、墙壁、地板、手提电脑和电视机。
Reading 2
Top Three Green Home Innovations
三大重要绿色家居创新
In the last decade a growing number of people have become interested in conserving energy and preserving the environment by living “green”. There are many things you can do to reduce your carbon emissions and help to make the earth a better place for future generations. Here are a few suggestions.
在过去的十年里，越来越多的人对采取绿色生活方式来节约能源、保护环境产生了兴趣（在过去的十年，越来越多的人对采取绿色生活方式来节能环保产生了兴趣）。你可以做很多事情来降低二氧化碳排放量，使我们的地球更适合后代生存。以下有几点建议。
LED Lighting
LED照明
Although LED lamps initially cost more than standard incandescent or compact fluorescent bulbs, these long-lasting LED lamps will eventually be worth the money because of energy saved. LED lamps also produce a cleaner, more natural light.
尽管刚开始LED 灯比标准白炽灯或（节能灯）价钱都贵，但耐用的LED 灯因为节能最终是值这个钱的。而且，LED灯光更干净、更自然。
Water Recycling
水的循环使用
“Water” is a hot topic, especially in the Southwest. Whole-house water filters are now available for cleaning and reusing water from showers and baths. Gray water systems redirect the used water from washing machines to lawns or gardens.
“水”是一个热门话题，尤其是在西南部。现在全屋水过滤器可以对淋浴和浴缸水清洁再利用。灰水系统可以把洗衣机排出的废水引到草坪或花园。
Air Purification
空气净化
In recent years indoor air pollution has gotten a lot of attention. Building materials and embellishments like paint and carpets can “shed” chemical compounds into the atmosphere, and because a home is an enclosed space, those compounds can sometimes accumulate to dangerous levels. 10 Installing a whole-house air purification system is one way to keep indoor air clean and circulating.
近年来，室内空气污染引起了广泛的关注。建筑材料和油漆、地毯之类的装饰材料会向空气中释放化合物，由于家是一个封闭的空间，这些化合物有时可积聚到危险水平。安装一个全屋空气净化系统是保持室内空气清洁和循环的一种方法。
Going “green” doesn’t have to be a challenge. A home is a long-term investment, and you don’t have to start from scratch. 11 You can make small changes like choosing environmentally friendly paint or LED bulbs. Chances are your home will need improvements eventually. 12 Whenever possible, choose upgrades that will reduce your carbon footprint. It’s good for the planet, and it’s good for you.
过“绿色”生活不一定是一个挑战。家是一种长期投资，你没有必要从头做起。你可以做一些小的改变，如选择环保涂料或LED灯泡。你的家终究还是需要改进，只要有可能就选择升级换代，这将减少你的碳排放。这对地球有好处，对你也有好处。
Unit 2 Architecture Design and Innovations
Reading 1
I. M. Pei and the Louvre Pyramid
贝聿铭和卢浮宫金字塔
Ieoh Ming Pei is definitely one of the biggest names in architecture. Born in China in 1917, Pei was the son of a prominent banker. He grew up mostly in Hong Kong and Shanghai. At the age of 17, Pei left for the United States to study architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and then Harvard University.
贝聿铭无疑是建筑界史上最响亮的名字之一。贝1917年出生于中国，他父亲是一位杰出银行家。他大部分时间在香港和上海长大，17岁时，贝前往美国马萨诸塞理工学院学习建筑，接着又到哈佛大学求学。
Pei attracted great attention in the U.S. for the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston, but it was the Louvre Pyramid that brought him worldwide fame. In 1981, the newly elected President of France came up with an ambitious plan for a variety of construction projects, including the renovation of the Louvre Museum. Pei was invited to join the renovating team. Pei finally agreed to take on the project after three secretive trips to Paris.
在美国，贝因为设计波士顿的肯尼迪图书馆而受到广泛关注，但是让他享誉世界的却是卢浮宫金字塔。1981年，新当选的法国总统制定了一个雄心勃勃的计划，要大兴土木，其中就包括对卢浮宫博物馆的改造。贝被邀请加入改造团队。先后三次秘访巴黎后，他最终同意接手这个项目。
Pei designed not only a glass and steel pyramid to serve as the entrance to the Louvre, but also a transformation of the interiors. The public reacted harshly to the design, mostly because of the proposed pyramid. In an attempt to soothe public anger, Pei took a suggestion from then-mayor of Paris and placed a full-sized model of the pyramid in the courtyard of the Louvre. During the four days of its exhibition, an estimated 60,000 people visited the site. Critics eased their opposition after witnessing the proposed scale of the pyramid.
贝不仅设计了一个玻璃和钢结构的金字塔作为卢浮宫的入口，还进行了内部改造。人们当时并不喜欢这个设计，主要是因为这个金字塔的设计。为了平息公众的愤怒，贝采纳了当时巴黎市长的建议，将一个真实大小的金字塔模型放在卢浮宫大厅里。在为期四天的展览里，约六万人前来参观。在看到金字塔的拟建规格后，批评者的抵触情绪有所缓和。
The new entrance was opened to the public in March, 1989. By that time, public opinion had softened on the Pyramid; a poll found a 56 percent approval rating for the pyramid. “The much-feared pyramid has become adorable,” wrote a French writer. The experience was exhausting for Pei, but also rewarding. “After the Louvre,” Pei said later, “I thought no project would be too difficult.” Now the Louvre Pyramid is Pei’s most famous structure.
新入口于1989年3月正式对外开放。当时，公众对金字塔的态度已经缓和了。一项民意调查发现民众对金字塔的满意度高达56％。一位法国作家写到：“令人相当担心的金字塔变得令人喜欢了”。对于贝，虽然这个经历令他疲惫，但也有回报。“经历了对卢浮宫的改造，”贝说，“没有一个项目会叫我觉得太难”。现在卢浮宫金字塔是贝最具代表性的建筑作品。
Reading 2
Amphibious Architecture: Flood-Proof Home Designs
水陆两用建筑：防洪房屋的设计
Instead of trying to beat back the rising flood, innovative amphibious buildings can adapt to the rising flood. These buildings are ready for whatever Mother Nature might throw at them — even 10-foot floodwaters. Let’s take a look at just two of them.
极具创新的水陆两用建筑可以适应不断上涨的洪水，而不是试图去阻止它。这些建筑可以应对大自然所发生的一切，哪怕是十英尺高的洪水。我们一起来看看其中两种建筑。
The UK’s First Amphibious House
英国第一栋水陆两用房
The UK’s first amphibious house is located on the Thames River. And the first amphibious building in Britain will be completed soon. Baca Architects designed this home for a couple who wanted to live on a flood-prone island in the Thames River, an island easily attacked by floods. This building is equipped with a terraced landscape. And this terraced landscape acts as an early warning system when the waters are rising. The terraces will be filled with water before the “wet dock” under the house is, and then the home itself will slowly rise to stay above the water.
英国第一栋水陆两用房位于泰晤士河旁，而且这栋房子马上就要竣工了。泰晤士河上的一个岛屿常发生洪水，一对夫妇却想定居于此，巴卡建筑事务所为他们设计了这座房子。房子装上了台阶，当水位不断上升的时候，台阶可以当作一个早期预警系统。台阶将比房子下面的“湿坞”先充满水，然后房子本身会缓慢上升，并保持在水面以上。
Solar Powered Floating School in Nigeria
尼日利亚太阳能浮体学校
Residents of Makoko in Nigeria have been building houses on stilts for generations. People there go from one house to another by canoe. As sea levels are rising, officials threaten to tear down the entire community. If these houses are torn down, 250,000 people will be homeless and have to look for a new place to live. Architects found a solution in floating structures with improved sanitation conditions. The first completed example is a three-story solar-powered school.
尼日利亚的马卡卡居民世世代代都在建吊脚楼。人们依靠独木舟在吊脚楼中来往。因为海平面不断上升，官员们声称要拆除整个社区。房子一旦被拆除，25万人将无家可归，他们只能寻找一个新的地方去生活。建筑师找到了解决办法——带有改善的公共卫生条件的浮体结构。第一个已完成的样板房屋是一所利用太阳能的三层学校。
This amazing floating school addresses social, physical and ecological needs. Built on top of 256 recycled blue barrels, the school buildings are made of triangular bamboo and wood. Makoko’s residents made full use of their skills when building these structures. With three levels, the solar-powered high school has room for 100 local kids and recycles rainwater to flush the toilets. And the cost for the whole school structures was under $7,000.
这种神奇的浮体学校满足了社会需求、物质需求和生态需求。浮体学校建在了256个蓝色回收桶上面，校舍是由竹质和木质三角做成的。在搭建这些结构的时候，马卡卡居民充分利用了他们的技能。太阳能中学一共有三层，能同时容纳当地100名孩子，还可以回收雨水来冲洗厕所。整个学校的建造成本还不到7000美金。
Unit 3 Environmental Protection
Reading 1
Vegolution
素食行动
The Belgian city of Ghent has declared Thursdays meat-free days. Should cities around the world join in the vegolution?
比利时根特市已经声明把星期四定为无肉日。世界上其他城市是否也应该加入素食运动呢？
By encouraging people to eat no meat one day a week, Ghent hopes to improve public health and reduce our impact on the environment. In fact, according to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO): “The livestock sector has become one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems.”
根特市鼓励人们一星期有一天不吃肉，希望藉此增进公众的健康，减少对环境的影响。事实上，联合国粮食及农业组织（FAO）指出:畜牧业已经成为导致严重环境问题的前两三位的原因之一。
And if the idea can be accepted among people, the impact will be enormous. If everyone in Flanders (population: six million) does not eat meat one day a week, it will save as much CO2 in a year as taking half a million cars off the road. Imagine if every city in the world followed suit!
如果这个想法能被人们接受，其影响将会是巨大的。如果佛兰德斯（人口：六百万）每个人每周都有一天不吃肉，一年减排的二氧化碳相当于马路上五十万辆汽车的排放量。试想一下：如果世界上各个城市都效仿的话会怎么样！
So even though I ate out in Brussels yesterday, I chose a veggie meal. Don’t get me wrong. I’m by no means vegetarian. In fact, I love flesh very much. But for the past couple of years, my wife and I have changed our diet and try to eat meat or fish only a couple of times a week. After a period of adjustment, we both feel healthier.
所以就算我昨天在布鲁塞尔外出吃饭，我也选择了素食。别误会，我可绝不是一个素食主义者。事实上，我非常喜欢吃肉。但过去几年，我的妻子和我已经改变了饮食习惯，我们一个星期只吃几次肉或鱼。经过一段时间的调整，我们俩都感到更健康了。
“There has been a great increase in demand for vegetarian dishes at my restaurant over the past few years,” a Ghent restaurant said. “The selection of vegetarian dishes we offer has also grown considerably.” He adds that his clients are eating veggie mainly for their own well-being, and then, the environment.
根特一家餐厅说：“过去几年，餐厅对素食餐点的需求量大增，我们提供的可选择素食餐点也比以前增加了很多”，他补充说，客人吃素食主要是为了自己的健康，然后才是为了环境。
The idea has been picked up by media around the world and captured the attention of ordinary people. One meatless day a week is a great idea, and no loss for those who want a tasty diet. Let the vegolution begin!
世界各地的媒体都报道了这个想法，并受到很多普通民众的关注。一个星期一天无肉是一个伟大的想法，对那些想要美味饮食的人来说也没有任何损失。让素食运动行动起来吧！
Reading 2
Earth Hour
地球一小时
More than 134 countries across the world, including the UK, turned off their lights for an hour on Sunday. The event is in hopes of creating a sustainable future for the planet. Environmental charity World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has organized the Earth Hour event.
包括英国在内，世界上超过134个国家，在周日熄灯一小时。这个活动旨在为我们居住的星球创造一个可持续的未来。环保慈善组织世界自然基金会组织策划了地球一小时活动。
The event saw iconic buildings such as Big Ben, the BT Tower, Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and Edinburgh Castle blacking out for an hour. The event took place at 8:30 p.m. Sunday around the world and it started in Fiji, New Zealand and Australia. The aim is to call on governments, organizations and individuals to take actions to tackle climate change.
大本钟、英国电信塔、白金汉宫、温莎古堡、爱丁堡城堡等世界标志性建筑都参与了这次熄灯一小时活动。该活动始于斐济、新西兰和澳大利亚，并在周日晚上8点半席卷全球，其目的在于呼吁政府、组织和个人行动起来应对气候变化。
At the Royal Albert Hall in London, television presenter Kirsty Gallacher led a team of 60 cyclists from the UK-World Wildlife Fund. They aimed to appeal for the public to pay attention to endangered species including dolphins and tigers. Colin Butfield, head of campaigns, WWF-UK, said: “Our event at the Royal Albert Hall, alongside the hundreds of thousands of events across the world, shows global support for the need to tackle climate change and protect the natural world. The challenge for our future well-being could not be greater. WWF’s Earth Hour is about to create a message so powerful that governments and individuals cannot fail to take notice.”
在伦敦的皇家阿尔伯特音乐厅里，电视节目主持人Kirsty Gallacher带领来自世界自然基金会的60名自行车手组成的团队。他们旨在呼吁公众关注包括海豚和老虎在内的濒危物种。活动的领导人是来自世界自然基金会英国分会的Colin Butfield，他说：“我们在皇家阿尔伯特音乐厅的活动，以及世界各地的众多活动，都显示了全世界应对气候变化、保护自然的需求和支持。阻碍我们未来幸福的困难不会增加。世界自然基金会发起的“地球一小时”活动，必将发出一个强有力的信息，引发所有政府和个人的关注。
Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia, when 2.2 million individuals and more than 2,000 businesses turned their lights off for one hour to take a stand against climate change. The following year, Earth Hour had become a global sustainability movement with more than 50 million people across 35 countries participating. Four of the world’s five tallest buildings turned off their lights with the tallest, the 828-metre Burg Khalifa in Dubai, switching off about half a million lights. Also darkening for the occasion were floodlights at natural wonders such as Niagara and Victoria Falls.
2007年，地球一小时在澳大利亚的悉尼发起，当时220万个人和超过2000家企业熄灯一小时以表明对抗气候变化的立场。第二年，“地球一小时”已经发展成为一个全球性的可持续运动，共有35个国家5000多万人参与。全世界最高的5幢建筑物有4幢熄灯，其中最高的是828米的迪拜哈利发塔，关闭了约50万盏灯。尼亚加拉大瀑布和维多利亚大瀑布等自然景观的投光灯也为这一活动熄灯一小时。
Unit 4 Development of Electronic Products
Reading 1
Parents Use TV as an Electronic Babysitter
电视被父母用作电子保姆
Television has become such a major part of life that many American parents use it as a babysitter. A new study shows that almost one-third of families have TVs in children’s bedrooms, and the number of television programs geared toward infants is growing.
电视现在变成了生活中如此重要的一部分，许多美国的父母使用电视来照看孩子。一项新的研究表明在几乎三分之一的家庭里，孩子的卧室里都有电视，面向婴儿的电视节目在不断增加。
Katie Weaver has her hands full. Four children in her kitchen, and two of them are hers. All of them are under the age of six, and thirsty at the same time. It’s enough to get on the nerves of any adult. Like many of the 1,000 parents surveyed in a Kaiser Family Foundation study, Katie admits she sometimes uses TV as a pacifier when her children are overly- excited and it usually works.
凯蒂忙得不可开交。厨房里有四个孩子，其中两个是她的。这些孩子都在六岁以下，都在同一时间口渴，这足以让任何成人感到烦躁。凯撒家庭基金会曾经对1000个父母进行了调查，像里面的许多人一样，凯蒂承认，有时候当孩子过于吵闹时，她会用电视来安抚孩子，通常这个办法还很管用。
“I don’t use it as a babysitter because they don’t watch enough or long enough for that, but if they are very hyped up, sometimes I’ll use TV to calm them down, ” she said. While there has been some concern that watching too much television fosters obesity in children, the long-term effects of parking a very young child in front of the “tube” are not clear.
“我没有使用电视来照看小孩，因为他们不会长时间看电视，但如果他们过于兴奋，有时我会用电视让他们平静下来”， 她说。尽管有人担心，看电视时间太长会导致儿童肥胖，但将幼龄儿童放在电视前的长期影响尚不明确。
“A lot of them are two-parent working families, so we’re talking about having very little time with the children. If that time is used in front of a screen, rather than interactively, it’s compromising the way these children are learning to pay attention, the way they’re learning to problem-solve, and most importantly, the way they’re learning to think and use language, ” said Greenspan, who is the expert of the Kaiser Family Foundation study.
格林斯潘是凯撒家庭基金会的研究专家， 他说：“这么做的家庭通常是父母俩人都工作，也就是父母和孩子可以共处的时间很少。如果这些时间被用来看电视，而不是与孩子进行互动，这影响着孩子集中注意力的能力、解决问题的能力，更重要的是，影响着他们的思维和语言表达能力。”
In the survey, parents of children much younger, up to a year old, report viewing averages of an hour per day. For kids one to two years, it’s close to an hour and a half. Greenspan believes babies and children under the age of two should not be watching at all and he’s worried that some parents are concealing the real truth. “If anything, it’s an underestimation, because if a kid’s watching two hours, they might say an hour. So I think what we’re getting is a minimal estimate, ” he said.
在调查中，不到一岁孩子的父母们报告说他们的孩子每天平均看一个小时电视。对于一到两岁的孩子，看电视时间接近一个半小时。格林斯潘认为两岁以下的孩子根本不应该看电视，他担心其中一些父母没说实话，“或者是他们估计不足，如果孩子看两个小时的电视，他们会说只看了一个小时。所以我认为，我们得到的只是最低估算”，他说。
Television programming for very young children has been increasing. Yet one researcher involved in the Kaiser study says there is still no evidence that children up to the age of two learn anything of value from television.
为年幼孩子开设的电视节目一直在增加，但是凯撒家庭基金会的一位研究专家说没有证据证明不到两岁的孩子能从电视中学到有价值的东西。
Reading 2
Smart Lock
智能锁
In the home of the future, you can skip the keys. Just tap your phone, your door swings open.
在未来的家中，你不再需要钥匙，只需轻点手机，家门马上被打开。
A new company with a high-powered designer is hoping to take that vision to the masses. That company, August, introduced its version of the so-called smart-lock to the public last week. The lock is the brainchild of CEO Jason Johnson and renowned designer Yves Béhar.
一家名叫August，拥有超强设计师的新公司正希望把这幅愿景带给大众。上周，该公司向公众推出了自己的智能锁产品。这种智能锁是首席执行官杰森•约翰逊和知名设计师伊夫•贝哈尔的杰作。
While people may like the idea of smart homes, according to research firm IHS, only 5.6 million smart platforms have been installed globally. But the number is expected to rise to 44.6 million by 2018.
研究公司IHS表示，尽管人们可能喜欢智能家居这个理念，但全球目前只安装了560万套智能平台。不过到2018年，这个数字有望升至4460万。
Smooth and round, August’s lock allows users to unlock their doors by using their phones. Customers can also let in a babysitter or a maid by issuing them a temporary wireless key. “We’re approaching it as a consumer product rather than a piece of technology, ” says Béhar.
August智能锁光滑圆润，用户可以通过手机开门，还能给保姆或家政人员一把临时的无线钥匙。贝哈尔称：“我们将其作为消费产品而不是一项技术来开发的。”
The lock, which uses Bluetooth, fits smoothly over an old-fashioned door with the help of two screws and some wing flaps so customers can retrofit their doors without altering the appearance. Users open the door by holding their phone app up to the lock or tapping a button on their phone screen.
无需改变房门外观，只需两颗螺丝和几个合页，就能轻松地这把使用蓝牙技术的锁安装在老式门上。用户把手机上的应用软件对准这把锁，或是按一下屏幕上的按键就能开门。
August has raised over $10 million in venture capital funding for their lock. It faces a lot of competition from both well-established brands and start-ups. Yale has its own line of smart locks while Kwikset released its smart-lock, Kevo, last year. Meanwhile, start-up Goji plans to release a sleekly designed smart-lock that will take pictures of people who knock on your door and send the pictures to your phone.
August公司已为这款智能锁募集了超过1000万美元风投。不过它正面临来自知名品牌和初创企业的激烈竞争。耶鲁公司（Yale）就有自己的智能锁产品线，Kwikset公司去年也推出了自己的智能锁Kevo。同时，初创公司Goji正计划推出一款设计时尚的智能锁，它能拍下敲门人的照片再发到用户手机上。
This lock is August’s first product, but they don’t seem too worried about the competition. “We’d love to see other people enter this market,” says Johnson. “It helps us if more people start using smart locks.” He adds: “We’re about changing the way you interact with your home. We have keyless cars, why not keyless homes?”
这款锁是August公司的首款产品，但该公司似乎并不太担心激烈的市场竞争态势。约翰逊称：“我们很乐意看到其它公司进入这个市场。如果更多人开始用智能锁，这对我们来说是件好事。”他说：“我们会改变你和家互动的方式。已经有无钥匙汽车了，为什么不能有无钥匙之家呢？”
Unit 5 E-Commerce
Reading 1
Tips for Online Shopping on Singles’ Day
光棍节网上购物的技巧
For those who just love to shop online, now is the best time of the year, because Nov. 11th, China’s Singles’ Day, will see some seemingly irrational discounts, in line with the tradition that was started in 2010.
对于喜欢网购的人来说，现在是一年中最佳时机，因为11月11日（中国的光棍节）这天，很多网店疯狂打折，这都源于2010年的传统。
Last year, Taobao, a major online shopping website, set a record of 1 billion yuan in sales on that day alone, with a whopping 19.1 billion yuan exchanging hands on the website. The number of sold items paralyzed the delivery services due to overloading. On the verge of yet another annual spending spree, it’s worth reading up on the tricks and tips to make the most of the shopping carnival.
去年，最大的在线购物网站——淘宝，仅光棍节一天就创造了10 亿元的销售纪录，整个网络的销售总额更是达到了惊人的191 亿元。售出的商品使快递服务陷于瘫痪。在一年一度又一个消费热潮即将来临之际，为了更好地把握购物狂欢节，了解一些购物攻略很有必要。
Select goods early and rationally
提早合理地选好商品
Put everything you want in the “shopping cart” to make a list of potential purchases. Then go through it carefully, removing anything you selected on impulse.
将你需要的一切东西放进“购物车”，形成一张预购的商品清单。然后，认真地浏览该清单，删除由于冲动而挑选的商品。
Seal a deal in advance
提前敲定交易
Talk to service staff as early as possible. They may have already decided on a discount policy for Nov. 11th and may even ship the product to you in advance, which is a good way to avoid the heavy online traffic on that day.
尽早与客服谈好。他们可能已经制定好了“双十一”的打折方案，并且可能将货品提早寄送给你。这是避免节日那天网络阻塞的好方法。
Manage your budget
管理好你的预算
Popular items will be in strong demand, so make sure you’re ready to pay with the least number of procedures. It’s best to deposit a reasonable amount of money in your Alipay account so that you can pay without going through any lengthy verification. If you’re planning on using a credit card, you can call the bank to apply for more credit, but only spend as much as you can afford to repay
受欢迎的商品将会很抢手，所以要确保先准备好最便捷的支付方式。最好提前往支付宝账户里存入一笔数额合适的资金，这样你支付的时候就不需要经过烦琐的身份核实程序了。如果你打算使用信用卡，可以先致电银行申请临时调高信用额度，不过要控制在你能够偿还的额度内。
Look at the real items
看看真实的物品
With many products, such as shoes and clothes, it’s better to look at them first to check their quality, size and appearance and insure you’re buying the right one.
购买了大量的商品，例如，鞋子和衣服，你最好先看看，检查它们的质量、尺寸和外观，保证购买无误。
It’s all about timing
一切都要抓住时机
According to Alipay, there are several peak hours when online traffic is heavy and there is a higher risk of failed transactions. Try to avoid the following time spans: 12:00 p.m.-1:30 a.m., 10:00-11:00 a.m., 3:00-5:00 p.m., and 8:00-10:00 p.m.
按照阿里巴巴的说法，有几个网络阻塞和交易失败风险较高的时间段。要避开以下时间段：夜晚12：00-凌晨1：30，上午10：00-11：00，下午3：00-5：00和晚上8：00-10：00。
Track and open your package
跟踪并打开你的包裹
Because of the huge demand, delivery mistakes are inevitable, so try to track the package. If the product is perishable, keep the tracking record in case of a dispute. When the package arrives, check the item carefully before signing for it. Now you can go ahead and enjoy all your new stuff!
由于需求量巨大，快递误差不可避免，因此，尽量跟踪你的包裹。如果你购买的是容易坏的东西，记得保留记录，以防出现纠纷。包裹到了的时候，签收前要仔细检查。现在你可以前往选购新东西了！
Reading 2
E-Commerce Challenges Traditional Shops
电子商务挑战传统商店
Lynne Shaner used the Internet to buy everything she needed for her wedding and holiday gifts for her husband and step-daughter. Other than food, 90 percent of her purchases are made on the computer in her Washington apartment.
林恩﹒沙纳在网上购买婚礼所需的一切东西，也上网给她丈夫和继女购买节日礼物。除了食品，90%的购物都是她在华盛顿公寓的家里上网买的。
“I find that, by being able to go online and choose the things that I need to choose, and have them delivered to me right at my doorstep, I eliminate all the driving, all the crowds, all the noise of that, and I usually get a better selection,” Shaner explained.
沙纳解释说“我发现在网上就能够挑选到我需要的东西，这些东西通过快递直接送到我家门口，省去我了开车外出的麻烦，免去了在熙熙攘攘的人群中挤来挤去的烦恼。而且，通常我买到的东西也更好”。
Analysts say US online shopping has hit records in November and December. Fifty-seven percent of Americans have made at least one online purchase. Traditional merchants worry that the growing e-commerce will shrink their share of the market. Cornell University Marketing Professor Ed McLaughlin says they have reason for concern.
分析员说，美国的网上购物在11月和12 月创造了新纪录。57%的美国人至少上网购物一次。传统的生意人担心不断发展的电子商务会使他们占有的市场份额收缩。康乃尔大学市场学教授埃德•麦克劳克林说他们的担心不无道理。
“Anything that can move online will go. It is just a matter of time,” he stated. McLaughlin says traditional stores can keep their customers by offering The overall volume of B2B transactions is much higher than the volume of B2C transactions. The primary reason for this is that in a typical supply chain there will be many B2B transactions，such as selling components (零部件) and materials; however, there will be only one B2C transaction, that is, the sale of the finished product to the end customer. For example, an automobile manufacturer makes several B2B transactions such as buying tires, glass for windscreens, and rubber hoses for its vehicles. The final transaction, a finished vehicle sold to the consumer, is a single (B2C) transaction.goods like clothing, which customers may want to see and try on before purchasing — as well as items that are difficult to ship. He says some bricks and mortar stores are also pleasing customers with services that set up or repair computers and electronics.7 Traditional stores also offer a social experience that some shoppers enjoy.
麦克劳克林教授说：“任何交易，只要能够在网上进行，都会向着网络发展，只是个时间问题”。他说一些传统的实体店可以通过售卖某些商品留住顾客，比如服装，顾客在购买之前想看好并试穿，还比如一些商品长途装运有困难。他还说实体店也会通过一些特别的服务来吸引顾客，比如，电脑和电子产品的安装和维修。传统的实体店还可以为顾客提供一种社会生活体验，这是一些购物者喜欢的。
“Oftentimes, you need that last sense of ‘this is exactly what I want’before you part with your money,” he said. “And you can’t always get that online. It’s a rather cold process. Traditional stores can also deliver goods more quickly than online retailers,” Martin says. And smart merchants are using stores to guide customers to websites and using their websites to encourage customers to visit their stores.
他说：“很多时候，在钱花出去之前，你需要慎重考虑‘这真的就是我想要的”。马丁说：“你在网上购物时不是总是能做到这一点，网上购物少了一些人情味儿。还有，传统的实体店比网上的零售店送货快”。一些聪明的商家正在通过店铺引导顾客访问网站，也通过网站吸引顾客光顾自己的店铺。
While e-commerce worries some merchants, it’s a huge boost for delivery services like FedEx and UPS. UPS Manager Dana Kline says e-commerce means her company is even busier than usual this time of year. “We are expecting 28 million pieces on their peak day, which is December．which is up about a million from last year,” she noted. UPS is so busy that it’s hiring 55,000 temporary workers during the holiday season to deliver gifts. Those packages are headed for homes, including Lynne Shaner’s purchase.
电子商务让一些商人忧心忡忡，却为物流服务带来了巨大的发展，比如FedEx快递和UPS快递。UPS快递公司的达纳·克莱恩经理说，电子商务对她的公司来说意味着一年中的这段时间比平常忙得多。她提到，“12月20日是高峰日，我们要处理两千八百万快递，这比去年增加了大约一百万件”。节日期间，UPS 非常忙碌，雇用了55，000 名临时工来派送网购礼物。这些包裹被送往千家万户，林恩的网购也在其中。
Unit 6 Online Entertainment
Reading 1
Poker Shark
扑克老手
A computer program, “Cepheus”, has solved the game of poker. The Computer Poker Research Group (CPRG) created Cepheus. It claims Cepheus can not only play poker, but also beat human opponents.
一个名为“Cepheus”（仙王座）得计算机程序已经解决了扑克游戏的问题。计算机扑克研究小组（简称CPRG）创建了Cepheus程序。它声称，Cepheus不仅可以打扑克牌，还可以打败人类对手。
Games, such as poker and chess, have been used as test beds. New concepts in artificial intelligence are being developed. Past successes in this field include IBM’s Deep Blue. It defeated world champion Garry Kasparov in chess.
不同的游戏，比如说扑克和国际象棋，已经被用作试验品。人工智能方面的新概念在不断发展。过去在这一领域的成功例子包括IBM（美国国际商用机器公司）的“深蓝”超级电脑。它打败了国际象棋世界冠军加里·卡斯帕罗夫。
Poker brings special challenges to artificial intelligence researchers. The players — human or computer — don’t know about the past events. They can’t see the cards in the hands of their opponents.
扑克给人工智能的研究者带来特殊挑战。玩家—人类或电脑—对过去的比赛项目不太了解。他们看不见对手手中的牌。
The CPRG determined that any game could be solved. Over the course of a lifetime, it could be played with 95 percent confidence. To test Cepheus with poker, the computer was trained for two months with more than 4,000 CPUs in use. Each CPU considered more than 6 billion hands of poker. That amounted to more poker than has been played by the entire human race. From each hand, Cepheus was able to improve its play. It can refine its choices to get closer to finding the best possible solution.
CPRG确定任何游戏问题都能被解决。在游戏有效期内，你可以带着95%的信心进行游戏。为了用扑克来测试Cepheus，计算机接受了两个月的培训，使用4000多个CPU（中央处理器）。每个CPU要考虑超过60亿手的扑克。那比全人类玩过的扑克牌局还要多。从每一手牌中，Cepheus能够提高它的牌艺。它能优化选择以尽可能找到最佳解决方案。
In developing Cepheus, the CPRG’s goal was not to beat all human players and win the World Series of Poker. This technology is just one way to make a computer actually “think”.
在开发Cepheus的过程中，CPRG的目标不是要打败所有的人类玩家并赢得世界扑克大赛冠军。这项技术只是让计算机真正“思考”的一种方法。
The next step for Cepheus will likely involve more hands of poker. More players are added. That will add more computation problems.
Cepheus的下一步将可能涉及更多手扑克牌。玩家数量会被增加，那样将增加更多的计算问题。
Cepheus thus far has proved its prowess with cards. But what it does next will be limited by today’s computational capabilities. Computational power within the CPU/GPU, storage and RAM has continued to evolve. It allows for more complex supercomputing, software programming and problem solving. This allows the computer to learn. In the case of an unbeatable poker program, the computer would have to learn every possible move in every possible given situation.Then it would draw on its database to know the possible best move to make to win.
到目前为止，Cepheus已证明其打牌的实力。但下一步它要怎么做，将受到今天的计算能力限制。CPU（中央处理器）/GPU（图形处理器）内部的计算能力、存储器和RAM(随机存储器)不断进化，使得计算机能进行更复杂的超级计算、软件编程和问题解决。这让计算机能够学习。在这个不可匹敌的扑克程序里，计算机必须学会在所有既定情境中的各种可能步骤。然后，它会利用数据库获取赢得游戏的最佳可行策略。
Reading 2
Story-Mode Minecraft
我的世界：剧情版
A brand new Minecraft game will be story-driven.
新版本的游戏《我的世界》是有故事情节的。
The new series of Minecraft: Story Mode will be set in the world of Minecraft, but it will feature an original story that combines new characters with familiar themes. It is driven by player choice. It will be a separate standalone product.
新的《我的世界：剧情版》仍然设定在《我的世界》的原有世界里，但故事是全新的，结合了新角色和熟悉的主题。故事按玩家的选择发展。这是一款独立的游戏产品。
The decision to make the new game community-driven is potentially brilliant. It’s interesting that feedback from the community is going to be brought into Minecraft: Story Mode. In a way, it echoes what Minecraft is. It is a user-generated world.
让新游戏成为社区驱动模式很可能是个绝佳的主意。有趣的是社区的反馈将会被带进《我的世界：剧情版》。这在某种程度上反映出《我的世界》的实质，它就是一个用户创建的世界。
It’s likely that there already have been gamers on Minecraft fan blogs. They have come up with theories as to how the universe was created. There could be lots of contradictory things there. But from a marketing standpoint, it makes all the sense in the world for the community of “you guys are going to write this”.
《我的世界》的粉丝博客中很可能已经有一些玩家提出了一些诸如如何创造宇宙的理论。这些理论中可能有很多矛盾的地方。但从市场的角度出发，这对于相信“你们即将书写这里的历史”的群体来说，一切都很有意义。
Minecraft first came out in 2009 and is probably due for an evolution of some sort. Story Mode seems like a natural next step. A dedicated fan base has very high expectations. It will be satisfied with the story it is developing.
《我的世界》第一版是2009年发布的，现在也许是到了该升级的时候了。《剧情版》似乎是顺其自然的一步，骨灰级粉丝团对此抱有极高期望，他们会对由自己推动发展的故事感到十分满意。
There will be challenges, however. Minecraft does not follow what the game industry is used to working with. It will be a completely different development scenario. It is a world with no story and starting from the beginning. As long as the Minecraft story is popular and successful, that might be OK.
但是，挑战仍然存在。《我的世界》并没有遵循游戏产业一贯的规律。它将面对完全不同的发展情景。这是个从零开始没有预设故事的世界。只要《我的世界》的故事受到大家欢迎取得成功，就没问题。
Unit 7 Driverless Cars
Reading 1
Driverless Cars Will Soon Hit Our Streets
无人驾驶汽车将很快风靡街头
You jump into a car, tell it where you want to go, then sit back and let a computer take control. It seems like a dream in the future. It isn’t.
跳进汽车，告诉它你的目的地，然后，你就可以往后一坐，让计算机操控车辆。这听起来像一场未来的梦。然而，这并非梦。
In many ways such driverless cars are already with us. There is partial automation in many cars，such as intelligent braking, lane departure warning and automatic parking. The systems are there so that cars can pretty much drive themselves. No one noticed the introduction of cruise control. We’ve got collision avoidance, and we’ll soon have automatic lane change.
在许多方面，这种无人驾驶的汽车已经存在。许多车已经有了部分自动功能，比如智能刹车系统、车道偏离警报系统、自动泊车系统。安装了这些系统，车辆完全可以自行驾驶。安装的定速巡航常被人们忽视不用。我们已经有了防撞系统，很快，我们还将会有自动换道控制系统。
Improving this technology should make the roads safer. Machines are much better at following rules than humans. Road signs ad vise drivers to slow down to avoid creating jams. They are often ignored by drivers. But it won’t happen to a computer. Driverless cars could also choose the best route to avoid traffic jams.
改善这种技术能够让道路更安全。机器比人类更擅长遵守规则。路标建议司机减速以避免导致堵塞，但常常被司机视而不见。但对于计算机来说这是不可能发生的。无人驾驶汽车还可以选择最佳路线以避免交通堵塞。
Fewer jams will mean less stop-start driving. Maintaining smooth and constant speeds will improve fuel efficiency. Computers could also be programmed to take the greenest route, rather than the fastest one. Under computer control, cars could also travel much closer together.
更少的堵塞意味着驾车时更少的启停。保持匀速行驶可以提高燃油效能。电脑可以设定程序，选择最绿色环保、而不是最快捷的路线。通过计算机控制，车间距可以更短。
They can effectively “slipstream” one another and use less fuel to move themselves forward. They can even form multi-car “trains” going at high speeds. However, with driverless cars on the roads, there will be potential trust issues between people and machines. We could therefore see guard rails back on the sides of roads. This would be a backward step.
它们可以有效地在前面车辆形成的滑流里行驶，这样可以使用更少的燃料驱动车辆自身前进。他们甚至可以像火车一样，多车连在一起，高速行驶。然而，在道路上使用无人驾驶汽车，人和机器的信任问题需要解决。因此，可能在路的两边需要安装护栏，这无疑是一种倒退。
Reading 2
Google’s Fully Functional Driverless Car Is Adorable
受人青睐的谷歌全功能无人驾驶汽车
Google unveiled its latest self-driving vehicle on Monday. It looks like a cartoon koala wearing a fez.
周一，谷歌推出了其最新款的自动驾驶汽车。车外形看起来像一只戴着土耳其毡帽的卡通考拉。
This self-driving car is fully functional. It even has real headlights. The round, white and gray car is designed without a gas pedal or wheel. However, because of California state law, a real person needs to be in the car and ready to take over in an emergency. The goal is to finally remove any controls inside the car. If so, passengers can take a nap or knit while the car does all the work.
这辆自动驾驶汽车是全功能的，甚至拥有真正的车前灯。圆形车身，白灰相间，没有油门踏板系统和方向盘。然而，因为根据加利福尼亚州法律规定，汽车里需要有真人来应对紧急情况。目标是最终移除车子内部的任何控制装置，这样的话，乘客可以让车辆自行驾驶而自己可以打个瞌睡或织毛衣。
Google’s self-driving car team will continue to test the vehicle on a private track in California. There it works its way around traffic lights. Google has said it’s interested in launching a pilot program for the cars in the coming years.
谷歌的自动驾驶汽车团队将继续在加利福尼亚的一条私家道路上进行汽车测试。在那里，将进行车辆识别交通信号灯测试。谷歌表示有兴趣在未来几年推出一个汽车试点项目。
When the tech company first started experimenting with self-driving technology, it modified existing cars, like a Toyota. It added multiple cameras and sensors and an onboard computer. Now Google has moved on to making its own car. The car’s dome-like shape is for giving sensors the widest field of view.
科技公司首次开始尝试自主驾驶技术时，是对现有车辆（如丰田车）进行改装，车上增加多个摄像头、传感器和一部车载电脑。如今，谷歌已经转向研制自己的汽车。汽车的圆顶形状是为了给传感器最广泛的视角。
A car could help put people’s minds at ease about the technology. Before self-driving cars can start taking us to work, companies need to figure out issues like hitting a deer and improve basic driving functions. Companies also need to work with governments on legislation to allow driverless cars on all roads.
汽车能让人对科技放下心来。在无人驾驶汽车开始可以送人们去上班之前，公司需要解决诸如开车时候撞到鹿的问题，并改进基本的驾驶功能。公司也需要与政府磋商，立法允许无人驾驶汽车在所有道路上行驶。
Google is just one of many companies developing driverless car technology. Universities and major auto manufacturers such as BMW are working on similar vehicles. Google hopes to have its own car on the road by the end of the decade.
谷歌只是研发无人驾驶汽车的众多公司里的一个。许多大学还有宝马之类大的汽车制造商都在研发类似的交通工具。谷歌希望在这个十年后期能够有自己的汽车行驶在路上。
Unit 8 Future Powers
Reading 1
Fabric Charger
织物充电
Imagine having jeans that charge your phone just by putting it in your pocket. That’s what this material does. It was developed for the British Army. The fabric is made of yarn. The yarn can conduct electricity from a battery pack to anywhere in your clothing. It can charge your gadgets on contact.
试想一下这个场景：手机放到牛仔裤的口袋里就能充电。这是它的材料做到的。该材料是为英国军队研制的，它由特殊纱线编织而成。电池组通过纱线将电流传到衣服上面。这样就可以给接触衣服的装置充电了。
The fabric has been developed by Intelligent Textiles. It can carry either power or data through a soldier’s clothes, helmet, or backpack. It can charge gear that otherwise needs separate power sources. The materials have been field tested. But they still need to be weather-proofed.
Intelligent Textiles公司开发了这种织物，使其能将电流或数据传输到士兵的服装、头盔或背包上，还可以给其它需单独供电的装备充电。这些材料已进行了现场实验，但还需要进行耐风雨测试。
And that’s all great, but could this ever make it into your home, and charge your phone or laptop someday? Right now, charging a battery still involves wires, chargers, and sockets. Inductive charging is developing. But you cannot just put your phone down on any surface and start powering up.
取得这样的成绩已经不错了。但是，将来能不能应用到我们家里面，给手机、笔记本充电？目前，给电池充电还需要充电线、充电器和插座。感应式充电仍在研制当中。但还不能做到把手机放在任何材料上就能充电。
But what if your pants or jacket or bag could charge your phone, or laptop or anything else? And what if that could be combined with some kind of inductive charging? You’d be able to almost totally cut the cord with your gadgets. Yes, you’d need to charge up whatever power source you’re using now and then, but keep a pair of khakis plugged in while they hang in the closet. It would be a lot different from having to remember to plug in your phone.
假设你的裤子、夹克或包包能够给手机、笔记本或其它东西充电会怎样？假设能跟感应式充电结合起来会怎么样？那样的话，你就可以摆脱对传统充电器的依赖。是的，你可能需要给时常用到的电源充电。但只要给衣柜里的卡其裤连接上电源就可以了。这与过去要记得给手机充电大不一样了。
Reading 2
Pedestrian Power on Tiles
行人发电地砖
This summer at the largest urban mall in London, visitors may notice something different at their feet. Twenty bright green rubber tiles will decorate one of the outdoor walkways at the mall. Next to it lies the new Olympic stadium in east London.
今年夏天，逛伦敦最大的城市购物商场的游客们可能会发现脚下跟以往有些不一样。其中一条户外人行道将会用20块翠绿色橡皮地砖来装饰。商场旁边坐落着伦敦东部的新奥林匹克体育馆。
The squares aren’t just ornamental. They are designed to collect the energy created by pedestrians. It is estimated that 40 million pedestrians will use that walkway in a year. It will generate several hundred kilowatt-hours of electricity from the footsteps. That’s enough to power half the mall’s outdoor lighting.
这些地砖不仅仅具有装饰功能，还能用来收集行人产生的能量。预计一年有4000万行人走过那条人行道。行人的脚步可以产生几百千瓦时的电量。足以给商场户外一半的灯光设备供电。
The tiles were developed and produced in 2009 by a 26-year-old Londoner. The 17.7-by-23.6-inch tiles are designed to be used wherever pedestrians gather en masse: transportation hubs such as train, subway, and bus stations, airports, schools, malls. The power is generated from millions of footfalls. It can be used to power a range of lightings, signs, digital ads, etc.
2009年，一位26岁的伦敦人研制和生产出了这种地砖。17.7*23.6英寸的地砖可以应用到任何一个行人大量聚集的交通枢纽，如火车站、地铁站、汽车站、机场、学校和商场。数百万计脚步产生的能量可以用来给照明灯、指示牌、电子广告等供电。
Nearly 30 such projects have been installed in Europe. For two years now, four of its tiles have lined a hallway at a school near London. They collect energy from footfalls of its 1,100 students to keep the corridor lit. Music festival attendees’ footfalls have also been controlled to charge cell phones and power lights.
在欧洲，这样的工程安装了近30个。目前，伦敦附近一所学校的走廊安装4块这样的地砖已经两年了。它们从1100名学生的脚步中收集能量，用来为走廊照明。音乐节上，人们的脚步产生的能量也被收集起来，用于给手机和照明灯供电。
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