FOR centuries, canes have served blind and partially sighted people well by giving them a means to negotiate the world around them. The only serious upgrade they have undergone dates back to 1921, when a Briton called James Biggs, who had recently lost his sight, painted his own cane white in order to make it easily visible and to alert others to the presence of someone unable to see nearby obstacles. In the opinion of Daniela Rus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), however, the white cane has had its day. Dr Rus would like to replace it with a system that scans its user’s environment and communicates back to him what it sees.

官方译文：

几百年来，拐杖很好地服务了盲人和弱视者，给了他们探索周围世界的途径。它们唯一一次真正的升级还是在1921年，当时刚刚失明的英国人詹姆斯·比格斯 (James Biggs) 把自己的拐杖漆成了白色以让它变得更醒目，提醒别人这里有一个看不到障碍物的人。不过，在麻省理工学院的达尼埃拉·鲁斯 (Daniela Rus) 看来，导盲杖的辉煌期已经到头了。鲁斯博士想用一套新设备取代它。这个系统可以扫描用户所在大环境，并把所见反馈给用户。

一句一句来：

★ FOR centuries,caneshave served blind andpartiallysightedpeople well by giving them a means tonegotiatethe world around them.

Cane: 拐杖，手杖

Partially: If something happens or exists partially, it happens or exists to some extent, but not completely. 在一定程度上地

Lisa is deaf in one ear and partially blind.

莉萨一只耳朵聋了，并且在一定程度上失明了。

Sighted: someone who is sighted can see, and is not blind〔人〕看得见的，有视力的，不盲的

Partially sighted: 有视力障碍的，比如：her partially sighted father 她那有视力障碍的父亲，不建议翻译成“部分视力障碍的人”，有歧义，是视力障碍人群中的一部分吗？也不建议翻译成“半失明”，有的只有一点点受损，是半失明吗？有的几乎是看不到了，也只能算“半”失明吗？

Negotiate: to succeed in getting past or over a difficult place on a path, road etc顺利通过

Guido swung the steering-wheel round to negotiate a corner. 吉多转动方向盘，顺利地通过了拐角。

此处的意思是，在周遭环境中顺利通行。

★The only serious upgradethey have undergonedates back to 1921, when aBritoncalled James Biggs, who had recently lost his sight,paintedhis own cane white in order to make it easily visible and toalert others tothe presence of someoneunable to see nearby obstacles.

Briton: n. 英国人，大不列颠人

Paint sth. (in)表示颜色的形容词：paint sth (in) blue/red/green etc，比如：

We painted the door blue. 我们把门漆成了蓝色。

Paint the walls in a contrasting colour. 用对比色粉刷墙壁。

Alert to: 使警惕，使警戒；警告(某人)(有威胁等)；提醒(某人)注意(某事)：

to alert someone to the fact that… 提醒某人注意…的事实

to alert gardeners to the dangers of some pesticides使园丁注意某些杀虫剂的危险

they have undergone——they指代canes，而不是残障人士。

unable to see nearby obstacles——这是修饰someone的，nearby修饰障碍物，而不是提醒周围的人怎样怎么样。

★In the opinion of Daniela Rus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), however, the white canehas had its day.

has one’s day: 走运，正在得意的时候。这里可以是：已是明日黄花，明日黄花比喻过时或无意义的事物。能表达类似意思的还可以是：have seen one’s day。

关于这个词组，有一个谚语：

Every dog has its day.

凡人都有得意日；风水轮流转

拓展一下，在英语中，dog很多都没有贬义，比如lucky dog幸运儿，还有top dog: the person who has the most power in a group, especially after a struggle〔尤指经过争斗后〕最有权的人

He always wanted to be the one in control, the top dog. 他总是想执掌大权，成为第一把手。

★Dr Rus would like to replace it with a system that scans its user’s environment andcommunicatesback to him what it sees.

Communicate: to express your thoughts and feelings clearly, so that other people understand them 表达，传达〔思想和感情〕

communicate sth to sb

Without meaning to, she communicated her anxiety to her child.

她无意中向孩子传达了她的焦虑。

His enthusiasm communicated itself to the voters.

他的热情传递给了选民。

A teacher must be able to communicate effectively to students.

教师必须能够有效地对学生表达自己的意思。

Dr Rus’s device, of which she demonstrated a prototype on June 1st at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Singapore, consists of a camera worn on a lanyard around the neck, and a belt. A computer inside the camera creates a three-dimensional image of the area ahead of the wearer, processes it to extract relevant information, and uses the results to pass on appropriate signals via the belt.

官方译文：

在6月1日于新加坡举办的机器人和自动化国际会议上，鲁斯展示了这种设备的原型。它包括 一台挂在脖子上的摄像机和一根腰带。摄像机内部的计算机会生出一个庙会用户前方区域的三维影像，处理该影响以提取有用的信息，并将结果转化为信号，通过腰带向用户传输。

Dr Rus knew from previous attempts to build devices of this sort that what might seem the obvious way of manifesting those signals, namely as sounds with specific meanings, was not, in fact, a good approach. Blind people depend a lot on their hearing and do not like it when newfangled devices hamper this sense with beeps and clicks. Hence the belt, which has five vibrating motors installed in it. One sits over the centre of the wearer’s abdomen. The others flank this central motor, with two spaced out on either side of it.

官方译文：

从过往开发这类设备的尝试中，鲁斯已经明白了一点：呈现这类信号的一个似乎显而易见的方式——表达特定含义的声音——实际上不是一个好办法。盲人非常依赖听觉，不喜欢新奇设备发出的哔哔声和滴滴声干扰这一知觉。所以她设计了腰带，上面装有五台震动电动机。其中一台位于佩戴者腹部的正中央，其余分部两侧，一边两台，彼此隔开些距离。

逐句读：

★Dr Rus knew from previous attempts to build devices of this sort that what might seem the obvious way ofmanifestingthose signals, namely as sounds with specific meanings, was not, in fact, a good approach.

what might seem the obvious way of manifesting those signals——如果说“似乎很显然……”，本身中文就存在逻辑矛盾，似乎是不确定，显然是确定，那到底是确定还是不确定呢？

为了避免这样的歧义，我们要把might和obvious拆开来看：

The obvious way of doing sth.可以参考：

the/an obvious choice

the person or thing that you would expect everyone to choose

明摆着的选择

Teaching is an obvious choice of career if you like working with children.

如果你喜欢和孩子打交道，那么教书就是明摆着的选择。

Manifest: to show a feeling, attitude etc显示，表明，表露〔感情、态度等〕

The shareholders have manifested their intention to sell the shares.

股东们表明了要出售股票的意图。

关于此句的翻译如何避免歧义，详见你以为你分清了句子主干，其实呢……

★Blind people depend a lot on their hearing and do not likeitwhennewfangleddevices hamper this sense with beeps and clicks.

it：used to refer to the situation that someone is in now, or what is happening now〔指某人目前所处的境况或正在发生的事〕，比如：

I can’t stand it any longer. I’m resigning.

我再也忍受不了啦，我要辞职。

Newfangled: recently designed or produced - usually used to show disapproval or distrust新设计的；新生产的；新奇的〔一般含贬义或表示不信任〕

newfangled ideas about children’s education

关于儿童教育的新奇想法

柯林斯的词条中还有复杂的意思：

If someone describes a new idea or a new piece of equipment as newfangled, they mean that it is too complicated or is unnecessary. 过于复杂的; 没必要的

Mr. Goss does not believe in any of this newfangled nonsense about lean meat.

戈斯先生对瘦肉奇谈都嗤之以鼻。

★One sits over the centre of the wearer’s abdomen. The othersflankthis central motor, with twospaced outon either side of it.

Flank: to be on both sides of someone or something 位于…两侧

Lewis entered flanked by two bodyguards.

刘易斯在左右两名保镖的陪同下走了进来。

mountains flanking the road

公路两旁的群山

spaced out：(使)间隔开，(在…中间)拉开间隔：

to space out the payments

间隔开还款日期

That configuration permits the computer to warn a wearer when he is on a collision course with an obstacle. It does so by telling the motor pointing most closely in the direction of the obstacle to vibrate. If the wearer is walking towards a wall, for example, the central motor vibrates softly when he comes within a couple of metres of it. If he ignores this, perhaps because he actually wants to reach the wall, the computer increases the amplitude as he closes in, giving him a good idea of exactly how far away he is. Similarly, if he is in danger of bumping, say, his right shoulder on a door frame while walking from one room to another, the right-most motor on the belt will warn him of the impending collision. And it works. When compared with navigation by white cane in one of MIT’s famously crowded hallways, it reduced blind students’ collisions with others by 86%.

官方译文：

这种设置使得计算机可以在用户快要撞到障碍物时发出警告。计算机会让距离障碍物最近的电动机振动起来。比如，假如用户正走向一面墙，在距离两三米远时中央电动机就会开始轻微震动，如果他不为所动继续向前——也许是因为他本来就是想走到墙边——计算机会逐渐增加那台电动机振动幅度，让他能清楚了解到自己离墙还有多远。同样，假如他从一个房间走向另一个房间时右肩可能要撞上门框，那么腰带上最右边的那台电动机就会对他发出警告。这还真管用——在麻省理工学院某条出了名拥挤的走廊里，和使用导盲杖相比，这套设备让盲人学生撞到其他人的次数减少了86%。

挑几个句子：

★Thatconfigurationpermits the computer to warn a wearer when he is on a collisioncoursewith an obstacle.

Configuration: the shape or arrangement of the parts of something构造，结构；布局

the configuration of pistons in an engine

发动机内活塞的布局

作“配置”意思时，主要是说计算机设备的内部配置：technical the combination of equipment needed to run a computer system〔计算机设备的〕配置。

Course: The course of a vehicle, especially a ship or aircraft, is the route along which it is travelling. 路线

Aircraft can avoid each other by altering course to left or right.

飞行器可以通过向左或向右改变航线来避免相撞。

★It does so by telling the motorpointingmost closely in the direction of the obstacle to vibrate.

Point: If something points to a place or points in a particular direction, it shows where that place is or it faces in that direction. 指向

An arrow pointed to the toilets.

一个箭头指向了厕所。

He controlled the car until it was pointing forward again.

他控制住了汽车，直到车头再次朝向前方。

point most closely in the direction 最接近某个方向的，最接近某个角度的。

★If he ignores this, perhaps because he actually wants to reach the wall, the computer increases the amplitude as hecloses in, giving him a good idea of exactly how far away he is.

Close in: 迫近；包围，笼罩(常与 on 连用)：

They ran away when the enemy army began to close in.

敌军迫近时，他们逃跑了。

The new system can, however, do more than just help someone walk around without collisions, for the belt incorporates a touchpad that is inscribed with instructions in Braille. This permits the user to program it to perform specific tasks.

官方译文：

不过，这套新系统能做的不仅仅是让盲人走路时避免碰撞。腰带上还嵌有一块触控板，上面刻有盲文指令。这让用户可以给这块触控板编程来执行特定的任务。

For example, Dr Rus knew that blind students often struggle to find an empty seat in a crowded lecture theatre. Adding an appropriate algorithm to the computer’s software helps get around this by enabling it to recognise chairs, and also whether or not a chair is occupied. In this case, the motors are used to indicate a direction to be travelled in, rather than one to be avoided. Activating the algorithm using the touchpad causes the motor pointing most closely towards an empty chair to vibrate when the system spots one.

官方译文：

例如，鲁斯知道盲人学生常常很难在拥挤的阶梯教室里找到座位。在计算机的软件里加入恰当的算法，让它能够识别座位并确定座位上是否有人，就可以解决这个问题。在这种情况下，发动机将用以指示使用者要前往的方向，而不是要躲避的方向。通过触控屏激活算法后，一旦系统找到一个空位，就会让最靠近空位的发动机开始振动。

逐句来：

★For example, Dr Rus knew that blind students often struggle to find an empty seat in a crowdedlecture theatre.

Lecture threatre: 阶梯教室，大教室，大讲堂

视障和盲的区别：视障是指视觉功能受到一定程度的损害，患者因为视觉敏锐度低或视野受损，以致无法达到正常视力，因而到影响日常生活。 视觉障碍者简称视障者，广义而言，如果个人需透过辅助器具如眼镜、放大镜等才能看清楚东西，就称为视障者。 所以说，视障不等于全盲，这是一般人常有的错误刻板印象。

★Adding an appropriate algorithm to the computer’s software helpsget aroundthisby enablingitto recognise chairs, and also whether or not a chair is occupied.

Get around:  To get around a problem or difficulty means to overcome it. 解决

None of these countries has found a way yet to get around the problem of the polarization of wealth.

这些国家均未找到一个方案来解决贫富两极分化的问题。

This就是指代前面盲人学生找座难的问题。

It指代计算机软件。

★In this case, the motors are used to indicate a direction to be travelled in, rather than one to be avoided.

In this case: 假使是这样的话，在这种情况下

One 指代direction，翻译的时候注意，不是要避开的障碍物，而是方向。

In trials involving a room that contained an empty chair, an occupied chair and also a recycling bin, the algorithm directed the belt-wearer straight to the empty chair 80% of the time. Cane users presented with the same arrangement always found the empty chair eventually, but in doing so came into contact with objects other than their target more than five times as often as those using the camera and belt.

官方译文：

在试验中，一个房间里摆放着一张空椅、一张坐了人的椅子和一个垃圾桶。在算法的引导下，佩戴腰带的用户径直走向空椅的几率是80%。在一模一样的环境里，那些持导盲杖的人最后都会找到空椅，但是相比使用摄像机和腰带组件，他们触碰到其他物体的次数增加了五倍。

逐句走：

★In trials involving a room that contained an empty chair, anoccupiedchair and also a recycling bin, the algorithm directed the belt-wearer straight to the empty chair 80% of the time.

Occupied:

(1)[not before noun,不用于名词前]busy doing something忙于…的，从事…的

The museum has enough exhibits to keep anyone occupied for an hour or two.

这座博物馆的展品足够让任何人观赏一两个小时。

I kept myself occupied by watching television.

为了不让自己闲着，我一直看电视。

[+ with]

His time was occupied with the children.

他的时间都被孩子占用了。

She’s fully occupied with work.

工作使她忙得不可开交。

(2)[not before noun,不用于名词前]a bed, chair, room etc that is occupied is being used〔床、椅子、房间等〕已被占用的，有人使用的

Sorry, this seat is occupied.

抱歉，这个座位有人了。

如此说来，此处的an occupied seat不太严谨，如果要修改，可以是a seat occupied, 作后置定语。

Occupied的反义词可以是

empty: not being used by anyone无人用的，空着的

I spotted an empty table in the corner.

我发现角落里有一张空桌子。

He put his feet on an empty chair.

他把双脚搁在空椅子上。

free:If something such as a table or seat is free, it is not being used or occupied by anyone, or is not reserved for anyone to use. (桌子或座位) 空着的

There was only one seat free on the train.

火车上只有一个空座。

vacant: a vacant seat, building, room or piece of land is empty and available for someone to use〔座位、房屋、土地〕空的，未被占用的

Only a few apartments were still vacant.

只有几套公寓仍然空着。

There was only a vacant lot (= empty unused area of land in a city ) where her house used to be.

她以前房子所在的地方只剩下一块空地了。

但在日常英语中，表达座位或房间空着，人们通常说 free，而不说 vacant

Is this seat free?

这个座位空着吗？

In trials involving a room that contained an empty chair, an occupied chair and also a recycling bin——修饰trials的后置定语太长了，不建议都处理成定语放在试验前面，否则就会是：在涉及到一间有什么什么和什么的房间的试验里，太长了，建议拆出来。

★翻译tips：

可以把room这个定语从句独立出来成一个完整的句子，比如官译：在试验中，一个房间里摆放着一张空椅、一张坐了人的椅子和一个垃圾桶。在算法的引导下，佩戴腰带的用户径直走向空椅的几率是80%。

可以给Trail补充一个动词，组成动宾结构，比如: 在一个放置一把空椅子、一把被坐了的椅子和一个回收桶的房间里进行试验，80%的情况下，腰带佩戴者会在算法的指引下径直走向空椅子。

★Cane userspresentedwith the same arrangement always found the empty chair eventually, but in doing socame into contact withobjects other than their target more than five times as often as those using the camera and belt.

句子很长，先做意群划分：

Cane users （主语）presented（过去分词作后置定语，表被动） with the same arrangement always found （谓语1）the empty chair （宾语）eventually, but（平行结构） in doing so came（谓语2） into contact with objects other than their target more than five times as often as（比较状语） those using （现在分词作后置定语）the camera and belt.

Present: exhibit to others 向……展示，显示，users presented with… 单纯就字面理解就是他们被展示了什么东西。

Come into contact with触及到，碰到

more than five times as often as——这里两个坑，一个是more than漏译，还有一个是times误译。

比较的维度是often，也就是频率、概率、几率、频繁度。Times修饰这种频率、概率，就不可能是次数，而是倍数，五倍于。如果是比谁多出五次，应该是five times more than sb. 就不会有often这个维度了。

另外，注意“是……的五倍”和“增加五倍”的区别，后者是六倍了。

表示倍数是可以用：

A is twice+比较级+than B ；

A is twice as 原形 as B；

A is twice the 名词 of +B

比如：这间房比那间房大三倍：(以下三种同义)

This room is three times bigger than that one.

This room is four times as big as that one.

This room is four times the size of that one.

Whether a camera (ideally, smaller than the one in the prototype) and a belt could replace a cane completely remains to be seen. In particular, Dr Rus’s system does lack one important feature of Biggs’s innovation. A white cane not only helps a blind person to navigate, it also signals his condition to the rest of the world, allowing others to adjust their behaviour accordingly. As a supplementary aid, however, her approach seems most promising.

官方译文：

摄像机（最好能比原型机中的那台小一点）和腰带的组合能否完全取代导盲杖还需拭目以待。特别是鲁斯的系统缺少了比格斯发明的一项重要功能。白色的手杖不仅仅能帮助盲人行路，也向其他所有人表明了其主人的状况，让他们可以相应地调整自己的行为。不过，作为导盲杖的一种补充，鲁斯的方法看来很有前途。