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Newsworthy Clips: Maker hope new ‘ultrathin’ notebooks fill a niche 「超薄」笔记本电脑抢占利基市场

 

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Maker hope new ‘ultrathin’ notebooks fill a niche  「超薄」笔记本电脑抢占利基市场

 

Those in the market for a laptop will find a batch of new, mid-priced models that promise less weight and longer battery life than traditional notebook computers, but more performance – and a bigger screen and keyboard – than they’d get with a netbook.

想在市面上购买笔记本电脑的人，不难发现近来出现了一批中价位的新款笔记本电脑，不但比传统笔电重量更轻、电池续航力也更长；而且和连网笔电（译注：或译迷你笔电、小笔电、易网机）相比，功能更强大，而屏幕和键盘也都更大。

 

A few models were introduced earlier this year, including Hewlett-Packard’s Pavilion dv2 and Acer’s Timeline series. Their sleek frames are intended to be reminiscent of premium laptops from Apple and other markers, although they may not offer all the features or souped-up performance.

今年稍早推出的几款新笔电，包括了惠普的Pavilion dv2和宏碁的Timeline系列，虽然不一定功能一应俱全，也不一定有额外强化的功能，但优美的外型却刻意要让人联想起苹果和其他厂牌的高档笔记本电脑。

 

The new laptops will cost several hundred dollars less than those premium models. And they will do more than netbooks, which often sell for under $500 but have low processing speeds that are primarily suited for checking e-mail and surfing the web.

这些新款笔电的价格都在数百美元左右，比高档款式便宜多了，而且功能也比五百美元以下的连网笔电多，指令周期较慢的连网笔电，比较适合用来收发电子邮件和浏览网络。

 

The low-voltage design doesn’t require a big cooling system, which allows for a thinner frame while extending battery life to seven hours or more. Manufacturers say the ultrathins have enough memory and speed for “casual” game-playing, multi-tasking, editing photos or uploading video. The thin frame means some models don’t have room for a built-in optical drive, however, so you may need an exterior drive for watching DVDs.

由于这些笔电采用了低电压的设计，所以不需要大型冷却系统，因此厚度可以变得更薄，而电池续航力更是延长到七小时以上。制造厂商指出，这些超薄笔电照样拥有足够的内存和速度，适合「偶尔」用来打电玩、多任务作业、编辑照片或上传影像之用。不过，超薄的外框，也意味着可能没有足够空间来容纳内置式光驱，因此若想欣赏DVD，可能需要用外接式的光驱。

 

But analysts also warn that the proliferation of new models could lead to some confusion for consumers.

然而，分析家提出警告表示，这些新款笔电一窝蜂出炉，可能会让消费者备感困惑，不知如何选择。

 

“You could have a situation where you have three notebooks on the same store shelf” – a netbook, an ultrathin and a traditional laptop – “with the same screen sizes but widely different prices,” analysts Richard Shim warned.

分析家里察．西姆提醒说：「消费者可能面临商店货架上同时摆了三种笔电」──包括连网笔电、超薄笔电和传统笔电──「虽然三台笔电屏幕大小都相同，但价格却天差地远」。

 

With so many choices available, some analysts say it’s unclear whether the ultrathins will have lasting appeal. “You may not get all the performance of a traditional notebook and you don’t get all the portability of a mini-notebook,” said Shim, using an alternative term for netnook. “But you’re not paying the higher price of a traditional notebook and you’re getting more performance than a mini.”

一些分析家表示，市面上有琳琅满目的各式笔电可供选择，因此超薄笔电是否能持续吸引消费者青睐，仍是未知数。「这些新款笔电可能没有传统笔电的所有功能，而且在可移植性上，也不如迷你笔电，」西姆指出，迷你笔电即连网笔电的另一种名称。「不过，在价格上来看，倒是比传统笔电便宜，而且功能也比迷你笔电多。」

 

−by Brandon Balley

 

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batch [bætʃ] n. 一批，一组，一群

netbook 小笔电; 连网笔电; 迷你笔电 a small, lightweight and inexpensive laptop computer whose name was formed from the two words “Internet” and “notebook”

pavilion [pəˋvɪljən] n.（博览会的）展示馆; （公园、花园中的）亭子，凉亭；阁

frame [frem] n. 框; 架; 骨架; 框架

premium [ˋprimɪəm] adj. 高价的；优质的

voltage [ˋvoltɪdʒ] n.【电】电压；伏特数

built-in [ˋbɪltˋɪn] adj. 嵌入式的; 内置的

optical drive 光驱；光盘驱动器 a disk drive that uses lasers to read and write data onto disks

drive [draɪv] n.（计算机的）驱动器

portability [͵portəˋbɪlətɪ] n. 可携带；轻便

 

 

 

 

 

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Company turns water into effective, chemical-free cleaning product  点水成金的企业（译注：直译是企业把水转化成强力、不含化学物的清洁产品）

 

For Tennant Co., tap water may become gold. The 139-year-old Minnesota company, known for selling floor-cleaning machines, is using a new technology that electricity converts water into a super-cleanser.

对潭能特公司而言，自来水可能是液体黄金！这家有一百三十九年历史的明尼苏达州企业，以贩卖地板清洁仪器着称，但如今该公司使用一种新技术，而成功利用电力把水转化成超级清洁剂。

 

Some long-standing industrial customers are already using the groundbreaking technology. And in the current environmentally conscious era, Tennant is hoping the chemical-free cleaning will generate hundreds of millions in new sales as it expands its customer base and converts businesses to the new technology.

该公司一些长期合作的工业界客户已经开始使用这种突破性的技术。在当今富于环保意识的时代里，潭能特公司更是寄予厚望，希望这种不含化学物的清洁剂，能扩充其用户版图，使更多企业都能改用这种新技术，进而带来数亿美元的销售业绩。

 

“What we have discovered is a way to electrically convert plain tap water to perform like a powerful detergent,” said Chris Killingstad, Tennant’s chief executive. “You can imagine when we went out there with this people looked at it and said, ‘It can’t be true.’” But Tennant introduced the new cleaning technology in commercial scrubber machines in May 2008 and gave some of its major customers machines to test the process, “Seeing is believing,” Killingstad said.

「我们发现了一种新方法，能透过电力把普通的自来水转化成强力清洁剂，」潭能特公司执行长克里斯．奇林史达德指出，「大家应该不难想象得到，当我们公司的人员向外界展示这项新技术时，对方往往会望着产品，直说：『这绝对不可能。』」但潭能特公司仍然成功在二００八年五月将这种新的清洁技术运用在商用刷洗仪器中，并且把仪器分送给几家主要客户，以便测试使用的过程。大家都会「以眼见为凭，」奇林史达德如此表示。

 

Akshay Rao, a marketing professor at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of management, said that Tennant’s timing is good.

明尼苏达大学卡尔森管理学院的营销学教授亚克夏．劳指出，潭能特公司推出这种清洁剂的时机选得恰恰好。

 

Companies are being asked by their consumers and suppliers “what they are doing on the topic of sustainability and green issues and conservation,” Rao said. If they use the Tennant chemical-free process, it’s tangible evidence that they are doing something to protect the environment.

现在各家企业往往会接获来自客户和供货商的询问，「问他们在永续性、绿色环保议题和保育等主题，有没有什么作为，」劳进一步透露，而如果这些企业回答，他们的确使用了潭能特无化学物清洁流程的话，就等于提供了具体明确的证据，显示他们的确有致力于保护环境。

 

Killingstad said Tennant created an advanced products development group a few years ago, and it is charged with seeing “if we could come up with a new set of solutions beyond just floor cleaning.”

奇林史达德指出，潭能特在几年前成立了先进产品研发小组，所肩负的使命是看看「除了清洁地板之外，能否再研发出其他新的清洁系列。」

 

Killibgstad is focusing his attention on product innovation. He’s searching for other products that will reduce waste as well as the use of chemicals, water and energy. He said, “We’ve got to figure out ways to clean more of our customers’ environments than just their floors and do it in a more environmentally responsible way.”

奇林史达德把重点锁定在产品的创新上，而目前正在寻找的新产品，希望除了能减少化学物、水和能源的使用之外，还能减少使用过程所产生的废弃物。他指出，「我们必须研发出不只能清洁地板、还能清洁客户周遭环境的更多新方法，同时做法也必须更环保才行。」

 

−by Liz Fedor

 

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long-standing [ˋlɔŋˋstændɪŋ] adj. 存在已久的，长年的

business [ˋbɪznɪs] n. 商店；商行；公司；企业

plain [plen] adj. 普通的；平常的

scrubber [ˋskrʌbɚ] n. 清洁工；洗刷者; 刷子；擦布

sustainability [sə͵stenəˋbɪlɪtɪ] n. 永续性 a method of using a resource in such a way that the resource is not depleted and the method causes little or no damage to the environment

tangible [ˋtændʒəb!] adj. 明确的；确凿的; 实际的

charge [tʃɑrdʒ] v. 使承担责任，委以责任[（+with）]to impose a duty, responsibility, or obligation on

figure out【美】【口】想出, 理解, 明白 find the solution to (a problem or question)

 

 

 

 

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Through genomic science, new research advances understanding of viruses  新研究透过基因体科学而对病毒有更深入的了解

 

Genomic science, considered by many to be the future of medicine for its ability to identify the unique nature of organisms, took significant steps forward through the work of two separate research teams at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and Duke University.

基因体科学被很多人视为医学界未来的新希望，因为它能鉴别出有机体的特性；而透过北卡罗莱纳大学教堂山分校和杜克大学两组不同的研究团队的努力，基因体科学更是有了重大进展。

 

The researchers, working on unrelated projects, used the molecular science to advance the understanding of viruses.

两组研究人员分别从事各自独立的研究计划，却不约而同运用了这种分子科学，而成功对病毒有了更深入的了解。

 

At UNC-CH, scientists focused on HIV, for the first time mapping the distinct structures of the complex pathogen that causes AIDS. The full blueprint will provide drug developers a clearer picture of where to target potential therapies.

北卡罗莱纳大学教堂山分校的科学家针对人类免疫缺乏病毒（简称HIV）进行研究，并首度试图查出导致艾滋病的复杂病原体独特结构的定位，而所鉴别出的全套蓝图，则能让药物研发人员更清楚该从何处下手来找出可能的疗法。

 

Duke researchers discovered that human immune cells display different molecular signatures when they mount attacks against cold and flu viruses, as well as bacteria. The insight paves the way for a blood test that could quickly tell doctors if patients need an antibiotic or an antiviral drug.

杜克大学研究人员则发现了人体免疫细胞在攻击感冒、流感病毒及细菌时，会呈现出不一样的分子特征（译注：或译分子记号、分子标记），而这个洞见将有助于研发出新的血液测试，可让医生快速诊断出患者究竟需要的是抗生素，还是抗病毒药物（译注：意指医生查出病因是细菌感染或病毒后，就能对症下药，如果是细菌感染，就投以抗生素，因为抗生素可以消灭病菌，但抗生素却对病毒感染束手无策，因此如果发现是病毒感染，就必须改用抗病毒药物，就能减少抗生素滥用的情形）。

 

In a different arena of genome science, Duke scientists zoomed in on the molecular information of immune-fighting white blood cells, identifying unique patterns that signal whether a virus or a bacteria has invaded.

杜克大学的科学家是从基因体科学的另一个不同领域着手，他们仔细研究执行免疫功能的白血球细胞的分子讯息，并辨识出代表有病毒或细菌入侵的特殊模式。

 

The researchers, led by Dr. Geoffrey Ginsburg of Duke University, found that the immune cells respond differently to the different bugs – with distinct gene patterns for flu viruses, cold viruses, bacteria and other pathogens.

由杜克大学杰福瑞．金斯博格率领的研究人员发现，免疫细胞对不同病源的反应也不一样──免疫细胞在攻击流感病毒，感冒病毒、细菌和其他病原体所产生的基因模式，都截然不同。

 

“We have come up with a robust signature or pattern of molecules in the blood that ….. differentiate viral from bacterial infections with a great degree of accuracy,” Ginsburg said.

「我们发现血液中会出现明显的分子特征或模式…可以让我们区别出究竟是病毒感染，还是细菌感染，正确性极高，」金斯博格表示。

 

He said the information will enable scientists to create a simple blood test that could reveal whether a patient has been infected, and by what organism. That will help doctors know what drugs to prescribe, and cut down on the unnecessary use of antibiotics.

他指出，科学家能靠这些信息来设计出简单的血液检测，就能轻易检查出病患究竟有没有受到感染，以及是被哪种有机体所感染，如此一来，医师就能知道该开哪种药来作处方，可以减少无谓地滥用抗生素的情形。

 

Ultimately, Ginsburg said, the goal would be to detect infections before symptoms arise – and that appears to be possible.

金斯博格指出，研究的最终目标，是希望能在症状出现之前，就先行侦测出是否有感染──而这个目标似乎可望成真。

 

−by Sarah Avery

 

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genomic [dʒi'nomɪk] adj. 基因组的；染色体组的 dealing with the study of the complete set of genetic material of a human, animal, plant or other living thing

advance [ədˋvæns] v. 进展；进步

pathogen [ˋpæθədʒən] n. 病原体  any small organism, such as a virus or a bacterium, that can cause disease

signature [ˋsɪgnətʃɚ] n.（人或物的）识别标志，特征

mount [maʊnt] v. 发动（攻势），进行（袭击）

insight [ˋɪn͵saɪt] n. 洞悉；深刻的理解

arena [əˋrinə] n. 活动领域; 舞台

genome [ˋdʒi͵nom] n.【生】基因组

zoom in (指照相机等)用变焦距镜头使景物放大  to examine the smallest details of a subject

signal [ˋsɪgn!] v. 发信号，打信号; 向…作信号

invade [ɪnˋved] v. 侵入，侵略

bug [bʌg] n.【口】病菌

come up with (针对问题等)想出; 提供 to bring forth, discover, or produce

robust [rəˋbʌst] adj.  (观点等)强烈的，坚定的

prescribe [prɪˋskraɪb] v. 开（药方），为……开（药方）

 

 

 

 

 

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sleek [slik] adj. 光滑的，柔滑的; 雅致的；时髦的；豪华的 smooth, shiny and attractive

reminiscent [͵rɛməˋnɪsnt] adj. 引人联想的 making one think about past experiences

souped-up [͵suptˋʌp] adj. 加大马力的; 提高效率的 making mechanical changes to something to make it unusually powerful

proliferation [prə͵lɪfəˋreʃən] n. 激增 a great and sudden increase in number and amount

generate [ˋdʒɛnə͵ret] v. 产生，发生 to cause to exist; produce

detergent [dɪˋtɝdʒənt] n. 洗洁剂，洗衣粉；去垢剂 a chemical substance in the form of a powder or a liquid for removing dirt

organism [ˋɔrgən͵ɪzəm] n. 生物，有机体 a single living plant, animal or virus

pave the way 为……铺路[+for]  to prepare for and make something else possible

differentiate [͵dɪfəˋrɛnʃɪ͵et] v. 区别，区分；鉴别[（+from）] to show or find the difference between one thing and another

 

 

Industrial Rider Floor Scrubber Tennant Australia

 

Tennant - T16 Intro L Edit 3 - Clean Machine