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Smart Homes 我家很「聪明」

 

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Museum exhibit mixes cool green design with easy high-tech living  博物馆特展融合了超酷的环保设计与便利的高科技生活

 

Just inside the first floor of Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry’s Smart Home, a 20-year-old re-covered sofa flanks a cool-to-the-touch, ethanol-burning fireplace that floats in the middle of the room. A high-sheen, rough-edged slab of a fallen Michigan ash tree has been given new life as a sculptural table.

一踏进芝加哥「科学与工业博物馆」「智能型住家」一楼，换过新面的廿年老沙发便映入眼帘，而沙发一旁不烫手的（译注：因壁炉外罩着透明强化玻璃）乙醇燃料壁炉（译注：壁炉燃烧乙醇排放的烟尘比木材少很多，较为环保）则兀自飘飘然地立在房中央（译注：家具摆放位置若不靠墙而旁边也没靠着别的东西，英文常会用float[飘浮]来比喻，例如，床如果摆在房中央，不靠窗也不靠墙，就可用float in the room描述）。自然倒塌的密西根白蜡树材被制成了雕刻木桌，而喜获新生，桌子光亮的板材，还保留着原木边缘粗糙不平的自然感觉。

 

A few steps deeper into this light-soaked space, there’s more old-meets-new, where another seating arrangement pulls up to a wall-mounted LCD flat-panel screen, outfitted with Motorola’s VIP 1216, its IP Set Top with DVR for viewing content and entertainment options in multiple rooms. Along with providing television and movie watching, this screen is the remote-controlled command deck for this high-tech, 2,500-square-foot prefabricated earth-friendly home assembled on museum grounds.

再更深入地走进这处沈浸在阳光的空间，就会看到更多新旧并陈的设计，另一处座位设计安排得接近安装在墙上的液晶显示平板屏幕，后者装配了「摩托罗拉」VIP 1216，即设有数位视频录像机的IP视讯机顶盒（译注：数位视频录像机DVR是Digital Video Recorder的缩写，具有视讯监控功能），可供在多处房间内观赏影像内容及娱乐选项，而且除了能透过该屏幕来观赏电视和电影之外，它还能作为整栋住宅的遥控指挥中心，这栋高科技、面积两千五百平方呎的环保住宅，是利用预制建材，而后在博物馆外土地上组建完成。

 

Living green the Smart Home way starts with a state-of-the-art—and artistic – dwelling that borrows from the past and courts the future, with each low-volume toilet flush, composted apple peel and collected raindrop tracked by the structure’s digital brain.

以「智能型住家」的方式环保过活，就要从既先进又具艺术气息的住屋着手，这住宅不但向过去借镜，也能迎合未来，而凡是在低耗水量马桶冲水、用苹果皮堆肥或收集雨水等动作，全都由这栋建筑的「数位脑」所追踪掌控。

 

The house is equal parts sophisticated design and technology. Smart Home includes small ecological gestures (native prairie plants as minimal landscape) and big-ticket eco-design options (the latest energy-rated appliances and bamboo floors throughout).

这栋屋宅均衡地融合了复杂设计和科技。「智能型住家」除了展现出致力于生态的小举动（例如种植大草原植物来营造迷你景观）之外，也舍得花大钱采用昂贵的生态环保设计选项（像是有节能标章认证的最新设备，以及地板素材一律使用竹材等）。

 

Don’t lift a finger  不费吹灰之力

 

The digital nerve center includes a PC-based automation system that controls temperature, lighting and window coverings to reduce energy consumption. In the morning, the home’s software-driven automation system clicks on the lights, raises the shades and cues wake-up music from the digital music system.

数位神经中枢包括透过个人计算机来操控的自动化系统，能控制温度、照明和窗户的遮蔽程度，以减少能源的消耗。每当早晨降临，这栋屋子里以软件驱动的自动化系统就会自行打开电灯、拉开窗帘，并透过数位音乐系统传递信号以开启唤人起床的音乐声。

 

The motorized skylight opens when detectors sense a cool breeze, saving on air conditioning. Digital probes in house plants send a voice mail message when water is needed. And, a few clicks put the entire house in shutdown mode, automatically securing doors, turning off lights and lowering heat or air as residents leave for a vacation.

电动天窗一侦测到室外有凉爽微风吹拂，就会自行打开，好节省空调耗电。室内盆栽中的探棒，会在发现植物缺水时，发送语音邮件讯息。此外，居住者准备离家渡假时，只要轻松地按几下开关，就能让整栋房子进入关闭模式，会自动把门锁上、并调低暖气和通风情形。

 

 

单词发音

 

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re-cover [͵riˋkʌvɚ] v. 将……的面换成新的

cool-to-the-touch 触手不烫的

ethanol [ˋɛθə͵nol] n.【化】乙醇，酒精 a chemical compound that is a type of alcohol

float [flot] v. 轻盈走动；飘然移动 to move from place to place, especially at random

sheen [ʃin] adj. 有光泽的; 光辉的; 华丽的 a glossy surface given to textiles

pull up 拉到近处; （使）突然停下；（使）猛地停住 to drive up close to something

set-top (box) 【网络】机顶盒；机顶盒；电视上网机；视频转换器；视讯译码器

command deck 指挥舱 the main place from which activities or events are controlled and organized

prefabricated [͵priˋfæbrɪketɪd] adj.（建筑）预制构件的; 用预制构件组装的 built from parts that have been made in a factory and can be put together quickly

dwelling [ˋdwɛlɪŋ] n. 住处，住宅，寓所

court [kort] v. 试图获得，追求(关注或声望)

compost [ˋkɑmpost] v. 施堆肥

peel [pil] n.（水果，蔬菜等的）皮

gesture [ˋdʒɛstʃɚ] n. 举止，动作 motion as communication

prairie [ˋprɛrɪ] n. 大草原；牧场

appliance [əˋplaɪəns] n. 用具；装置，设备

throughout [θruˋaʊt] adv. 处处

not lift a finger 不费举手之劳, 不出一点力气 it means you don’t have to do anything, usually because you are lazy

shade [ʃed] n. 窗帘; 卷帘

skylight [ˋskaɪ͵laɪt] n.（屋顶等的）天窗

probe [prob] n. 探测仪

 

 

 

 

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More and more U.S. households embrace resource reduction and waste reuse each day, but most aren’t tracking their electricity, gas and water use and energy output by a PC. (One summer afternoon, the monitor showed $6.17 worth of consumed energy versus $5.25 produced by the home’s solar energy collection, equating to less than $1 spent.)

有愈来愈多美国家庭纷纷开始天天努力减少资源消耗，及废弃物再利用，只不过，大部分家庭都没有利用个人计算机来随时掌握电力、瓦斯和水的使用情形以及能源的产出。（有个夏日午后，监测器显示，这栋住宅所消耗的能源价值相当于六点一七美元，而屋子收集产生的太阳能价值则相当于五点二五美元，两相抵消之下，能源支出不到一美元。）

 

Yet, each of this home’s features – from the rooftop solar strips and solar-powered grill to the recycled bottle shower tiles and non-allergenic wool carpets – is commercially available today.

不过，这栋住屋的所有特色──从装在屋顶的太阳能条状聚光板，到太阳能烤架，乃至于回收瓶制成的浴砖，以及防过敏的羊毛地毯等──如今都可以在市面上买到。

 

Smarten up  我家变聪明了

 

The Smart Home on display in Chicago is architect Michelle Kaufmann’s mkSolaire model, a loft-like design that is scaled to fit an urban lot and meant as an alternative to often light- and air-challenged row houses.

芝加哥这次展出的「智能型住家」是由建筑设计师米雪．考夫曼打造的「mk太阳」（译注：mk为米雪．考夫曼英文姓名缩写）款式，挑高无隔间的设计有特别经过调整，以便更适合都会区，用意是希望能让都会居民除了住在那种采光和通风都很差的连栋房屋之外，还能有另一种住屋选择可以考虑。

 

The plan is based on five principles:

建筑的规画是依据以下五大原则所设计，包括了：

 

Smart design. That means a home built to human scale with clean lines, abundant natural light and air circulation, plus the technological advances that make tracking electricity and controlling heat and cooling, among other features, effortless.

智能到设计：意指住宅有人性化设计（译注：built to human scale此指以符合人类的需求为建筑设计的主要考虑，空间等各种尺度和规模的规划，也都以适合人类居住为主），线条简单利落，引进大量自然光，通风良好，外加各种先进科技，其中包括能让人不费吹灰之力就可轻松掌握用电情形，以及调控冷暖空调等功能。

 

Material efficiency. That includes off-site prefabricated construction that shortens building time and the use of renewable and recycled materials where possible.

节约建材：这包括了在建筑工地以外的地点预制构件，以求缩短建造工时，此外也尽可能使用再生和回收材料。

 

Energy efficiency. You’ll find that inappliance choices, use of large windows and sunshades, and a green roof that helps cool in the summer, insulate in the winter, absorb rainwater and eliminate run-off.

节约能源：你将不难发现，各种设备的选择往往以节能为考虑，包括了采用大片窗户和遮阳帘，以及有助保持建筑冬暖夏凉的屋顶绿茵花园，这座园子能吸收雨水，减少雨水溢流的情形。

 

Water efficiency.  Features include low-flow showerheads and dual-flush toilets that vary the amount of water used and that rely on collected and reused “gray water” from the sink.

节水：主要特色包括了省水的低流量莲蓬头，及两段式省水马桶，后者可以让人自行选择不同的冲水量，而且水源来自回收洗手台流出的污水（译注：gray water指洗澡、洗手等使用过的水）再利用。

 

Healthy environment. Includes the use of nontoxic materials in rugs and bedding, and air filtration.

健康的环境：包括使用无毒材料制成的地毯和寝具，以及空气滤清。

 

“Design big, rather than build big is one of our main mottos,” says Kaufmann. The single-car garage has just enough space to double as a home theater or kid’s play space, for instance.

「远大的设计，而非庞大的建筑，才是我们主要的座右铭，」考夫曼表示。举例来说，只供停放一辆汽车的车库，空间只够再兼做家庭剧院和孩童的游戏间之用。

 

 

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grill [grɪl] n. 烤架

smarten up 变得更聪明; 变得漂亮; 变得整洁 make neat, smart, or trim

loft [lɔft] n. 阁楼; 顶楼; （仓库、工场等上面的）不分隔的楼面 an open space under a roof; an attic or garret

lot [lɑt] n.（作特定用处的）一块地

challenged [ˋtʃælɪndʒd] adj. 有缺陷的 deficient or lacking

row house 墙壁相连成排的房屋 a house that is joined to the houses on either side of it by shared walls

off-site 工作场地外的 taking place or located away from the site, as of a particular activity

renewable [rɪˋnjuəb!] adj. 可再生的 describes a resource that can be reproduced as quickly as it is used

sunshade [ˋsʌn͵ʃed] n. 遮阳篷

run-off  溢流 to leave suddenly

showerhead [ˋʃaʊɚhɛd] n. 淋喷头，莲蓬头

bedding [ˋbɛdɪŋ] n. 寝具（指床单、被褥、床垫、床等）

motto [ˋmɑto] n. 座右铭；格言；训言

double as 兼演, 兼作… to serve in two capacities

 

 

 

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Why prefab?  采用预制构件的理由

 

The Smart Home begins life as factory-built modules. Proponents of this building method argue that on-site construction jobs do not have provisions for materials storage and since most materials have to be cut to length in the field, cut-off waste is often just trashed. In the factory, dry wall, wiring, sawdust, vinyl and other scraps are collected and recycled. Factory production which in general spans several weeks followed by up to eight weeks finishing on site, can continue regardless of weather, shortening construction time and resource use.

「智能型住家」的建造，是从使用事先在工厂预制好的构件着手，而支持这种建筑法的人认为，若是在建筑工地现场制作建材，那么大部分材料就都必须当场裁减成适当大小，而由于建筑工地并无预设可存放建材的空间，因此被裁切剩下的废料往往就会被丢弃。不过，如果换成是在工厂预制的话，哪怕是石膏板、布线、锯木屑、乙烯基（译注：塑料的一种素材）、和其他碎屑，都还可以收集起来并回收。此外，在工厂预制无论在任何天候都可以持续进行，风雨无阻，有助于缩短建筑工时也利于资源的使用。一般来说，工厂预制往往要花数周的时间，之后还需要最长八周的时间以便在建筑工地现场组装完成。

 

There is little ornamentation and many of what can be considered part of the home’s finer details are functional as well. Drawing from her Iowa roots, Kaufmann installed a sliding, slatted modern take on a barn door that joins the interior dining space with an exterior deck, letting in filtered light and air or “dissolving away” completely when open.

整栋建筑并没有太多装饰，而且多处被视为较出色的细部，也极具功能性。考夫曼从自己家乡爱荷华汲取灵感，设计了谷仓门来连结室内用餐空间和室外的露天平台，而谷仓门的拉门形式和横木组合则增添现代感；关上门时，阳光和气流都能（译注：透过横木间的空隙而）渗透到屋内；而当门全打开时，整道门顿时彷佛消融不见了。

 

“Because barns are designed for function, climate and the minimal use of materials, many sustainable approaches that we incorporate into our home designs are born from barns,” she said.

「由于谷仓的设计理念兼容并蓄地考虑了功能性、天候和最节省物料的制法，因此我们在屋宅设计中采用的许多永续性的做法，灵感往往源自谷仓，」她解释说。

 

Beauty and fun  兼具美观与趣味性

 

While there’s certainly beauty in the home’s nod to utilitarian farm structures, there’s also plenty of quirkiness that gives life to this lean-and-green home, which is testimony to the range of environmentally friendly art, accessories, linens, paint and more, on the market today. The chandelier above the dining table is a sphere filled with old light bulbs.

这楝住屋选用农场建筑结构的实用性元素，无疑成功地营造出美感，但此外它还充斥着奇特的兴味，使俭约环保的这栋住屋更加洋溢着生命力，同时也证明了，如今市面上其实早已有琳琅满目的各种环保素材可以取得，包括了环保艺术、饰品、亚麻制品、涂料以及更多素材等等。餐桌上方的吊灯，其实是在球体上安装旧灯泡所制成。

 

In addition to its digital anatomy, there are more behind-the-scenes features that make this home cutting-edge green. Overhead, rolls of photovoltaic film absorb the sun’s rays and the ultraviolet light present on cloudy days.

除了数位结构之外，这栋屋宅其实还有更多隐密的特色，默默在幕后增添先进环保色彩。屋顶上一卷卷光生伏打薄膜不但能收阳光，还能在阴天吸收紫外线（译注：因此效能比传统太阳能板更高）。

 

In all, it costs $837 per year to heat the museum’s Smart Home; $125 annually for cooling. Total energy consumed costs only $1,977.

总计而言，博物馆这座「智能型住家」每年平均消耗的暖气支出为八百卅七美元，而冷气则为每年一百廿五美元，而总计所消耗能源支出是一千九百七十七美元。

 

−by Rachel Koning Beals

 

 

单词发音

 

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prefab [ˋpriˋfæb] adj. 预制的；组合式的 prefabricated

life [laɪf] n. 实物，真货 the time for which something exists or functions

module [ˋmɑdʒul] n. 模块; 组件；单元

proponent [prəˋponənt] n. 倡导者; 拥护者

on-site 就地的; 现场的

trash [træʃ] v. 丢弃

dry wall 未用灰泥之墙壁

wiring [ˋwaɪrɪŋ] n. 配线

sawdust [ˋsɔ͵dʌst] n. 锯木屑

vinyl [ˋvaɪnɪl] n. 乙烯基塑料

scrap [skræp] n. 切削；废料，废金属

follow [ˋfɑlo] v. 接在……之后

ornamentation [͵ɔrnəmɛnˋteʃən] n. 装饰; （总称）装饰品 the addition of decorative touches

functional [ˋfʌŋkʃən!] adj. 实用的

slatted [ˈslætɪd] adj. 用板条（或横木）做的

take [tek] n. 态度; 理解; 看法[+(on)]

deck [dɛk] n.（房屋的）露天平台

dissolve away 消失，消散

nod [nɑd] n.（点头表示）同意

utilitarian [͵jutɪləˋtɛrɪən] adj. 实用的

testimony [ˋtɛstə͵monɪ] n. 证据，证明

linen [ˋlɪnən] n. 亚麻布制品（如床单，桌巾，内衣等）

chandelier [͵ʃænd!ˋɪr] n. 枝形吊灯

anatomy [əˋnætəmɪ] n. 结构; （动植物的）解剖结构

behind-the-scenes 秘密的; 在后台的

photovoltaic film 光电池薄膜 a paper-thin plastic material that is able to generate electrical power when exposed to visible light

photovoltaic [fotovɑlˋteɪk] adj.光电池的

 

 

 

单词发音

 

Vocabulary Focus

flank [flæŋk] v. 位于……的侧面（或两侧）to be at the side of something

slab [slæb] n. 厚板，平板；厚片[（+of）] a thick, flat piece of a solid substance, such as stone, wood or metal, which is usually square or rectangular.

outfit [ˋaʊt͵fɪt] v. 装备，配备；供给[（+with）] to equip something with what is needed for a special purpose

equal parts 同时……也 definition with examples; having the same portion, division, piece, or segment of a whole

big-ticket [ˋbɪgˋtɪkɪt] adj.【美】【俚】昂贵的 expensive; costing a lot of money

cue [kju] v. 向…发出指示信号; n. 提示；暗示 to give a signal for something to happen

secure [sɪˋkjʊr] v. 把……弄牢；关紧 to fasten or lock something firmly

scale [skel] v. 改变…的大小 to adjust size according to a standard or by degrees

abundant [əˋbʌndənt] adj. 大量的；充足的 more than enough

vary [ˋvɛrɪ] v. 使不同；变更 to cause something to change in amount or level, especially from one occasion to another

provision [prəˋvɪʒən] n. 预备；准备；预先采取的措施 something that is needed, or the act of arranging for it

quirkiness [ˋkwɝkɪnəs] n. (事物或人)奇特，离奇，古怪 an unusual and interesting characteristic

 

 

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