EZCNN 易英网

Doing the Dance of Death with Dust: Roomba Roomba跳伦巴，灰尘死光光

課文朗讀

課文中英文講解

课文.pdf        繁體中文譯本

We’ve been hearing the battle cry of the technologists, “The Future Is Here!” for many years. And now, from the Massachusetts-based company iRobot, we have one of the most anticipated products in modern history: a robot vacuum cleaner that works ___1___ you play!

多年来，科学家一直发出「明日科技在此」的战嗥。现在，位于麻赛诸萨州的iRobot公司让我们有了近代史上最令人期盼的产品之一：你去快活，它会干活的吸尘器机器人。

It’s called the Roomba, a play ___2___ the words “room” and the vigorous dance called the “rumba.” According to consumers, this ___3___ really does the dance of death with dust. You place the Roomba on the floor, turn it on, ___4___ your settings (including room size) and then watch the little devil go. Or, ___5___ most people do, you don’t watch it go but instead do something productive (or fun) with the time you’ve saved.

这台机器人名为Roomba，此乃结合了「房间」与劲舞「伦巴」二字。消费者表示，这台设备的确会跟灰尘跳起死亡之舞。将Roomba放在地上，启动开关，选择设定(包括房间大小)，然后看着这个小家伙执行工作。或是像大多数人一样，你不盯着机器人，而是利用省下来的时间做些有意义(或有趣)的事。

The Roomba covers every corner of a room ___6___ its “random walk.” Along the way, it ___7___ dirt, coffee grounds, and pretty much anything smaller than an acorn. The machine cleverly avoids stairs, and when it bumps into furniture, it ___8___, turns, and starts off in a new direction.

Roomba会「随意走动」，遍布房间每个角落。在过程中它会吸起灰尘、咖啡粉，可以说几乎所有比想橡木果实小的东西。这台机器还会聪明地避开阶梯；当它撞到家具时会倒退，转个弯往新方向前进。

The ___9___ for Roomba products is unprecedented; over a million have already been sold. And the accolades just keep pouring in. One customer commented that if the machine could learn to ___10__ his back and get him a beer, he might consider marrying one.

Roomba需求量空前的好。至今已销售超过一百万台，而且佳评如潮。甚至有位顾客反应，若这玩意儿可以学会搔背，并帮他拿啤酒，或许他会考虑「娶」个回家。

−by Murray Walker

Vocabulary

anticipated [ænˋtɪsə͵petɪd] adj. 令人期待的

consumer [kənˋsjumɚ] n. 消费者；消耗者

setting [ˋsɛtɪŋ] n. 设定

random [ˋrændəm] adj. 随机的

unprecedented [ʌnˋprɛsə͵dɛntɪd] adj. 无先例的，空前的

More Information

battle cry 战斗时的助攻喊杀声；吶喊

vigorous [ˋvɪgərəs] adj. 精力充沛的

ground [graʊnd] n.渣滓；沉淀物

acorn [ˋekɔrn] n. 橡子，橡实

bump into: 碰撞上...

start off: 开始; 出发 to set out on a journey

accolade [͵ækəˋled] n. 称赞；盛赞

back up: 后退; 倒退回去; 倒(车)  movebackward

Roomba Driver

Answer