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The New Frontier of Mind and Machine 人脑与机器合作展开新页

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课文讲解

繁體中文譯本

In developments reminiscent of science fiction, American scientists at Cyberkinetics Inc. and Neural Signals are now conducting FDA-approved clinical trials with devices that may someday allow people with paralysis and related physical impairments to regain their independence. These researchers are taking the first steps towards a new machine-body interface.

美国的网络动力和神经讯号两家公司的科学家们，正在进行美国食品和药物管理局核准的临床实验。实验所用的装置或许有一天能让身体瘫痪及受到相关肢体损伤的人，可以不用再仰赖他人了，整个研究的进展令人联想到科幻小说的情节。这些科学家正采取初步措施要建构一个机器与身体的界面。

Doctors have begun placing tiny microchips in the outer cortex of paralyzed patients in order to map their neural impulses. Patients need only imagine performing an action, and the device then records the location and intensity of brain activity. Based on this information, victims of strokes and Lou Gehring’s disease have already been able to manipulate objects on a computer screen without physical input.

医生已经开始在瘫痪病人的脑外皮层植入微芯片，以绘制病人的神经脉波图。病人只要心头想做一个动作，这个装置就会记录脑部活动的所在和强度。根据这些讯息，中风和渐冻症【注】患者已经不用使力就能在计算机屏幕上操控物体。

The devices in current clinical trials hold promise, but there are still significant drawbacks. Current implants are invasive and rely on wires, which increase the risk of infection. Future improvements may include wireless transmission or even sensors outside the skull – much like today’s MRI machines, only miniaturized.

这种装置在目前的临床实验看来大有可为，但仍然有很大的缺点。目前该装置的植入是属于侵入性的，而且还要接线，这样会增加感染的风险。未来改进之处包括无线传输或是把传感器装在头骨外──很像现在的磁共振造影仪，只是体积小很多。

The ultimate goal of this technology is to give patients more autonomy. In the future, robotic arms or even electrodes implanted in muscles will receive a computer-assisted stimulus from a patient’s thoughts. For many, such technology will liberate them from the prison of their body.

这种科技的终极目的是给病人更多的自治能力。未来，机械手臂或植入肌肉里的电极片将能接收病人脑中传来的计算机辅助刺激讯号。对许多人来说，这种科技将能让他们从身体的禁锢中解放出来。

【注】正式名称叫做「肌萎缩性脊髓侧索硬化症」，是一种罕见的神经退化性疾病，俗称「渐冻症」，又称为「鲁杰瑞氏病Lou Gehrig’s disease」，因为一位著名的美国职棒明星Lou Gehrig也得过这种怪病，他临死前捐了一笔钱供医学界研究此病。

Vocabulary

单词发音

reminiscent [͵rɛməˋnɪsnt] adj. 使人想起…的

paralysis [pəˋræləsɪs] n. 麻痹，瘫痪

interface [ˋɪntɚ͵fes] n. 界面

cortex [ˋkɔrtɛks] n. 脑皮层

drawback [ˋdrɔ͵bæk] n. 缺点，短处

invasive [ɪnˋvesɪv] adj. 〔治疗〕需手术的; 侵入的

skull [skʌl] n. 头盖骨；头骨

miniaturize [ˋmɪnɪətʃə͵raɪz] v. 使微型化﹐使小型化

autonomy [ɔˋtɑnəmɪ] n. 自立能力﹐自主能力

electrode [ɪˋlɛktrod] n. 电极

Sentence of the Day

Like a greeting card, this new technology proves that it’s the thought that counts.

犹如贺卡，这种新科技证明了心意才是最重要的。

count [kaʊnt] v. 有重要意义，有价值

课文讲解

Cousins Jackson and Laura are coming out of a hospital:  杰克森和劳拉两人是表兄妹，他们正从医院走出来：

J: It’s good to see Aunt Martha up and about. When I heard she’d had a stroke, I was worried there might be partial paralysis.

很高兴见到马莎阿姨可以起身活动了。当我听说她中风时，我担心她身体会有局部瘫痪。

L: Fortunately, it was a relatively minor stroke. With physical therapy, she’ll recover completely.

还好只是轻微中风。经过物理治疗，她就会完全康复了。

J: That’s good to hear. You know, in the near future, there might be a lot more computer-assisted options available to stroke victims.

听妳这么说真是太好了。妳知道吗，未来或许会有更多计算机辅助器材供中风病人选择。

L: Right. But I read in the science news that it’s already been done with monkeys. After implanting a microchip, the monkeys simply thought about moving a joystick, and the cursor on a computer monitor responded accordingly.

是的，不过我有看到科学新闻提到，已经用猴子做过实验。把猴子植入微芯片后，猴子只要心里想移动游戏杆，结果在计算机屏幕上光标就会响应牠的想法。

J: What’s amazing is that this requires no physical input. Within five years or so, this technology is supposed to be on the market.

令人惊叹的是这种做法身体完全不用使力。大约只要五年时间，这种科技产品就能上市了。

L: Good news for the totally paralyzed. Currently, technology to assist the physically disabled requires a movement of some sort, whether from a joystick, computer keyboard, or eye movement tracked by a sensor.

对于全身瘫痪的人来说，这实在是好消息。目前，残障人士的科技辅具或多或少都要做动作，不管是用游戏杆、键盘、或是用传感器追踪眼球的运动。

J: Like the famous wheelchair-bound physicist, Stephen Hawking, who speaks via computer. Happily Aunt Martha is in good enough shape that she doesn’t need this cutting-edge stuff.

正如同这位坐轮椅的著名物理学家史蒂芬霍金教授，他是透过计算机来讲话的。很幸运地，马莎阿姨状况相当好，她不需要这些高科技辅具来帮忙。

L: Hopefully, though, it’ll be available for those who do.

希望她用不着这些东西，不过对那些有需要的人来说，还是派得上用场。

－by Mark Hamilton

Vocabulary

单词发音

up and about (病人)已起床走动 if someone is up and about after an illness, they are well enough to get out of bed and move around

stroke [strok] n. 中风

therapy [ˋθɛrəpɪ] n. 治疗，疗法

victim [ˋvɪktɪm] n. 受害者; 牺牲者

joystick [ˋdʒɔɪ͵stɪk] n. 操纵杆; 控制杆

cursor [ˋkɝsɚ] n. 屏幕上的光标

accordingly [əˋkɔrdɪŋlɪ] adv. 结果...，在...情况下会

physically disabled 肢体残疾人

track [træk] v. 追踪

Sentence of the Day

Though Aunt Marge is now in the hospital, she’ll soon be fit as a fiddle.

虽然玛吉阿姨现在住院，但她很快就会康复。

fit as a fiddle  非常健康