retrospective material for English final exam unit_6 Tomorrow

unit_6 Tomorrow

Getting prepared - academic exploration 1

• translation from Chinese into English

  1. biodegradable(adj. materials, chemicals, etc. that are biodegradable are changed naturally by bacteria into substances that do not harm the environment 可生物降解的，能进行生物降解的)
     • Biodegradable materials are favored in the development of therapeutic devices such as temporary implants. 生物降解材料在医疗器械（比如临时植入物）的开发中受到青睐。
  • Not only are they fast, they are also better for the environment because they are biodegradable.
  • 这种电池不仅充电快，也更环保，因为它们是可生物降解的。
  2. obsolete(adj. no longer useful, because sth. newer and better has been invented 废弃的，淘汰的；过时的)
     • As advancements in technology come in leaps and bounds, it doesn’t take long for things that were once innovative and groundbreaking to become obsolete. 随着技术进步突飞猛进，那些曾经具有创新性和开创性的东西很快就会过时。
  • Arguably, the world doesn’t need another product that will make millions of others obsolete.
  • 可以说，这个世界并不需要一种使其他数百万产品淘汰的产品
  3. devastating(adj. badly damaging or destroying sth. 毁灭性的，破坏力极强的)
     • Increasing automation and smart technologies will lead to significant job displacement, which can have a devastating impact on blue-collar job opportunities. 越来越多的自动化和智能技术将导致大量裁员，这会对蓝领工人的工作机会产生毁灭性的影响。
  • However, graphene might not have such a devastating effect on the environment as some of its predecessors.
  • 然而石墨烯可能不会像旧材料那样对环境造成破坏性的影响。
  4. predecessor(n. [C] a machine, system, etc. that existed before another one in a process of development （机器、系统等的）前身)
     • Unlike its predecessors which were trained on data from thousands of human go games, AlphaGo Zero was no longer constrained by the limits of human knowledge. 阿尔法围棋的前几个版本是通过数千盘人类围棋比赛的数据进行训练的，与之不同的是，阿尔法元不再受人类知识的限制。
  • However, graphene might not have such a devastating effect on the environment as some of its predecessors.
  • 然而石墨烯可能不会像旧材料那样对环境造成破坏性的影响。
  5. radioactive(adj. a radioactive substance is dangerous because it contains radiation 具有放射性的)
     • Robots can be used in radioactive environments to handle, package, and remove radioactive materials, such as waste from nuclear power plants. 机器人可以在放射性环境中处理、包装和清除放射性材料，如核电站废料。
  • Researchers at Rice University and Lomonosov Moscow State University have found evidence that graphene oxide has the ability to remove radioactive material from water incredibly quickly, thus potentially enabling the clean-up of nuclear disasters.
  • 莱斯大学和莫斯科罗蒙诺索夫国立大学的研究人员发现，石墨烯氧化物能以难以置信的速度去除水中的放射性物质，从而使清理核灾难成为可能。
  6. biomedical(adj. (usu. before noun) relating to how biology affects medicine 生物医学的)
     -Biomedical engineers apply their knowledge in engineering, biology, and medicine to health care and medical device industries. 生物医学工程师将他们在工程、生物学和医学方面的知识应用于医疗保健和医疗器械行业。
  • Graphene is also being tested for its potential use in the medical world and early biomedical research has had excellent results.
  • 医学界也在测试石墨烯的应用潜力，早期的生物医学研究已经取得了卓越的成果。
  7. infancy(n. [U] 1 the time when sth. is just starting to be developed 初期，初创期 2 the period of a child’s life before they can walk or talk 婴儿期)
     • The technology of artificial design intelligence is still in its infancy, but machine learning is enabling it to understand creative rules and apply them independently and in an intuitive and more attractive way. 人工设计智能技术还处于起步阶段，但机器学习使其能够理解创造性规则，并以直觉般和更具吸引力的方式实现独立应用。
  • While this research is still in its infancy, it shows great promise and has the potential to revolutionize many medical fields.
  • 虽然这项研究尚处于起步阶段，但具有广阔的前景，并有可能使诸多医学领域发生革命性的变化。
  8. revolutionize(vt. to completely change the way people do sth. or think about sth. 使彻底变革，给······带来革命)
     • Online learning may revolutionize higher education the way the Internet has already changed music, publishing, sales and other businesses. 就像互联网改变了音乐、出版、销售和其他行业一样，在线学习可能会彻底改变高等教育。
  • While this research is still in its infancy, it shows great promise and has the potential to revolutionize many medical fields.
  • 虽然这项研究尚处于起步阶段，但具有广阔的前景，并有可能使诸多医学领域发生革命性的变化。

• words in use (fill the blank with appropriate words)

  1. Many new products are developed to try to tackle a problem that exists.
  2. A devastating event such as a tsunami (海啸) can endanger thousands of lives.
  3. It’s a revolutionary material that could dramatically change hundreds of different areas.
  4. Many technological developments eventually become obsolete as new products emerge.
  5. Many people filter tap water to make it taste better.
  6. A particle is a tiny element that is part of an atom, such as an electron, proton (质子), or neutron (中子).
  7. Scientists and product developers often look at the properties of new materials and how they can be used in different ways.
  8. Much research is done to improve the efficiency of things that already exist.

• translation from English into Chinese

  1. The use of biodegradable plastics that can break down naturally can reduce the accumulation of environmentally persistent plastic wastes.使用能自然分解的生物降解塑料可以减少那些对环境有长期影响的塑料废物的聚积。
  2. Smaller, lighter, and nimbler (更灵活的) than its predecessors, the newly designed robotic arm can be programmed to perform a wide variety of tasks with great accuracy.新设计的机器人手臂比之前的版本更小、更轻、更灵活，能在程序控制下精准地执行各种各样的任务。
  3. When new technologies reach a mature stage at which they can be used for business, they have the potential to rapidly change the economic landscape far beyond what could have been expected at the infancy stage of innovation.当新技术达到可以应用于商业的成熟阶段时，它们具有迅速改变经济格局的潜力，这种潜力远远超出创新初期的预期。
  4. The flying car concept, which existed only in the realms of science fiction, is to become a reality in the not-too-distant future and revolutionize urban transportation and parcel delivery services.曾经仅存在于科幻小说中的飞行汽车的概念将在不久的将来成为现实，并彻底改变城市交通和包裹递送服务。

Getting prepared - academic exploration 2

• translation from Chinese into English

  1. stagnant(adj. not changing or making progress, and continuing to be in a bad position 不发展的，停滞不前的)
     • After decades of low inflation and stagnant growth, Japan’s policymakers have identified domestic consumption as a key economic driver. 在经历了数十年的低通胀和停滞增长之后，日本的政策制定者已将国内消费视为一个关键的经济驱动力
  • These risks are not stagnant from the point of launching a product, but are an ever-evolving challenge that needs constant assessment.
  • 科技变革所带来的风险并不是从某个产品推出之时起就一成不变的，而是一项在不断发展、需要不断加以评估的挑战。
  2. scenario (n. [C] (pl. scenarios) a situation that could possibly happen 可能发生的事，可能出现的情况)
     • The study provided useful implications for adopting driverless cars in closed-environment scenarios. 本研究为在封闭环境下使用无人驾驶汽车提供了有益启示。
  • The scenario of machines being more intelligent than people and becoming a danger to society has been frequently portrayed in movies.
  • 机器比人聪明，对社会构成威胁，这样的情节常常出现在电影中。
  3. portray (vt. to describe or represent sth. or sb. 描写，描绘)
     • The company has innovated a method that incorporates AI technology to portray and analyze sales performance. 该公司新创了一种结合人工智能技术来描述和分析销售情况的方法。
  • The scenario of machines being more intelligent than people and becoming a danger to society has been frequently portrayed in movies.
  • 机器比人聪明，对社会构成威胁，这样的情节常常出现在电影中。
  4. high-profile (adj. (only before noun) attracting a lot of public attention, usu. deliberately （刻意地）引人注目的，高调的)
     • Shenzhen’s high-profile presence at the Consumer Electronics Show comes as no surprise; after all, it is one of the world’s main manufacturing centers for electronics. 深圳在消费电子展上的高调亮相并不令人意外，毕竟它是全球主要的电子产品制造中心之一。
  • Academics and high-profile members of the technology industry, such as Stephen Hawking and Bill Gates, have also warned of the dangers of increasingly intelligent AI.
  • 学者以及科技行业的知名人士，比如斯蒂芬・霍金和比尔・盖茨，也曾提醒过大家要提防人工智能的日益发展所带来的危险。
  5. overpopulation (n. [U] when there are too many people living in a particular place 人口过多，人口过密)
     • The study estimates the degree of overpopulation in a medium-sized city by using a data-intensive computable model. 该研究运用一个数据密集型的可计算模型估算一个中等城市的人口过密程度。
  • Yet for many, these risks are exaggerated to such an extent that it is like worrying about the future overpopulation of humans on another planet.
  • 但是许多人认为这些风险都被夸大了，担心这些风险就像是担心另一个星球上未来会人口过剩一样。
  6. imminent (adj. an event that is imminent, esp. an unpleasant one, will happen very soon（尤指令人不快的事）即将发生的，逼近的)
     • Increased complexity is imminent across the investment landscape, and the technology should be up to the challenge. 整个投资形势即将变得更为复杂，技术应当应对挑战。
  • While we are still decades away from robots having human-like intelligence, or even superhuman intelligence, there are some obvious and imminent threats to society.
  • 虽然还需要几十年的时间机器人才可能拥有与人类一样的智力，甚至超越人类的智力，但是对社会构成的威胁仍然是显而易见且迫在眉睫的。
  7. decode (vt. if a computer decodes data, it receives it and changes it into a form that can be used by the computer or understood by a person（计算机）解（码），解读)
     • This paper has investigated big data compression that enables local decoding and local updating simultaneously. 本文研究了能够同时实现本地解码和本地更新的大数据压缩技术。
  • Big data has huge benefits such as decoding DNA, reducing the energy cost of buildings, and predicting the development of diseases.
  • 大数据的好处很多，比如解码DNA、降低建筑物的能源成本，以及预测疾病的发展等。
  8. fraud (n. [C, U] the crime of deceiving people in order to gain sth. such as money or goods 欺诈，诈骗)
     • Data from the digital world could be used to detect fraud and prevent a potential economic loss. 数字世界所产生的数据可以被用来发现欺诈行为，避免潜在的经济损失。
  • Theft, fraud, and even political manipulation are real risks that continually rise as more data is produced and analyzed.
  • 盗窃、欺骗，甚至政治操纵都是真正的风险。随着更多的数据产生、被分析，这些风险会越来越大。

• words in use (fill the blank with appropriate words)

  1. The study shows the importance of renewing a company’s innovation capability to compete more effectively in the digital era.
  2. Big data of customer preferences could contribute to product innovation in business.
  3. The country’s fiscal condition has deteriorated this year due to the changes in its political environment.
  4. The company has innovated in its organization and products, and therefore become more competitive in an increasingly digital business environment.
  5. As several databases of client information have been attacked by hackers, this mobile- payment company has to face the imminent crisis of losing consumers’ trust.
  6. The new model is characterized by long battery life, light weight, and stable performance, arguably the best laptop the company makes.
  7. This approach successfully releases the potential of digital technology to provide varied digital services.

• translation from English into Chinese

  1. The study investigated 10 companies to assess the effectiveness of their digital business models and suggested ways to improve digitalized operations based on the results.
     1. 该研究调查了10 家公司以评估其数字化商业模式的有效性，并在研究结果的基础上提出了改进数字化运营的方法。
  2. A potential problem could be that stagnant regulations are unable to keep pace with the digital forms of direct-to-consumer advertising.
     2. 一个潜在的问题可能是，一成不变的规章制度跟不上直接面向顾客的数字化广告的节奏。
  3. We have collected and analyzed data from over 1 ,000 large companies all over the world, and identified five types of jobs that would be eliminated by the increased use of AI.
     3. 我们收集和分析了全球1000多家大型公司的数据，确认了有五类工作将会因为人工智能使用的增加而被淘汰。
  4. Consumers’evaluation of softness, size, or fit of clothes before making their purchases is much easier in physical stores than online.
     4. 在实体店，消费者在购买前对衣服的柔软度、尺寸或合身情况的评估要比在网上容易得多。