智能家居重新定義生活

導(dǎo)讀：掃地機(jī)器人、智能音箱、安防系統(tǒng)……現(xiàn)如今，人們的家中出現(xiàn)了越來越多的高科技產(chǎn)品，而這些智能家居，也重新定義了我們的生活。

Most of us have been in this situation. Youre halfway to meet friends for dinner， then you suddenly think to yourself， “did I remember to turn the iron off？” For those with “smart homes”， however， this isnt something that would ruin their night.

我們大多數(shù)人都遇到過這種情況：你正趕去和朋友共進(jìn)晚餐，卻忽然想起，“我剛剛關(guān)掉熨斗了嗎？”然而，對于擁有“智能家居”的人來說，這點(diǎn)小事根本不會讓他們整晚都坐立難安。

Over the last few years， smart home technology has become more prominent and is now more affordable than ever. Thanks to user-friendly products such as intelligent lighting， heating controllers and motion sensors， being able to control nearly every electrical item in your home from anywhere in the world is no longer confined to science fiction stories.

在過去的幾年里，智能家居技術(shù)日漸突顯，如今在價格上也比以往更加經(jīng)濟(jì)實(shí)惠。由于智能照明設(shè)備、加熱控制器、運(yùn)動傳感器等人性化產(chǎn)品的出現(xiàn)，在世界上的任何一個角落控制家中幾乎所有的電子設(shè)備，不再僅僅出現(xiàn)于科幻故事中。

While smart home tech isnt new—the concept has been around for decades—companies like Philips， with its Hue lighting technology， as well as Amazon and Google， which have released speakers that control the home with the help of AI （artificial intelligence）， are finally putting home automation into easier reach of everyday people.

盡管智能家居技術(shù)并不是什么新鮮事——這一概念已經(jīng)出現(xiàn)了幾十年——但各家企業(yè)如今才令家居自動化對于老百姓而言更為觸手可得，如飛利浦的Hue照明技術(shù)，亞馬孫和谷歌推出的用以控制家居設(shè)備的人工智能音箱。

“All of our light switches are controllable via our phones and computers. Our home security system， our TV and our heating and cooling controls are all linked together too，” says Mike Poulson， a senior program manager from Seattle， US， whose high-tech home even greets him and his family when they enter.

“我們生產(chǎn)的所有照明開關(guān)都能通過手機(jī)和電腦進(jìn)行操控。我們的家居安防系統(tǒng)、電視，以及制冷制熱控制系統(tǒng)都是關(guān)聯(lián)在一起的?！备呒夗?xiàng)目經(jīng)理邁克·波爾森表示。 在他位于美國西雅圖的家中，高科技家居設(shè)備甚至還能在他和家人進(jìn)門時歡迎他們。

“The obvious message to consumers is that you can stop wasting energy.” Tom Kerber， director of research for US-based digital analysis firm Park Associates， told The Guardian.

“智能技術(shù)傳達(dá)給消費(fèi)者們很直觀的信息是：你能停止浪費(fèi)資源。”美國數(shù)據(jù)分析公司Park Associates 的研究總監(jiān)湯姆·克貝爾在接受《衛(wèi)報》采訪時表示。

“Automation gives you an opportunity to optimize the settings.”

“自動化給了人們優(yōu)化設(shè)置的機(jī)會?！?/p>

And while being able to automate tasks like having the kettle boiled and ready when you wake in the morning leaves time to focus on other tasks， the technology has more meaningful uses.

盡管智能技術(shù)能夠完成一些自動化的任務(wù)，比如，在你早晨醒來時準(zhǔn)備好一壺?zé)玫拈_水，這也讓你有時間去專注于其他事情，但智能技術(shù)還有更有意義的用途。

In Norway， for example， one company is using smart tech to make life easier for its elderly customers. The firm， Abilia， has designed a system that allows carers to check up on patients through a Skype-enabled tablet thats mounted on a wall inside their homes.endprint

比如， 挪威的一家公司正運(yùn)用智能技術(shù)以使老年消費(fèi)者的生活更加簡便。這家名為Abilia的公司設(shè)計了一個系統(tǒng)，通過安裝在病人家中墻上的平板電腦，護(hù)理人員能夠與病人進(jìn)行網(wǎng)絡(luò)通話，了解病人的情況。

The device， which also sends patients spoken reminders about tasks， such as when they need to take medication， is even connected to a series of sensors which alert carers if theres any unusual activity in the home that could be potentially life-threatening.

這一設(shè)備還能給病人們發(fā)送語音任務(wù)提醒，如他們什么時候需要吃藥。此外，它還連接了一系列傳感器，如果家中出現(xiàn)了可能危及生命的特殊狀況，該設(shè)備就會向護(hù)理人員發(fā)送警報。

“With this kind of system， it allows people to take care of themselves， which is the most important thing，” Abilias vice president， Oystein Johnsen， told the BBC.

“有了這樣的系統(tǒng)，人們就能夠照顧好自己，這是最重要的事，”Abilia副總裁奧伊斯坦·約翰森在接受BBC采訪時表示。

So， for those who have already “gone smart”， would it ever be possible to go back to doing things the old-fashioned way？

所以，對于已經(jīng)“走向智能”的人們來說，還有可能回到過去，用一些老辦法做事嗎？

“I think it would be difficult. When we go to a friends house or on vacation we find ourselves expecting the house to do things for us that ours does. Its not the end of the world but just annoying that things dont work as expected，” Poulson explains.

“我認(rèn)為這會很困難。當(dāng)我們?nèi)ヅ笥鸭依锘蛘叱鲩T度假時，我們發(fā)現(xiàn)自己會希望別人的房子也能像自己家的一樣，能為我們做很多事。這并非是世界末日，但事情不能如我們所愿，那會令人感到心煩，”波爾森解釋道。

“It would be like going back to a world without cell phones. Not impossible， just different.”

“就像是回到一個沒有手機(jī)的世界。不是不可能，而是會相當(dāng)不同。”

Word Study

prominent /'pr?m?n?nt/ adj. 顯著的；突出的；卓越的

The story was given a prominent position on the front page.

security /s?'kj??r?ti/ n. 安全；保護(hù)措施

They carried out security checks at the airport.

release /r?'li?s/ v. 發(fā)行；公布

Police have released no further details about the accident.

potentially /p?'ten??li/ adv. 潛在地；可能地

Maybe this study will potentially change the way we see the environment.endprint