And I'm Georgina.

我是喬治娜

What do Homer, Ray Charles and Jorge Borges all have in common, Georgina?

荷馬、雷-查爾斯和豪爾赫-博爾赫斯都有什麼共同點，喬治娜？

Hmm, so that's the ancient Greek poet, Homer; American singer, Ray Charles;

嗯，那就是古希臘詩人荷馬；美國歌手雷-查爾斯。

and Argentine writer, Jorge Luis Borges…

和阿根廷作家豪爾赫-路易斯-博爾赫斯... ...

I can't see much in common there, Neil.

我看不出有什麼共同之處，尼爾。

Well, the answer is that they were all blind.

嗯，答案是，他們都是瞎子。

Ah! But that obviously didn't hold them back -

啊！但這顯然沒有讓他們退縮----。

I mean, they were some of the greatest artists ever!

我的意思是，他們是一些有史以來最偉大的藝術家！

Right, but I wonder how easy they would find it living and working

是的，但我想知道他們的生活和工作有多容易。

in the modern world.

在現代世界中。

Blind people can use a guide dog or a white cane to help them move around.

盲人可以使用導盲犬或白手杖來幫助他們行動。

Yes, but a white cane is hardly advanced technology!

是的，但一根白手杖也算不上什麼先進的技術!

Recently, smartphone apps have been invented which dramatically

最近，智能手機的應用程序被髮明出來，這極大地。

improve the lives of blind people around the world.

改善全世界盲人的生活。

In this programme on blindness in the digital age we'll be looking

在這個關於數字時代的失明問題的節目中，我們將關注的是

at some of these inventions, known collectively as assistive technology –

這些發明中的一些，統稱為輔助技術----；

that's any software or equipment that helps people

就是任何能幫助人們的軟件或設備。

work around their disabilities or challenges.

圍繞他們的殘疾或挑戰開展工作；

But first it's time for my quiz question, Georgina.

但首先是我的測驗題時間，喬治娜。

In 1842 a technique of using fingers to feel printed raised

1842年，一種用手指觸摸印刷品的技術被提出來。

dots was invented which allowed blind people to read.

點子的發明，使盲人能夠閱讀。

But who invented it? Was it: a) Margaret Walker?, b) Louis Braille?,

但是是誰發明的呢？是：a)瑪格麗特-沃克?，b)路易斯-布萊爾?

or, c) Samuel Morse?

或者，c）塞繆爾-莫爾斯？

Hmm, I've heard of Morse code but that wouldn't help blind people read,

嗯，我聽說過摩斯電碼，但那對盲人閱讀沒有幫助。

so I think it's, b) Louis Braille.

所以我認為是，b)路易斯-布萊爾。

OK, Georgina, we'll find out the answer at the end of the programme.

好吧，喬治娜，我們會在節目結束時找到答案的。

One remarkable feature of the latest assistive technology is its practicality.

最新輔助技術的一個顯著特點是實用性。

Smartphone apps like 'BeMyEyes' allow blind users to find lost keys,

像 "BeMyEyes "這樣的智能手機應用可以讓盲人用戶找到丟失的鑰匙。

cross busy roads and even colour match their clothes.

穿過繁忙的馬路，甚至連衣服都要配色。

Brian Mwenda is CEO of a Kenyan company developing this kind of technology.

布萊恩-姆文達是肯亞一家開發這種技術的公司的CEO。

Here he explains to BBC World Service programme, Digital Planet,

在這裡，他向BBC世界服務節目《數字星球》進行了解釋。

how his devices seek to enhance, not replace, the traditional white cane:

他的設備如何尋求增強而不是取代傳統的白手杖。

The device is very compatible with any kind of white cane.

該設備與任何一種白手杖都有很好的兼容性。

So, once you clip it on to any white cane it works perfectly to detect

所以，只要你把它夾在任何一根白色的手杖上，它就能完美地檢測到。

the obstacles in front of you, and it relies on echo-location.

你面前的障礙物，它依靠回聲定位。

So, echo-location is the same technology used by bats and dolphins

所以，回聲定位是蝙蝠和海豚使用的相同技術。

to detect prey and obstacles and all that.

來探測獵物和障礙物等等。

You send out a sound pulse and then once it bounces off an obstacle,

你發出一個聲音脈衝，然後一旦它從障礙物上反彈。

you can tell how far the obstacle is.

你可以知道障礙物有多遠。

When attached to a white cane, the digital device - called 'Sixth Sense' -

當連接到一根白色的手杖上時，這個被稱為 "第六感 "的數字設備---。

can detect obstacles – objects which block your way,

可以檢測到障礙物--擋住你去路的物體。

making it difficult for you to move forward.

使你難以前進。

'Sixth Sense' works using echo-location, a kind of ultrasound like

'第六感'的工作原理是利用回聲定位，一種類似超音波的東西

that used by bats who send out sound waves which bounce off

蝙蝠發出的聲波，反射到

surrounding objects.

周圍的物體。

The returning echoes show where these objects are located.

返回的迴音顯示了這些對象的位置。

Some of the assistive apps are so smart they can even tell what kind of

有些輔助應用程序非常智能，它們甚至可以判斷出是什麼樣的。

object is coming up ahead – be it a friend, a shop door or a speeding car.

前方有物體出現--是朋友、店門還是飛馳的汽車。

I guess being able to move around confidently really boosts

我想，能夠自信地四處走動，真的會讓人覺得很有成就感。

people's independence.

人民的獨立。

Absolutely. And it's challenging stereotypes around blindness too.

絕對是這樣的。而且它也在挑戰人們對失明的刻板印象。

Blogger, Fern Lulham, who is blind herself, uses assistive apps every day.

博主Fern Lulham本身就是盲人，每天都在使用輔助應用程序。

Here she is talking to BBC World Service's, Digital Planet:

在這裡，她正在和BBC世界服務的《數字星球》節目交談。

I think the more that society sees blind people in the community,

我想，社會上越是看到盲人。

at work, in relationships it does help to tackle all of these stereotypes,

在工作中，在人際關係中，它確實有助於解決所有這些刻板印象。

it helps people to see blind and visually-impaired people in a whole new way

它能幫助人們以全新的方式看到盲人和視障人士。

and it just normalises disability – that's what we need, we need to see

它只是正常化殘疾 - 這就是我們所需要的，我們需要看到的

people just getting on with their life and doing it and then people won't

人們只是得到了他們的生活，並做到這一點，然後人們就不會。

see it as such a big deal anymore, it'll just be the ordinary.

把它看成是這麼大的事情了，它將只是普通的。

Fern distinguishes between people who are blind, or unable to see,

菲恩把人區分為盲人，或看不見的人。

and those who are visually impaired – experience a decreased ability to see.

而那些視力受損的人--則會出現視力下降的情況。

Assistive tech helps blind people lead normal, independent lives

輔助技術幫助盲人過上正常、獨立的生活。

within their local communities.

在當地社區內。

Fern hopes that this will help normalise disability –

菲恩希望這將有助於使殘疾問題正常化------。

treat something as normal which has not been accepted as normal before…

視為正常的東西，以前不被接受為正常的東西... ...

…so being blind doesn't have to be a big deal – an informal way

...所以說，失明並不是什麼大不了的事，這是一種非正式的方式。

to say something is not a serious problem.

說什麼問題不嚴重。

Just keep your eyes closed for a minute and try moving around the room.

只要閉上眼睛一分鐘，然後試著在房間裡活動。

You'll soon see how difficult it is… and how life changing this technology can be.

你很快就會知道它有多難... 以及這項技術能如何改變生活。

Being able to read books must also open up a world of imagination.

能讀到書，還必須打開一個想象的世界。

So what was the answer to your quiz question, Neil?

那麼，你的測驗問題的答案是什麼，尼爾？

Ah yes.

啊，是的。

I asked Georgina who invented the system of reading where

我問喬治娜是誰發明的閱讀系統，在哪裡？

fingertips are used to feel patterns of printed raised dots.

指尖是用來感受印刷凸起點的圖案。

What did you say, Georgina?

你說什麼，喬治娜？

I thought it was, b) Louis Braille.

我以為是，b）路易斯-布萊爾。

Which was…of course the correct answer! Well done, Georgina –

這當然是......正確的答案!幹得好，喬治娜-

Louise Braille the inventor of a reading system which is known

布萊爾

worldwide simply as braille.

在全世界範圍內只是作為點字。

I suppose braille is an early example of assistive technology –

我想點字是輔助技術的早期例子----------。

systems and equipment that assist people with disabilities to

協助殘障人士的系統和設備；

perform everyday functions.

履行日常職能；

Let's recap the rest of the vocabulary, Neil.

讓我們回顧一下剩下的詞彙，尼爾。

OK. An obstacle is an object that is in your way and blocks your movement.

好的。障礙物是指擋在你面前，阻礙你行動的物體。

Some assisted technology works using echo-location –

一些輔助技術利用回聲定位工作------。

a system of ultrasound detection used by bats.

蝙蝠使用的超音波檢測系統。

Being blind is different from being visually impaired -

失明與視力障礙不同--------。

having a decreased ability to see, whether disabling or not.

視覺能力下降，無論是否致殘；

And finally, the hope is that assistive phone apps can help normalise

最後，希望輔助性手機應用能幫助正常化

disability – change the perception of something into being

殘疾------改變對事物的看法。

accepted as normal…

正常情況下

...so that disability is no longer a big deal – not a big problem.

.這樣一來，殘疾就不再是什麼大問題--不是什麼大問題。

That's all for this programme but join us again soon at

這個節目就到這裡，但很快就會再來參加我們的節目

6 Minute English…

6分鐘英語...

…and remember you can find many more 6 Minute topics

...記住你可以找到更多的6分鐘主題

and useful vocabulary archived on bbclearningenglish.com.

和有用的詞彙存檔在bbclearningenglish.com。

Don't forget we also have an app you can download for free

別忘了，我們還有一個應用程序，你可以免費下載。

from the app stores.

從應用商店。

And of course we are all over social media, so come on over and say hi.

當然，我們在社交媒體上也都有，所以請過來打招呼。

Goodbye for now!

暫時告別

Bye!

再見！