I'm Catherine

我是 Catherine

- And I'm Rob - and today we bring you a techy topic along with six up-to-date vocabulary items.

- 我是 Rob - 今天我們要聊聊六個關於科技的最新單字

And today's techy topic is smartphones.

今天的主題是智慧型手機

So Rob, can you tell me which age group have been buying smartphones at the fastest rate over the last five years here in the UK?

所以 Rob，你可以告訴我英國在過去五年中，哪一個年齡層換智慧型手機的速度最快嗎？

Is it... a) 15-35 year olds, b) 35-55 year olds

是 a) 15-35 歲，b) 35-55 歲

or c) 55-75 year olds?

還是 c) 55-75 歲？

It's got to be the youngsters.

一定是年輕人

It's got to be the 15-35 year olds.

所以一定是 15-35 歲

Oh well we'll see whether you got that right or wrong later on in the show.

我們等等在節目中就會知道你對不對了

Now Rob, a question: how old is your smartphone?

現在 Rob 問你一個問題：你的智慧型手機用了多久？

OK mine, I bought it a couple of years ago.

我在幾年前買了我的手機

And are you happy with it?

那你用得開心嗎？

Yes, I am. It works just fine, it does everything I need it to do.

是啊，還不錯，它有所有我需要的功能

So you're not worried about not having the latest model?

所以你不會擔心沒有用最新款的手機？

Not at all. My phone works really well, it has all the functionality I need.

一點也不，我的手機運作正常，所有我需要的功能都有

And I'm not convinced that the latest model offers any more than the one I've got, to be honest.

老實說，我不認為最新款會贏過我現在的手機

Functionality refers to the range of functions a computer or other electronic device can perform.

功能是指電腦或其他電子產品能執行的範圍

So, let's listen now to Andrew Orlowski, from the tech news website The Register.

現在讓我們來聽聽 The Register (一個科技新聞網站) 的 Andrew Orlowski 怎麼說

He explains why people are holding onto their phones longer, instead of rushing out to buy the latest model of phone.

他解釋為何人們一直用舊手機，而不是急著去買最新款

What's happened is that prices have gone up at the high end.

高階產品的售價一定很高

And it's kind of a cycle where people hang onto their phones for longer, therefore manufacturers charge more.

如果人們都繼續使用他們的手機而不買新的，製造商會提高價格，進而形成一個循環

Then people hang onto them longer to justify that higher purchase.

之後人們就會繼續用他們的舊手機好讓製造商調整高售價

So big brand names like iPhone and Samsung

所以知名品牌，像是 iPhone 跟 Samsung

make phones at the high end of the market, meaning the expensive ones.

都生產許多昂貴的高階手機

So once people have bought a handset, they hang on to it!

所以一旦人們已經買手機，他們會一直用！

If you hang onto something, you keep it.

如果你一直用一個東西，你就會保存它

I've been hanging onto my phone for a couple of years -

我已經持續用我的手機好幾年了

and am hoping I won't need to change it

我希望我不需要換它

for another year or so, at least.

至少，再多用好幾年

But what happens is, if people aren't replacing their phones,

但是如果人們都不換手機

the phone manufacturers don't make a big enough profit.

手機製造商就不能賺取足夠的獲利

So they start charging more...

之後他們就會開始提高價格

...and this, in turn, makes people hang even longer!

接著，人們的舊手機就會用更久

So that's why Andrew Orlowski calls it a cycle -

所以這就是為什麼 Andrew Orlowski 把它稱為一個循環

that's where one event leads to another, and then often repeats itself.

一個事件導致另外一件事發生，而它們通常會自己形成一個循環

So where will the cycle end?

那什麼時候循環才會結束？

Good question! Let's listen to Andrew again, talking about where he thinks the smartphone market is heading.

好問題！讓我們再來聽 Andrew 談他對智慧型手機市場的看法

I think it's a very mature market now.

我認為現在的市場已經非常成熟

And you have to compare, say,

你可以拿

a £900 Galaxy Note or a £1000 iPhone with a spectacular TV, you can... a 49 inch TV you can get for £450.

一隻價值 £900 的 Galaxy Note 或是 £1000 的 iPhone，跟一台價值 £450 的 49 吋電視做比較

It no longer has that kind of must-have lustre that it might have had 4 or 5 years ago.

它已經不再擁有那種四五年前必備光澤

What does "mature" mean, Rob?

「成熟」是什麼意思，Rob？

Mature means fully-grown, we're mature adults for example, Catherine!

成熟代表已經完全發展，就像我們是成熟的大人，Catherine！

And in a business context,

而在商業用語中，

a mature market is where supply is equal to demand.

一個成熟的市場就是供需均衡

And if something has "must-have lustre"?

那「必備光澤」是？

What's that?

那是什麼？

A "must-have" item is something you feel you must have.

一個「必備的」東西是你覺得一定要有的東西

And lustre means shine.

而光澤代表亮光

I love shiny new things,

我很愛新東西

especially when it's a nice piece of new tech.

尤其是科技的新產品

But £1000 is a lot of money for a phone.

但 £1000 以一支手機來說真的太貴了

A spectacular 49-inch TV for only £450 sounds like a bargain though!

而一台很棒的 49 吋電視只要 £450 聽起來像是撿到便宜一樣

My TV's only got a small screen.

我只有一個小螢幕的電視

Stop there, Catherine! It's time for the answer to today's question.

等一下，Catherine！該公佈今天的解答了

OK, which age group have been buying smartphones at the fastest rate over the last five years here in the UK?

英國在過去五年中，哪一個年齡層換智慧型手機的速度最快嗎？

Is it... a) 15-35 year olds,

是 a) 15-35 歲

b) 35-55 year olds, or c) 55-75year olds?

b) 35-55 歲，還是 c) 55-75 歲？

I said 15-35 year olds.

我的答案是 15-35 歲

And you were absolutely wrong, I'm afraid, Rob!

恐怕你錯了，Rob！

The answer is 55-75 year olds!

答案是 55-75 歲

Although research also highlighted that this age group tended to use their smartphones less than younger people.

雖然研究也顯示這個年齡層比起年輕人較少使用智慧型手機

The study was based on a sample of 1,163 people questioned between May and June in 2017.

這個研究是在 2017 年 5 月跟 6 月調查 1,163 人

Interesting. OK, I think it's time we looked back at the words we learned today.

這個調查很有趣，但我想我們該複習今天學過的單字

Our first word is "functionality" - which refers to the range of functions a computer or other electronic device can perform.

第一個字「功能」，代表電腦或其他電子產品所能執行的範圍

"These two computers are similar in terms of both their price and functionality."

「這兩台電腦的價錢與功能很相似。」

Good example Catherine.

好例子 Catherine

Number two - if you hang on to something, you keep it.

第二，如果你一直持續用某個東西，你就會保留它

For example, "you should hang onto your old TV, Catherine."

舉例來說，「你應該持續用你的舊電視，Catherine。」

There's nothing wrong with a 30 inch screen!

30 吋的螢幕會更適合你

Thanks for the advice, Rob.

謝謝你的建議，Rob

And our next word is "cycle" - that's where one event leads to another,

下一個字是「循環」，事件彼此環環相扣，

and then often repeats itself.

然後自行成為一個循環

For example, "I'm in a bad cycle of going to bed late, and then oversleeping in the morning."

舉例來說，「我在一個晚睡和睡過頭的循環裡」

You need to sort yourself out, Catherine!

你得好好解決這個問題，Catherine！

You're spending too much time on social media

你花太多時間在社群媒體

- and all that blue-screen time makes it very hard to fall asleep.

所有那些你花在藍光螢幕上的時間會讓你很難入睡

The last thing you need is a bigger TV!

因此你最不需要的是另一台更大的電視！

You're probably right.

可能吧

OK - the adjective "mature" means fully grown or fully developed

「成熟」這個形容詞代表完全成長或發展

Here's an example of the verb form -

造一個例句

My investments have matured and they're worth a lot of money now!

我的投資現在已成熟，而且值非常多錢

Right moving on, a 'must-have item' is something you feel you must have!

我們繼續複習，一個「必備品」是你非常想要擁有的東西

For example, "Check out the latest must-have tech bargains on our website!"

舉一個例，「看看我們網站上必備科技產品的最新折扣！」

...like a huge TV.

...像是一台大電視

And finally, "lustre" - which means shine.

最後，「光澤」的意思是光亮

For example, "I polished my brass doorknob until it shone with a pleasing lustre."

舉例來說，「我擦了我的金屬門把直到它亮到發光。」

OK before Rob heads off to polish his doorknob,

在 Rob 開始擦他的門把

and I nip out to buy a big new television

而我手刀衝刺去買一台大電視

please remember to check out our Facebook, Twitter,

請記得去看我們的 Facebook, Twitter

and YouTube pages.

和 Youtube

Bye!

再見！