English. I'm Rob.

我是勞勃

Dan: And I'm Dan.

丹：而我是丹

Rob: Hey Dan. What's the time?

勞勃：嘿！丹，現在什麼時間？

Dan: Time you got a new watch?

丹：你是指拿到新手表的時間？

Rob: Now I didn't ask you that just for a

勞勃：我不是為了開玩笑或

joke or a sarcastic comment now did I?

或冷嘲熱諷才問你的對吧？

Dan: Well no, but look there's a clock over

丹：不是，但看看那裏有個時鐘，

there, and you are wearing a watch, you

你還帶著手錶，而且

have a smartphone and a computer,

你還有的智慧型手機跟電腦

all of which show the time.

這些都有顯示時間

So why are you asking me?

那你為何要問我呢？

Rob: Dan! I was trying to introduce today's

勞勃：丹！我是為了介紹今天的主題

topic which is all about virtual assistants

也就是虛擬助理

or bots.

或機器人

You seemed to have forgotten the script.

你似乎忘記腳本了

Dan: Oh yes, sorry. We're talking about

丹：喔對！抱歉，我們正談到

software that you talk to and that can talk

一種能與你互相對話的軟體

back to you. Like Apple's Siri, Google's

像蘋果的 Siri、谷歌的個人助理、

Assistant, Amazon's Alexa and

亞馬遜的 Alexa 以及

Microsoft's Cortana.

微軟的 Cortana

It might be on your phone or computer or

它可能會在你的手機或電腦

even a speaker in your house.

甚至是你家中的喇叭中

Rob: Now before we hear more about this

勞勃：現在，在我們知道更多這個主題

topic, here is today's quiz question:

的資訊前，今天的小測驗是

Do you know when was the first computer

請問第一台會語音辨識

which could recognise speech, launched?

的電腦是在何時出現的？

Was it in a) 1951 b) 1961, or c) 1971.

是在 (A) 1951、(B) 1961、還是 (C) 1971年？

Dan: I have found my script, so I've seen

丹：我找到我的腳本了，讓我看看答案

the answer but I have to say I was

我必須說答案真讓人

surprised.

驚訝

Rob: Don't tell anybody Dan, OK. We'll give

勞勃：丹，別告訴任何人。我們會

the answer for the listeners at the end of

將答案留到節目的尾聲

the programme. We're going to hear now

我們接下來請到湯姆．休伊森

from Tom Hewitson, who is a

他是名對話設計師

conversation designer, working in the field

致力於虛擬助理的領域

of virtual assistants, talking on BBC Radio

來到 BBC 四台

4's Word of Mouth programme.

「口口相傳」做客

He talks about the whole idea of virtual

他談到虛擬助理的構想

assistants and how they are changing the

以及這個構想如何改變

way we interact with technology.

我們和科技互動的方式

How does he describe our existing

他是如何描述

relationship with computers?

我們與電腦的關係？

Tom Hewitson: It changes the way that

湯姆．休伊森：它改變了

we think about computers.

我們對電腦的看法

To date we've thought of them largely as

迄今我們都把它們當工具

tools. They're just an advanced version

它們只是更進階的計算機

of a calculator. They're something you

它們是人們用來

kind of use to get a specific thing done,

協助將特定事物完成的工具

whereas this is kind of changing them

然而，這也將它們變成

more into like an agent. They're an active

一種代理人

participant in the kind of interaction and in

它們積極活躍於與人互動和

guiding you to make the right decision.

指引人們做出正確的決定

Rob: How did he describe our existing

勞勃：我們要如何描述

relationship with computers then?

我們和電腦的關係呢？

Dan: He said that to date, which is an

丹：他提到迄今，也就是指

expression which means 'up until this

到目前為止

point in time', we have thought of them

我們仍然當它們是

as advanced calculators.

一種進階的計算機

Rob: Yes, that's right, we use them as a

勞勃：沒錯，我們把它們當作

tool to get things done. But he says that

完成事情的工具

modern technology is turning them into

但他提到現代科技正將它們

an agent.

轉化成一種代理人

This doesn't mean a secret agent, like

這不是指像詹姆士．龐德一樣的秘密特務

James Bond! In this sense an agent is

這裡的代理人指的是

something that has agency and that

它有自己的行為能力

means it has the ability to act individually

可以獨自作業

and make its own decisions.

並自行做決定

Dan: I'm not sure I'd like my phone to have

丹：我不確定我希望我的手機有個代理人

agency. It probably wouldn't like being

它大概不想讓我

in my pocket all day.

一直隨心所欲地掌控

Rob: Who would Dan? But I'm not sure

勞勃：丹，誰會想呢？但我認為

Hewitson is suggesting our devices would

休伊森並不是指我們的

become that clever but he did say they

裝置會這麼機巧，但他的確提到

could become more active in our lives.

它可能會在我們的生活中更活躍

Dan: Maybe. I imagine, for example,

丹：也許吧！我猜想到一個例子

telling us if we are spending too much

就像在說我們花太多時間在

time in fast food restaurants?

速食餐廳裡？

Rob: Maybe in your case Dan. Mine would

勞勃：以你的情況也許是的，丹

be telling me I spend too much time in the gym!

以我為例，大概是指我花太多時間在健身房裡

Hewitson goes on to explain how

休伊森接下來會解釋

the way we will talk to our virtual

我們與虛擬助理的談話會

assistants will develop.

如何發展

What does he say we don't need to do?

他提到我們可以省下哪些事情

Tom Hewitson: We will develop our own

湯姆．休伊森：我們會發展出

kind of vernacular for speaking with

與機器人特定的日常語言

machines that will be subtly

這與我們和其他人的對話

different from how we speak to other

有微妙的不同

people because as you rightly point out

因為你很合理地指出

you don't need to make the machine like

你不需要讓機器去喜歡你

you don't need to kind of make random

你也不需要為了打發時間而

chit-chat that's just filling the time. It can

隨口閒聊

be much more brusque and to the point.

對話會更直白與簡明扼要

Dan: A lot of what we say in human

丹：我們跟人的對話

communication is to do with our

常常都跟我們交流的人之間

relationship with the person we're talking to.

的人際關係有關

Rob: We say things and talk about things

勞勃：我們所談論的內容或許

that are maybe not directly relevant to our

和重點並沒有直接的關聯

point. With a digital virtual assistant, we

有了數位化的虛擬助理，

don't need to do that, so we don't need to

我們就不需要這些對話了，我們不需要讓

make the machine like us.

機器人喜歡我們

Dan: Hewitson said that we will develop

丹：休伊森提到我們會發展出

our own vernacular, this is a general word

自己的日常用語，這是指母語中的

for a native language. This vernacular will

一般用語。這種日常用語會

be a little bit different from our everyday

和我們每天的對話有些不同

vernacular because, as we said, we don't

因為如同我們說的，

need to maintain a social relationship

我們不需要跟虛擬助理

with the artificial assistant.

維持社交關係

Rob: This means that we won't need

勞勃：這代表我們不需要閒聊

chit-chat. Chit-chat is another expression

閒聊的另外一種意思是寒暄

for small talk: conversation topics which

對話的主題並不重要

aren't important but are part of everyday

但卻是每天社交的一部分

social communication, like talking about

就跟談論天氣

the weather.

一樣

Dan: And because we don't need to be

丹：以及我們不需要跟虛擬助理

friends with our virtual assistants, we can

交朋友

be brusque and to the point. Both of these

我們可以更直白與簡明扼要

mean being very direct and not very

這兩者都代表很直接且

polite.

不是很禮貌

Rob: Well Dan, I don't mean to be brusque but

勞勃：丹，我無意太直白

it is time for the answer to this week's

但我們該回答這週的小測驗了

quiz question. Earlier I asked when was

先前我問了第一台會語音辨識

the first computer which could recognise

的電腦是何時出現的？

speech, launched. The options were:

選擇有

a) 1951, b) 1961, or c) 1971.

(A) 1951、(B) 1961、還是 (C) 1971年？

Well actually the first computer which

事實上，第一台會語音辨識的電腦

could recognise speech was launched in 1961.

是在 1961 年推出的

Dan: Yep! It was called the IBM Shoebox and

丹：沒錯！是 IBM 的 Shoebox

could recognise 16 words and the

它能辨識出 16 個單字和

numbers zero to nine. That's nearly as

0~9 的數字，

many as you!

大概跟你一樣多

Rob: Cheeky! Right enough of this

勞勃：真無禮！我們閒聊夠了！

chat-chat. Let's recap today's vocabulary.

現在該複習一下今天的單字了

Dan: Well chit-chat was one of today's

丹：閒聊是今天的用詞之一

expressions. Meaning 'small talk', but we

這表示寒暄

also had the expression to date. That

但我們也提到迄今

means 'up until this moment in time'.

意思是「直到這一刻」

Rob: Then we had the noun agent. This

勞勃：我們還學了一個名詞「代理人」

refers to something that has agency. And

這代表一種有行為能力的事物

that is the ability to think, make decisions

而且有思考能力，可以下決定

and act independently.

跟獨立行動

Dan: The next word is vernacular, another

丹：下一個單字是日常用語

word for language, particularly when

語言的另一個單字，特別是

talking about a native language.

提到母語時

Rob: And finally there was brusque

勞勃：最後是直白的

meaning 'direct and not polite' and to the

意思是直接且無禮的

point, which also means 'direct and without

還有簡明扼要的，意思是直接了當，

unnecessary information'.

沒有多餘的訊息

Dan: Hey Rob

丹：嘿！勞勃

Rob: Yes, what can I do for you Dan?

勞勃：是的，有什麼需要我幫忙的嗎？丹

Dan: End the programme.

丹：結束節目吧！

Rob: Certainly Dan. Well that's all from us

勞勃：當然了，丹！今天就到此為止了

today, be sure to check us out on all the

請務必到下列這些老地方找我們

usual places: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

臉書、推特、IG 和

and YouTube, and of course please don't

YouTube，當然別忘了

forget our website

我們的官網

bbclearningenglish.co m. Bye for now!

bbclearningenglish.com 下次再見！

Dan: Bye!

丹：再見！