Unit   Six

Text A   Improving Industrial Efficiency through Robotics

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一．    课文简介

机器人在工业生产中的使用越来越普遍。目前大多数的机器人用于汽车工业，此外在别的工业领域虽然应用的程度低一些，但也开始出现。它们已经可以代替人进行一些工作。那么机器人与自动化机械有什么不同呢？它们的不同在于机器人完成某一特定任务后，可由计算机重新编制程序去完成另一项任务。现在科学家与工程技术人员正在研制新一代机器人，使机器人具有视觉、有触觉、并且能够做出关键性的决策。未来机器人将会在许多领域代替人的工作。

Paras.1-3   Robots are used in many areas

Para.4    The difference between robots and other machines.

Paras.5-7 Technicians and engineers are trying to design new types of robots.

（停顿）

二．词汇精讲：                 New  Words

（上面兰色标出的词汇分别与下面精讲词汇相链接，点击哪个词就出现那个词的相应解释及用法）

词汇精讲:

1.       efficiency : 效率，功效

派生词：efficient a. 有效率的； inefficient a. 无效率的；inefficiency n. 无效率

These machines have raised efficiency many times. 这些机器效率提高了好多倍。

A good manager is both competent and efficient. 好的经理应当是称职而且有效。

区别：efficient 和effective

efficient a .有效率的 ； effective a. 有效的

2.       increasingly : ad. 日益，越来越多

派生词：increase v. 增加，提高； increasing a. 越来越多的；

He is increasingly rude to me. 他对我越来越粗鲁。

This argument became increasingly bitter. 他们的争论越来越激烈。

Industrial production as a whole increased by 20 percent.  工业生产总体上增长了20%。

It’ll be some time before supply can keep up with the increasing demand. 随着需求的不断增长，一段时间以后供应也会上升。

3.       personnel ：n. 全体人员，全体职工，人事（部门）

派生词：person n. 人； personal a. 个人的，私人的

All personnel will receive an extra week’s vacation. 全体人员将获得额外的一星期假期。

The new director of the TV station is likely to make major change in personnel. 电视台的新台长有可能做很大的人事变动。

I can’t insist upon my personal opinion. 我不能坚持个人的观点。

4.       expose：暴露，揭露

派生词：exposure n. 暴露，揭露，接触

用法： to expose to 将… 暴露于… 之下；使… 面临

Parents should not expose the children to violent program. 父母不应该让孩子接触暴力节目。

When she went to college, Mary was exposed to a lot of new ideas. 凯特上大学后接触到许多新思想。

操练：我们应该让孩子们接触新思想。

      We should expose children to new ideas.

5.       switch ：开关，转换

Having considered that problem, they switched their conversation to other matters. 考虑了那个问题后，他们把话题转到其他问题上。

None of us wish to switch back to the old system. 我们谁也不愿意回复到旧制度。

操练：在过去的三年里，他从一个职业转向另一个职业。

In the last three years, he switched from one profession to another.

6.       critical: 批评的，对… 谴责的，紧要的，危急的

派生词： criticize v. 批评，批判；criticism n. 批评； critic : 评论文章，评论

His critical analysis was helpful. 他的批评性分析很有帮助。

The patient was in a critical condition. 病人处于危险的情况。

The old man was critical of the boy’s impolite behavior.  那个老人不满意男孩的不礼貌行为。

操练：在关键时刻，我们应该有能力面对一切困难。

At the critical moment, we should be capable of facing any difficulties.

操练：对于她对法律的无知，他持批评态度。

      He is critical of her ignorance of law.    

7.       intensity: 强度，力量；强烈

派生词： intense  a. 强烈的，剧烈的

The pain increased in intensity. 疼痛加剧了。

The intensity of the play left the audience numbed. 这部戏的紧张程度使观众麻木了。

8.       scale：刻度，规模；比例尺

They are making war preparations on a large scale. 他们正大规模地搞战备。

The scale is an inch to the mile. 比例是用一寸代表一里。

词组：phrases

1. in that : 在于，原因是

Men are different from other animals in that the former can create and use tools while the latter cannot. 人与动物的不同之处在于，人会制造和使用工具而其他动物则不能。

I like the city, but I like the country better in that I have more friends in the country. 我喜欢城市，但我更喜欢农村，因为在农村我有许多朋友。

2. in question：在被谈论的，

Where are the girls in question? 谈论中的女孩们在哪？

That’s not the point in question. 那不是要考虑的问题。

区别：in question ， out of question  , out of the question

in question  在被谈论的， out of question 没有问题；out of the question 不可能

To pass the exam is out of question. 通过考试没问题。

Their victory is out of the question; they’ve lost too many men. 他们是不可能胜利的，他们损失的人太多。

3. plenty of： 充足，大量

There was plenty of work for them to do. 有很多工作需要他们做。

I have plenty of humorous tales. 我有许多幽默的故事。

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三．课文详解

                Improving Industrial Efficiency through Robotics

(链接，出现机器人的画面)

Robots, becoming increasingly prevalent in factories and industrial plants throughout the developed world, are programmed and engineered to perform industrial tasks without human intervention.①

Most of today's robots are employed in the automotive industry, where they are programmed to take over such jobs as welding and spray painting automobile and truck bodies. ② They also load and unload hot, heavy metal forms used in machines casting automobile and truck frames. ③

Robots, already taking over human tasks in the automotive field, are beginning to be seen, although to a lesser degree, in other industries as well. ④ There they build electric motors, small appliances, pocket calculators, and even watches. The robots used in nuclear power plants handle the radioactive materials, preventing human personnel from being exposed to radiation. ⑤These are the robots responsible for the reduction in job-related injuries in this new industry.

What makes a robot a robot and not just another kind of automatic machine? Robots differ from automatic machines in that after completion of one specific task, they can be reprogrammed by a computer to do another one. ⑥As an example, a robot doing spot welding one month can be reprogrammed and switched to spray painting the next.⑦ Automatic machines, on the other hand, are not capable of many different uses; they are built to perform only one task.

The next generation of robots will be able to see objects, will have a sense of touch, and will make critical decisions. Engineers skilled in microelectronics and computer technology are developing artificial vision for robots. With the ability to "see", robots can identify and inspect one specific class of objects out of a stack of different kinds of materials.⑧ One robot vision system uses electronic digital cameras containing many rows of light-sensitive materials. When light from an object such as a machine part strikes the camera, the sensitive materials measure the intensity of light and convert the light rays into a range of numbers.⑨ The numbers are part of a grayscale system in which brightness is measured in a range of values. One scale ranges from 0 to 15, and another from 0 to 255. The 0 is represented by black. The highest number is white. The numbers in between represent different shades of gray. The computer then makes the calculations and converts the numbers into a picture that shows an image of the object in question. It is not yet known whether robots will one day have vision as good as human vision. ⑩Technicians believe they will, but only after years of development.

Engineers working on other advances are designing and experimenting with new types of metal hands and fingers, giving robots a sense of touch. ⑾Other engineers are writing new programs allowing robots to make decisions such as whether to discard defective parts in finished products. To do this, the robot will also have to be capable of identifying those defective parts.

These future robots, assembled with a sense of touch and ability to see and make decisions, will have plenty of work to do. ⑿They can be used to explore for minerals on the ocean floor or deep areas of mines too dangerous for humans to enter. ⒀They work as gas station attendants, firemen, housekeepers, and security personnel. Anyone wanting to understand the industry of the future will have to know about robotics. （老师停顿）

（以下课文详解分别与上面划线部分内容相链接）

课文详解：

1.       此句中 “ becoming increasingly prevalent in factories and industrial plants throughout the developed world” 是现在分词短语作伴随状语，插在主语和谓语中间（也可放在句首）。

   在翻译时可以按照原文语序，即“机器人在所有发达国家的工厂和其他工业部门日益普遍得到应用，通过编程和策划在无人干预的条件下完成工业生产任务。”

2.       Most of today's robots are employed in the automotive industry, where they are programmed to take over such jobs as welding and spray painting automobile and truck bodies.  where 引导非限制性定语从句，对主句起补充说明作用。翻译时，按照原文语序即可。“目前大多数机器人用于汽车工业，它们按编程去承担轿车和卡车车身的焊接和喷漆这样的工作。”

3.       They also load and unload hot, heavy metal forms used in machines casting automobile and truck frames. 此句中， “ casting automobile and truck frames” 是现在分词词组作定语修饰machines, 意思是：“铸造轿车和卡车框架的机械”；而 “ used in machines casting automobile and truck frames” 又是 “ metal forms”  的定语，因此本句的意思是：“机器人还可用来装卸铸造轿车和卡车框架的机械上使用的炽热、笨重的金属铸模。”

4.       Robots, already taking over human tasks in the automotive field, are beginning to be seen, although to a lesser degree, in other industries as well. 本句中， “already taking over human tasks in the automotive field” 是现在分词词组作非限定性定语，相当于一个非限制性定语从句。其中 “ although to a lesser degree” 是状语。 “ to … degree” 表示“在某种程度上”。

   翻译：“除了在汽车生产领域替代工人劳动外，机器人也开始在别的工业部门应用，虽然应用的程度上低一些。”

5.       The robots used in nuclear power plants handle the radioactive materials, preventing human personnel from being exposed to radiation句中 “used in nuclear power plants” 是过去分词短语作定语修饰 “ the robots” 此句话谓语是 “ handle” 意思是搬运，处理。“preventing human personnel from being exposed to radiation” 是分词作状语。 “ prevent … from doing sth. ” 是固定搭配表示 “ 阻止… 做… ”

6.  在此句中， “ in that” 是复合连词。表示：“原因是…，因为，在于..” 可以看作是引导原因状语从句。

与“in that” 相类似的复合连词还有：but that (若不是) now that (既然)等。

（参看教材P.145的注释4中的例句）

7.  As an example, a robot doing spot welding one month can be reprogrammed and switched to spray painting the next 。句中doing spot welding one month 是分词短语作定语修饰robot；the next相当于 the next month 与前边的one month 相呼应。本句意思是：“例如，一个机器人这个月做点焊工作，下个月可以重新编程去做喷漆工作。”

8.