经济学人:物联网 智能家居让你无力抗拒(上)

 　　Business: The internet of things: Where the smart is 商业：物联网：智能家居，路在何方

　　Connected homes will take longer to materialise than expected. 真正实现互联家庭仍是长路漫漫。

　　The fanfare¹ has gone on for years. 有关“互联家庭”的大肆宣传已持续多年。

　　Analysts² have repeatedly predicted that the “internet of things”, which adds sensors³ and internet capability⁴ to everyday physical objects,  分析师已经多次预测给日常用品加入传感器以及联网功能的物联网，

　　could transform the lives of individuals as dramatically as the spread of the mobile internet. 可能会像移动互联网普及一般显著改变人们的生活。

　　Providers have focused on the home, touting⁵ products such as coffee pots that turn on when the alarm clock rings,  供应商主要关注家居领域，他们兜售各种家居产品。例如：当闹钟响起时就会自动启动的咖啡壶、

　　lighting⁶ and blinds that adjust to the time of day, and fridges that send an alert when the milk runs out. 可根据一天时间变化自动调节的智能灯具和百叶窗帘，以及当牛奶喝光时就会自动发送提醒的冰箱等等。

　　But so far consumers have been largely resistant⁷ to making their homes “smart”. 然而，迄今为止，顾客大力抵制实现家庭智能化。

　　That’s not for want of trying by tech firms, which have poured cash into their efforts to connect everyday objects to the internet. 这并不是因为科技公司没有全力以赴，为使家居产品具备联网功能，科技公司投入了大量财力。

　　In 2014 Google made the biggest statement of intent so far, spending $3.2 billion to acquire Nest, a smart thermostat-maker,  谷歌已于2014年发表了有史以来最重要的意向声明，即以32亿美元价格收购智能温控器制造商Nest，

　　and $550m to buy Dropcam, which makes home-security cameras. 接着，又以5.5亿美元价格收购家庭视频监控厂商Dropcam。

　　Nest absorbed Dropcam; it is now one of the best-known smart-home brands. Nest随后合并了Dropcam；自此，Nest便成为了全球最知名的智能家居品牌之一。

　　But it is also a warning about how long it will take for such gadgets⁸ to enter the mainstream⁹. 然而智能家居何时成为主流值得人们注意。

　　Nest has undoubtedly¹⁰ disappointed Google. 不出意料，Nest公司的表现让谷歌十分失望。

　　It sold just 1.3m smart thermostats¹¹ in 2015, and only 2.5m in total over the past few years, according to Strategy Analytics, a research firm. 根据研究公司Strategy Analytics调查数据显示，2015年，Nest公司仅销售出130万台智能温控器，而过去几年智能温控器的总销售量仅250万台。

　　For a couple of years the firm has mainly tweaked existing products rather than introducing new ones. 几年来，Nest公司注重于改良现有产品，而非推陈出新。

　　That may explain why Tony Fadell, Nest’s founder¹² and boss, stepped down on June 3rd to take an advisory¹³ role at Google’s parent company, Alphabet. 这或许可以解释为什么Nest创始人兼首席执行官托尼·法德尔（Tony Fadell）于6月3日离职Nest，转而以顾问身份留在谷歌母公司Alphabet一事。

　　Mr Fadell, a former executive at Apple and designer of the iPod, failed to bring his magic touch to the smart home. 这位苹果公司前主管、iPod之父，没能将他的看家本领带入到智能家居行业。

　　Nest’s problems are symptomatic. Nest公司的遭遇有所征兆。

　　Only 6% of American households have a smart-home device, including internet-connected appliances, home-monitoring systems, speakers or lighting,  仅有6%的美国家庭拥有智能家居，包括具备联网功能的家电、家庭监测系统、音箱和灯具。

　　according to Frank Gillett of Forrester, a research firm. 研究公司Forrester的主要分析师弗兰克·吉利特（Frank Gillett）说道。

　　Breakneck growth is not expected; by 2021 the number will be just over 15%. 智能家居销量不大可能突飞猛进；到2021年，拥有智能家居的家庭数仅超出15%。

　　Too few consumers are convinced that the internet has a role to play in every corner of their lives. 确信互联网将会影响人们生活方方面面的顾客寥寥无几。

　　A survey conducted in Britain by PricewaterhouseCoopers, a consulting firm,  咨询公司PwC（PricewaterhouseCoopers）在英国进行的调查显示，

　　found that 72% of people have no plans to adopt smart-home technology in the next two to five years and that they are unwilling¹⁴ to pay for it. 在未来2-5年中，72%的人既不打算采用智能家居技术，也不乐意购买智能家居。

　　Last year consumers globally spent around $60 billion on hardware and services for the smart home, a fraction of the total outlay¹⁵ on domestic gadgets. 去年，用于购买智能家居及智能服务的全球消费总额约600亿元，大大低于家居产品的消费总额。

　　There are several reasons for muted enthusiasm. 顾客热情不高事出有因。

　　Businesses have an incentive¹⁶ to embrace the internet of things:  商家热衷于接受物联网：

　　there are cost savings¹⁷ to be had from embedding¹⁸ sensors in equipment and factories, analysing the data thus produced and improving efficiency. 在设备和工厂中内置的传感器可用于分析数据，进而提高效率，最终达到节约成本的目的。

　　A lot of smart devices for the home, in contrast, remain “fun but not essential”,  相反，“许多智能家居仍然是‘无足轻重的消遣品’，”

　　says Adam Segar of Canary, a startup that makes cameras that lets people monitor what is happening in their house. 家庭智能安保摄像头创业公司（Canary）的创始人兼首席执行官，亚当·西格（Adam Segar）如是说道。

　　Many smart gadgets are still too expensive. 许多智能家居仍旧价格不菲。

　　One of Samsung’s smart fridges, with cameras within that  例如：三星公司推出的一款智能冰箱，顾客不仅可以通过冰箱内部的摄像头

　　check for rotting food and enable consumers to see what they are short of while shopping (through an app on their phone) , sells for a cool $5,000. 查看食物保鲜情况，还能在通过手机APP网购时查看所缺食材，这台冰箱的售价高达5000美元/台。

1 fanfare   

n.喇叭；号角之声；v.热闹地宣布

参考例句：

• The product was launched amid much fanfare worldwide.这个产品在世界各地隆重推出。
• A fanfare of trumpets heralded the arrival of the King.嘹亮的小号声宣告了国王驾到。

2 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

3 sensors   

n.传感器，灵敏元件( sensor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were more than 2000 sensors here. 这里装有两千多个灵敏元件。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Significant changes have been noted where sensors were exposed to trichloride. 当传感器暴露在三氯化物中时，有很大变化。 来自辞典例句

4 capability   

n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等

参考例句：

• She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
• Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。

5 touting   

v.兜售( tout的现在分词 )；招揽；侦查；探听赛马情报

参考例句：

• He's been touting his novel around publishers for years. 他几年来一直到处找出版商兜售自己的小说。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Technology industry leaders are touting cars as a hot area for growth. 科技产业领袖吹捧为增长热点地区的汽车。 来自互联网

6 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

7 resistant   

adj.(to)抵抗的，有抵抗力的

参考例句：

• Many pests are resistant to the insecticide.许多害虫对这种杀虫剂有抵抗力。
• They imposed their government by force on the resistant population.他们以武力把自己的统治强加在持反抗态度的人民头上。

8 gadgets   

n.小机械，小器具（ gadget的名词复数 ）

参考例句：

• Certainly. The idea is not to have a house full of gadgets. 当然。设想是房屋不再充满小配件。 来自超越目标英语 第4册
• This meant more gadgets and more experiments. 这意味着要设计出更多的装置，做更多的实验。 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史

9 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。

10 undoubtedly   

adv.确实地，无疑地

参考例句：

• It is undoubtedly she who has said that.这话明明是她说的。
• He is undoubtedly the pride of China.毫无疑问他是中国的骄傲。

11 thermostats   

n.恒温（调节）器( thermostat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This is the basic operating principle of many thermostats. 这是许多恒温箱的基本工作原理。 来自辞典例句
• Thermostats can be used to regulate the temperature of a room. 恒温器可用来调节室内温度。 来自辞典例句

12 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

13 advisory   

adj.劝告的，忠告的，顾问的，提供咨询

参考例句：

• I have worked in an advisory capacity with many hospitals.我曾在多家医院做过顾问工作。
• He was appointed to the advisory committee last month.他上个月获任命为顾问委员会委员。

14 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。

15 outlay   

n.费用，经费，支出；v.花费

参考例句：

• There was very little outlay on new machinery.添置新机器的开支微乎其微。
• The outlay seems to bear no relation to the object aimed at.这费用似乎和预期目的完全不相称。

16 incentive   

n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机

参考例句：

• Money is still a major incentive in most occupations.在许多职业中，钱仍是主要的鼓励因素。
• He hasn't much incentive to work hard.他没有努力工作的动机。

17 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

18 embedding   

把…嵌入，埋入( embed的现在分词 )； 植入； 埋置； 包埋

参考例句：

• Data embedding in scrambled Digital video complete source code, has been tested. 数据嵌入在炒数字视频完整的源代码，已经过测试。
• Embedding large portions of C++ code in string literals is very awkward. 将大部分C++代码嵌入到字符串中是非常笨拙的。