经济学人:物联网 智能家居让你无力抗拒(下)

 　　People who can afford that probably don’t do their own shopping. 然而，买得起这款冰箱的人可能不会自己去购物。

　　Appliances such as fridges are also ones that households replace infrequently: that slows the take-up of new devices. 冰箱这样的智能家居更换得并不频繁，这拉低了智能家居购买率。

　　The technology is not perfect yet, either. 另外，智能家居技术尚未完善。

　　The smartphone, the link between the customer and smart-home device, has raised consumers’ expectations,  作为顾客与智能家居的连接纽带，智能手机提升了客户的期望。

　　explains Jamie Siminoff, the boss of Ring, a startup that makes a doorbell that can be answered remotely. 远程控制智能门铃创业公司（Ring）的创始人兼首席执行官杰米·西敏诺夫（Jamie Siminoff）说道。

　　Smartphones have trained users to expect a level of quality and seamless ease of use that smart-home devices struggle to replicate¹. 智能手机促使顾客期待一种高品质、无缝连接的使用体验，这也是智能家居竭力想要打造的地方。

　　And a lack of standardisation means that gadgets² from different firms cannot communicate with each other. 而且，智能家居行业标准缺失意味着不同公司生产的智能家居无法互联互通。

　　There are exceptions. Devices that are easy to install and offer obvious benefits are gaining in popularity,  不过也有例外。那些安装便捷、益处多多的智能家居日渐流行起来，

　　such as motion sensors³ that send alerts when windows and doors are opened and cameras to monitor activity. 例如：当门窗打开时就会发送提醒的动作传感器，以及监视活动的摄像头等等。

　　Some devices, such as smart smoke detectors⁴, are in homes because insurance companies offer financial incentives⁵ for using them. 保险公司对智能家居购买者施行财务激励措施，诸如智能烟雾探测器等某些设备已应用于家庭生活之中。

　　The smart-home sector⁶ is vibrant⁷ with startups and big firms betting that the hesitancy is temporary. 智能家居行业之所以展现勃勃生机，是因为创业公司及巨头公司大胆推测到顾客的迟疑不决只是暂时现象。

　　But consumer apathy⁸ has forced firms to rethink how they might woo customers. 然而，顾客们置若罔闻让公司不得不重新考虑如何招徕顾客。

　　Perhaps the biggest surprise is that Amazon, which failed miserably⁹ in its ambition to develop a smartphone, is showing the way. 或许最让人颇感意外的是亚马逊，尽管亚马逊开发智能手机惨遭失败，但亚马逊却在智能家居行业开辟出了一片新天地。

　　Amazon Echo is a smart speaker that can recognise and respond to voice commands. 其开发的智能音箱Echo能够识别语音指令并做出相应反应。

　　It shares information about the weather and sports scores, plays music and turns lights on and off. 此设备不仅能够查询天气预报、分享体育赛事，还能放音乐、开关灯。

　　The device, which costs around $180, is not yet a big seller. 虽然Echo售价仅180美元，但尚未畅销。

　　Amazon does not release sales figures, but Strategy Analytics estimates that fewer than 1m Echos have been sold since it was released in November 2014. 目前，亚马逊未公布其销售额，但据研究公司Strategy Analytics估计，自2014年11月Echo发行以来，其销量不到100万台。

　　Yet the Echo is the talk of Silicon¹⁰ Valley. 但是Echo已成硅谷热点话题。

　　An interface¹¹ that relies on voice commands could overcome one of the drawbacks of the piecemeal¹² approach to the smart home,  Echo的语音接口可以克服智能家居“连接方式标准化程度低”这一弊端，

　　by becoming the standard integrator of all the other bits of smart kit¹³. 通过为其他所有智能家居提供标准化集成入口的方式。

　　Echo is open to outside developers, who can come up with all manner of devices and services that hook up with it. 目前，Echo向外部开发者开放，开发者能用各种方法让各式家居及智能服务与Echo互联互通。

　　Echo’s success may have come as a surprise, but competitors have cottoned on that it may be a crucial piece of equipment. 也许Echo的成功让人颇感意外，但竞争对手已意识到，Echo可能是一款开启智能家居新领域的关键设备。

　　Google has announced plans to build a stand-alone hub like Echo, called Google Home, which will also rely on voice commands. 谷歌宣布计划开发类似Echo的Google Home，其同样是一台基于语音指令的独立硬件设备。

　　Apple is also expected to announce new smart-home capabilities¹⁴:  预计苹果公司也将参与其中：

　　there are rumours¹⁵ it could launch a stand-alone hub in the Echo vein¹⁶ at its annual developers’ conference on June 13th. 据传苹果公司可能于6月13日年度开发者大会上发布一款Echo风格的独立硬件设备。

　　Its smart-home platform, called HomeKit, has been a failure so far. 迄今为止，其智能家居平台（HomeKit）一直受阻。

　　That Apple, despite its large base of affluent¹⁷ acolytes¹⁸, has not yet cracked the smart home is a sign of its difficulty, points out Geoff Blaber at CCS Insight, which tracks mobile-industry trends. 移动咨询公司CCS Insight分析师杰夫·布拉伯（Geoff Blaber）指出：“尽管苹果公司有丰富的人力资源为基础，但仍未破解智能家居行业的发展难题，这说明智能家居普及路上困难重重。”

　　Each tech giant has a different reason for trying to overcome the indifference¹⁹ of consumers, and to embed²⁰ itself more deeply in the home. 出于不同原因，每家科技巨头均试图化解顾客的冷漠心态、使自家产品深度融入顾客家居生活。

　　The Echo can help Amazon learn how people spend their time, and make it easier for them to spend money too by suggesting things they might buy. 就亚马逊而言，Echo能帮助其了解到顾客的时间分配，并通过“相关推荐”使购物便捷化。

　　Google, whose main business is advertising²¹, also wants to draw from a fresh well of data; by learning as much about users as possible, it can target them with appropriate ads. 尽管广告才是谷歌的主营业务，谷歌也想尽可能了解用户来获取第一手资料，以精准推送适合的广告。

　　Apple, with a track record of simplifying and creating ecosystems²² where others before it could not, wants its devices to be the gateway²³ through which people go to organise²⁴ their lives. 在打造简化的生态系统方面取得前所未有成就的苹果，也希望自家产品能充当打造人们生活的钥匙。

　　If the tech giants retain their ambition to sit at the centre of the smart home, uncertainty²⁵ prevails over where the profits lie. 如果科技巨头仍有在智能家居行业发展进程中发挥核心作用的野心，那么将要自负盈亏。

　　“It remains²⁶ unclear what the economic model for the smart home will be,” says Andy Hobsbawm of Evrythng, an internet-of-things platform. 物联网软件公司Evrythng创始人安迪·霍布斯鲍姆（Andy Hobsbawm）说道：“未来智能家居行业经济模式如何尚不明确。”

　　Some firms will try to make enough profit just from hardware. 部分公司试图从硬件中赚取足够利润。

　　Others will try to sell services, such as archiving security videos, as well as devices, and charge a fee. 另一部分公司则除了销售智能家居外，还试图销售诸如监控录像存档的智能服务来收取一定费用。

　　The products that fill houses are diverse, personal and durable²⁷. 家居产品不仅多种多样，而且个性十足、非常耐用。

　　That should give plenty of companies a shot at lodging²⁸ themselves in the home—but only when consumers decide to put out the welcome mat. 然而，只有当顾客欣然接受智能家居技术时，许多公司才会尝试入驻智能家居行业。

1 replicate   

v.折叠，复制，模写；n.同样的样品；adj.转折的

参考例句：

• The DNA of chromatin must replicate before cell division.染色质DNA在细胞分裂之前必须复制。
• It is also easy to replicate,as the next subsection explains.就像下一个小节详细说明的那样，它还可以被轻易的复制。

2 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

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 detectors   

探测器( detector的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The report advocated that all buildings be fitted with smoke detectors. 报告主张所有的建筑物都应安装烟火探测器。
• This is heady wine for experimenters using these neutrino detectors. 对于使用中微子探测器的实验工作者，这是令人兴奋的美酒。 来自英汉非文学 - 科技

5 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

6 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

7 vibrant   

adj.震颤的，响亮的，充满活力的，精力充沛的，(色彩)鲜明的

参考例句：

• He always uses vibrant colours in his paintings. 他在画中总是使用鲜明的色彩。
• She gave a vibrant performance in the leading role in the school play.她在学校表演中生气盎然地扮演了主角。

8 apathy   

n.漠不关心，无动于衷；冷淡

参考例句：

• He was sunk in apathy after his failure.他失败后心恢意冷。
• She heard the story with apathy.她听了这个故事无动于衷。

9 miserably   

adv.痛苦地；悲惨地；糟糕地；极度地

参考例句：

• The little girl was wailing miserably. 那小女孩难过得号啕大哭。
• It was drizzling, and miserably cold and damp. 外面下着毛毛细雨，天气又冷又湿，令人难受。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 silicon   

n.硅(旧名矽)

参考例句：

• This company pioneered the use of silicon chip.这家公司开创了使用硅片的方法。
• A chip is a piece of silicon about the size of a postage stamp.芯片就是一枚邮票大小的硅片。

11 interface   

n.接合部位，分界面；v.(使)互相联系

参考例句：

• My computer has a network interface,which allows me to get to other computers.我的计算机有网络接口可以与其它计算机连在一起。
• This program has perspicuous interface and extensive application. 该程序界面明了，适用范围广。

12 piecemeal   

adj.零碎的；n.片，块；adv.逐渐地；v.弄成碎块

参考例句：

• A lack of narrative drive leaves the reader with piecemeal vignettes.叙述缺乏吸引力，读者读到的只是一些支离破碎的片段。
• Let's settle the matter at one stroke,not piecemeal.把这事一气儿解决了吧，别零敲碎打了。

13 kit   

n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物

参考例句：

• The kit consisted of about twenty cosmetic items.整套工具包括大约20种化妆用品。
• The captain wants to inspect your kit.船长想检查你的行装。

14 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

15 rumours   

n.传闻( rumour的名词复数 )；风闻；谣言；谣传

参考例句：

• The rumours were completely baseless. 那些谣传毫无根据。
• Rumours of job losses were later confirmed. 裁员的传言后来得到了证实。

16 vein   

n.血管，静脉；叶脉，纹理；情绪；vt.使成脉络

参考例句：

• The girl is not in the vein for singing today.那女孩今天没有心情唱歌。
• The doctor injects glucose into the patient's vein.医生把葡萄糖注射入病人的静脉。

17 affluent   

adj.富裕的，富有的，丰富的，富饶的

参考例句：

• He hails from an affluent background.他出身于一个富有的家庭。
• His parents were very affluent.他的父母很富裕。

18 acolytes   

n.助手( acolyte的名词复数 )；随从；新手；（天主教）侍祭

参考例句：

• To his acolytes, he is known simply as 'the Boss'. 他被手下人简称为“老板”。 来自辞典例句
• Many of the acolytes have been in hiding amongst the populace. 许多寺僧都隐藏在平民当中。 来自互联网

19 indifference   

n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎

参考例句：

• I was disappointed by his indifference more than somewhat.他的漠不关心使我很失望。
• He feigned indifference to criticism of his work.他假装毫不在意别人批评他的作品。

20 embed   

vt.把…嵌(埋、插)入，扎牢；使深留脑中

参考例句：

• The harpoon struck but did not embed.鱼叉击中了但并没有插入。
• This photo showed us how did the root of plant embed the soil deeply.这张照片显示植物的根是如何深入到土壤里去的。

21 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

22 ecosystems   

n.生态系统( ecosystem的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There are highly sensitive and delicately balanced ecosystems in the forest. 森林里有高度敏感、灵敏平衡的各种生态系统。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Madagascar's ecosystems range from rainforest to semi-desert. 马达加斯加生态系统类型多样，从雨林到半荒漠等不一而足。 来自辞典例句

23 gateway   

n.大门口，出入口，途径，方法

参考例句：

• Hard work is the gateway to success.努力工作是通往成功之路。
• A man collected tolls at the gateway.一个人在大门口收通行费。

24 organise   

vt.组织，安排，筹办

参考例句：

• He has the ability to organise.他很有组织才能。
• It's my job to organise all the ceremonial events.由我来组织所有的仪式。

25 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

26 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

27 durable   

adj.持久的，耐久的

参考例句：

• This raincoat is made of very durable material.这件雨衣是用非常耐用的料子做的。
• They frequently require more major durable purchases.他们经常需要购买耐用消费品。

28 lodging   

n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍

参考例句：

• The bill is inclusive of the food and lodging. 账单包括吃、住费用。
• Where can you find lodging for the night? 你今晚在哪里借宿?