VOA慢速英语2020 日本商店测试机器人员工（在线收听）

In August, a robot will begin placing food and drinks on store shelves in Japan.This is a test that the robots maker hopes will create a wave of automation in retail stores.Automation is the process of using robots or computers, instead of people, for some jobs.

八月份，一个机器人将开始在日本的商店货架上摆放食物和饮料。这是一场测试，机器人制造商希望能在零售商店带起自动化的潮流。自动化是指在某些工作中使用机器人或者电脑而不是人类的过程。

The manufacturer of the robot worker is a Tokyo-based company called Telexistence.

机器人员工的制造商是东京的一家公司叫做远程存在。 

Following the test, store operator FamilyMart says it plans to use such robots at 20 stores in and around Tokyo by 2022.

测试之后，全家便利店表示截止到2022年它要在东京和附近的20家商店使用这样的机器人。 

One of FamilyMarts competitors is the retail chain Lawson.That company will be testing its first robot in September, according to Telexistence.

全家便利店的竞争对手之一是罗森零售连锁店。据远程存在公司消息，罗森会在9月份测试它的第一个机器人。

At first, people will operate the robots from a distance.These operations will continue until the machines artificial intelligence or AI can learn to copy human-like movements.

起初，人们会远程操作机器人。人们的操作会持续到机器的人工智能学会模仿人类的动作。 

Jin Tomioka is the robot makers chief executive.He noted how the technology lets people sense and experience places other than where they are.

金富冈是机器人制造公司的首席执行官。他解释了科技是怎样让人们感受和经历那些他们没有去过的地方。

"It advances the scope and scale of human existence," he said.

“它扩大了人类存在的范围和规模，”他说。 

The idea, called telexistence, was first proposed around 40 years ago by the companys co-founder, University of Tokyo professor Susumu Tachi.

这个想法，叫做远程存在，是该公司创始人-东京大学教授田智前大约40年前首次提出的。 

Telexistence calls its robot the Model T, after the famous Ford Motor car.The Ford Model T began the era of mass car use around 100 years ago.

远程存在把它的机器人叫做模型T，为纪念著名的福特汽车。约100年前福特T形车开始了汽车的大量使用的时代。

The robot looks somewhat like an Australian animal -- a kangaroo.The unusual design is meant to help people feel at ease.Many people feel uneasy around robots that look too human.

这个机器人看起来有点像一种澳大利亚动物——袋鼠。这个非同寻常的设计是为了让人们感觉舒适。许多人在看起来特别像人类的机器人面前会感觉不舒服。

Robots are still a rare sight in public.They also struggle with simple jobs in unexpected settings.

机器人在公开场合还是很少见的。它们也很艰难地在意想不到的环境中做着简单的工作。 

Solving that problem could help businesses in some countries, especially those in rapidly aging Japan, deal with fewer workers.Businesses hit by the coronavirus may also need to operate with fewer people.

解决这一问题可以帮助某些国家的经济，尤其在快速老龄化的日本，可以解决工人少的问题。被新冠肺炎冲击的生意需要的运营人员也减少了。

Since the coronavirus crisis began , hotels, restaurants and even oil companies have contacted Telexistence, Tomioka said.

自从新冠肺炎危机开始，旅馆、饭店甚至是石油公司都联系过远程存在公司，富冈说道。 

Niki Harada is an official at Japans Restaurant Workers Union."Its difficult to tell now what impact robots might have in restaurants - it could mean fewer people, but it could also create new jobs," Harada said.

妮基原田是日本饭店工人协会的一名官员。“现在还很难说机器人会对饭店行业造成的影响-可能意味着员工更少，但是它也可能创造更多的工作岗位，”原田说。

Although FamilyMart will still need people to control its robots, operators can be anywhere.The operators can also be people who would not normally work in stores, said Tomohiro Kano, a general manager.

尽管全家仍旧需要人来操控机器人，但是操控者可以在任何地方。总经理卡诺智宏说，操控者也可以是那些不常在商店工作的人。

"There are about 1.6 million people in Japan, who for various reasons are not active in the workforce," he said.

“在日本大约有160万人由于种种原因在劳动力市场并不活跃，”他说。 

Takeo Kanade is an AI and robotics scientist at Carnegie Mellon University in the United States.Kanade joined Telexistence in February as an adviser.

金出武雄是美国卡内基-梅隆大学的人工智能和机器人方向科学家。武雄在2月份作为顾问加入了远程存在公司。

Future telexistence robots could be used in hospitals so doctors could perform operations from a distance, he said.

他说，未来远程存在的机器人可能出现在医院，这样医生就可以远程实施手术。 

However, he added, it might take another 20 years before robots can work in peoples homes.

然而，他补充道，大概还需要20年机器人才能在人类家里工作。 

"In order for robots to be really usable at home," he said, "we really have to be able to communicate."

“为了让机器人真正地在家庭中工作，”他说道，“我们得能够沟通。” 

Im John Russell.

约翰·罗塞尔为您报道。