VOA慢速英语2019--双比特马戏团为传统游戏带来革新

New Center Brings Technology to Traditional Games

Space travel, survival¹ trips and flying through the air are all experiences people can have at a new kind of entertainment business in Los Angeles, California.

It is called Two Bit Circus.

Many of the games at Two Bit Circus are similar to traditional games of skill played at carnivals² and amusement parks. They test simple skills like throwing objects to hit targets or knock over other objects.

But they also involve new technology, including cameras and eyewear that surround users with computer-generated, three-dimensional pictures. These kinds of experiences are known as virtual³ reality.

Kelly Bentall was a recent visitor who played a game in which she had to throw a plastic ball. Then a computer-generated picture of the ball appeared on a screen in front of her. The picture followed the movements of the real ball and struck a picture of a computer-generated opponent.

“I think it takes a whole arcade⁴ game venue⁵ to the next level, and there’s a couple of games I played tonight where I was out of breath,” Bentall told VOA.

Another addition to the experience is the presence of a robot that serves alcoholic⁶ drinks.

“I have not had a robot make my drink before,” said John Duncan, another visitor. “That was actually pretty cool.”

A place to test games

Two Bit Circus presents the newest developments in game technology. Many of the experiences are created in a work space connected to the entertainment center.

Eric Gradman is the chief technology officer and helped create Two Bit Circus. He also is a robot designer who created experimental designs for the United States military. Gradman said his group can build game designs and test them out in the center on the same day.

He said his team is “always experimenting with new forms of entertainment, and we have the most important ingredient of all – people to test this stuff on.”

Brent Bushnell helped Gradman create the center and is now its chief executive⁷ officer. He is an engineer, a businessman and also the son of the creator of Atari, one of the earliest video game systems.

Bushnell said his father loves Two Bit Circus. “He’s always got ideas – what things we should change, what we should do differently.”

The two co-creators of the experimental entertainment center are also trained circus performers, or clowns.

Gradman said, as a clown, he loved performing in front of thousands of people. “This place is a great way to combine those two loves, making stuff and performing,” he said.

Two Bit Circus is about the size of a department store. That is a good thing for Gradman and Bushnell. Many department stores across the country have closed because people now buy many products online. That means there are large empty spaces available at a lower cost.

Bushnell said these empty stores provide enough space to test and improve new games. The two hope to design Two Bit Circus in a way so that similar stores can be opened across the country.

I’m Jonathan Evans.

Words in This Story

entertainment –n. pleasure that comes from watching a performer, playing a game or similar activities

amusement –n. an activity that entertains or causes someone to have fun

three-dimensional –adj. having or seeming to have length, width, depth

screen –n. a flat device that shows images and videos

arcade –n. a place where many games can be played for money

venue –n. a place where events, such as sport or entertainment, take place

circus –n. a traveling show often held in a tent that includes performers doing tricks and sometimes animals

department store –n. a large store that has separate areas in which different products are sold

1 survival   

n.留住生命，生存，残存，幸存者

参考例句：

• The doctor told my wife I had a fifty-fifty chance of survival.医生告诉我的妻子，说我活下去的可能性只有50%。
• The old man was a survival of a past age.这位老人是上一代的遗老。

2 carnivals   

狂欢节( carnival的名词复数 )； 嘉年华会； 激动人心的事物的组合； 五彩缤纷的颜色组合

参考例句：

• The Venice Carnival is one of the oldest and most famous international carnivals in the world. 威尼斯嘉年华是世界上最古老、最富盛名的国际嘉年华会之一。 来自常春藤生活英语杂志-2006年2月号
• A few exceptions would be made, he said, such as for carnivals. 他说一些免责条款将被制定出来，例如嘉年华会。

3 virtual   

adj.实质上的，事实上的，实际上的

参考例句：

• This reply is a virtual acceptance of our offer.这一回答实质上是接受了我们的建议。
• At that time the East India Company was the virtual ruler of Bengal.那时东印度公司是孟加拉的实际统治者。

4 arcade   

n.拱廊；(一侧或两侧有商店的)通道

参考例句：

• At this time of the morning,the arcade was almost empty.在早晨的这个时候，拱廊街上几乎空无一人。
• In our shopping arcade,you can find different kinds of souvenir.在我们的拱廊市场，你可以发现许多的纪念品。

5 venue   

n.犯罪地点，审判地，管辖地，发生地点，集合地点

参考例句：

• The hall provided a venue for weddings and other functions.大厅给婚礼和其他社会活动提供了场所。
• The chosen venue caused great controversy among the people.人们就审判地点的问题产生了极大的争议。

6 alcoholic   

adj.（含）酒精的，由酒精引起的；n.酗酒者

参考例句：

• The alcoholic strength of brandy far exceeds that of wine.白兰地的酒精浓度远远超过葡萄酒。
• Alcoholic drinks act as a poison to a child.酒精饮料对小孩犹如毒药。

7 executive   

adj.执行的，行政的；n.执行者，行政官，经理

参考例句：

• A good executive usually gets on well with people.一个好的高级管理人员通常与人们相处得很好。
• He is a man of great executive ability.他是个具有极高管理能力的人。