VOA慢速英语2020 以色列人发明"用餐专用口罩"（在线收听）

New Mask Could Make Eating in Restaurants Less Risky

Israeli inventors have developed a face mask with a remote-controlled mouth that helps protect against the coronavirus. They say someone wearing the mask could eat food without taking it off. And they say the device could make a visit to a restaurant less risky.

以色列发明家发明了一种可远程控制嘴部的口罩，可帮助人们抵御冠状病毒。他们说，戴口罩的人无需摘口罩即可用餐。他们还表示，这款口罩可降低到餐厅就餐的（感染）风险。

The mask operates much like a handbrake on a bicycle. A user pulls a lever which creates an opening in the front of the mask so that food can pass through.

这款口罩的原理很像自行车的手刹。使用者可以拉动杠杆，打开口罩的狭槽，这样可以戴着口罩用餐了。

Asaf Gitelis is vice president of Avtipus Patents and Inventions. He demonstrated the device at the company's offices near Tel Aviv.

阿萨夫（Asaf Gitelis）是Avtipus专利和发明的副总裁。他在特拉维夫附近的公司办公室展示了这款口罩。

Gitelis said, "The mask will be opened mechanically by hand remote or automatically when the fork is coming to the mask.

阿萨夫表示，当叉子碰到口罩时，可以通过机械遥控或者自动开启。

"Then you can eat, enjoy, drink and you take out the fork and it will be closed, and you're protected against the virus and other people sitting with you."

“然后你就可以进餐，享受，喝水，把叉子取出后，口罩就会合上，这样可以保护你免受病毒和旁边食客的感染。”

The company said it plans to start manufacturing the mask in the next few months and had already asked for a patent. It said it would likely sell from $0.85 to $2.85 more than the price of the simple, blue medical masks many Israelis wear.

该公司表示，计划在未来几个月开始生产这种口罩，并且已申请了专利。该公司指出，这款口罩售价可能比许多以色列人戴的简易蓝色医用口罩高出0.85至2.85美元。

A Reuters news agency employee showed Israelis a video of the mask in action on a wireless phone outside an eatery in Tel Aviv.

一名路透社员工向以色列人展示了一段在特拉维夫某餐馆外戴口罩用餐的视频，该视频通过无线电话拍摄。

"I think this mask, that enables me to eat while I'm still wearing it, is a must-have," said Ofir Hameiri, a 32-year-old graduate student.

32岁的研究生奥菲拉·哈美利（Ofir Hameiri）表示：“我认为这款口罩是必备品，可以让我在佩戴的情况下用餐。”

But 29-year-old musician Ron Silberstein said he did not think the mask would work well with foods that melt, such as ice cream.

但29岁的音乐家罗恩·西尔伯斯坦表示，他认为这款口罩不太适合在吃冰激凌等易融化食物的时候佩戴。

Israel has largely reopened its economy after a large drop in cases of the new coronavirus. For now, restaurants are open only for takeout service.

在新型冠状病毒病例大幅减少后，以色列基本上重新开放了经济。目前，餐馆只提供外卖服务。

I'm Jonathan Evans.

乔纳森·埃文斯为您播报。

Words in This Story

automatically – adv. having controls that allow something to work or happen without being directly controlled by a person

fork –n. a small tool with two or more pointed parts (called prongs or tines) used for picking up and eating food

graduate – adj. of, relating to, or engaged in studies beyond the first or bachelor's degree

handbrake – n. a brake that is operated by pushing or pulling a lever with your hand

lever – n. a bar or rod that is used to operate or adjust something on a machine, vehicle, device, etc.

patent – n. an official document that gives a person or company the right to be the only one that makes or sells a product for a certain period of time

remote-controlled – adj. controlled from a distance by using electronic signals