2006年VOA标准英语-Korean Hi-Tech Innovators Come to US with

By June Soh
Washington, DC
13 March 2006
 
watch HiTech Innovators report

Immigrants come to the United States for a variety of reasons but many come hoping for success. VOA's June Soh produced this story about some Korean entrepreneurs with innovative¹ ideas and devices. It is narrated² by Amy Katz. 

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Digital door lock
  

Forgot the door key?  With this digital door lock, it's never a problem. It recognizes your voice and unlocks the door.  Seok-Hee Lee of LSG Inc. has just launched the VoiceKey in the U.S.

The search for a fool-proof way to identify people and protect sensitive locations led Dae-hoon Kim of Iritech Incorporated to develop the Iris³ Identification System. 

Dae-hoon Kim  
  
"It captures an iris [imprint of the eye] and identifies each person individually like a finger print," explains Kim.  "But an iris is much more unique compared to a finger print or a face.  Because of the 9/11 terror American government makes very strict regulations for entering the U.S.A.  And according to such regulations, so many governments and companies have strong interest in the iris identification system."

 
John Yang 
  
For those wanting to avoid carpal tunnel syndrome,  the repetitive motion strain that afflicts⁴ office workers,  John Yang of Waawoo Technology Inc. has an answer. "As you can see this, when I am grabbing my Wow-Pen mouse it's just like using crayons or a pen.  So when you grab it, you will feel more natural and easier than a conventional mouse."

Lee, Kim and Yang are all Korean entrepreneurs connected with the Korea Business Development Center located in Fairfax County, Virginia.

There are about a dozen tech-savvy entrepreneurs at the center, which is a technology incubator largely supported by the Korean government.  It helps Korea-based companies get started and expand in the U.S.  "Potential is great," says Seok-hee Lee. "We are now in the state of figuring out the market size, (distribution) channel and every thing."

The out-sourcing of jobs from the U.S. to other countries has caused an outcry, but this is part of what could be called in-sourcing, and the influx⁵ has become a significant - if quiet - trend.   

 
Gerald Gordon
  
In Fairfax County alone, there are 325 businesses from outside the U.S. compared to 70 businesses 10 years ago, says Gerald Gordon, president of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority.  "They create close to 20,000 jobs, and those jobs spin off into the economy, other jobs," explains Gordon.  "So there is a great impact on our local employment picture.  They also create trade opportunities, which increase the wealth."

Most of the Korean companies in the center are in the research and development phase. That means the entrepreneurs spend a lot of time flying between their laboratories in Korea and their sales operations in the U.S.  David Callahan is a senior advisor⁶ at the center. 

 
David Callahan
  
"I think a number of them have a very great potential because their technologies are innovative and they meet the need in the U.S. markets," says Callahan.  "So several of them don't have very much competition at all."

And their potential is not limited to the U.S. market. "Our intention is to take Dr. Kim's technology and make it a viable⁷ commercial product not particularly in my country," says Prabhu Sridharan of the Indonesian industrial group Texmaco, which has established a partnership⁸ with Dae-Hoon Kim.  "I am looking at the global market for this."

Dae-Hoon Kim adds, "I also want to make this company as number one security company using iris technology (in the world)."

1 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。

2 narrated   

v.故事( narrate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Some of the story was narrated in the film. 该电影叙述了这个故事的部分情节。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Defoe skilfully narrated the adventures of Robinson Crusoe on his desert island. 笛福生动地叙述了鲁滨逊·克鲁索在荒岛上的冒险故事。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 iris   

n.虹膜，彩虹

参考例句：

• The opening of the iris is called the pupil.虹膜的开口处叫做瞳孔。
• This incredible human eye,complete with retina and iris,can be found in the Maldives.又是在马尔代夫，有这样一只难以置信的眼睛，连视网膜和虹膜都刻画齐全了。

4 afflicts   

使受痛苦，折磨( afflict的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Level 3-Afflicts a target with the Curse of the Silent. 三级-用静默诅咒折磨一个目标。
• Level 1-Afflicts a target with the Curse of the Silent. 一级-用静默诅咒折磨一个目标。

5 influx   

n.流入，注入

参考例句：

• The country simply cannot absorb this influx of refugees.这个国家实在不能接纳这么多涌入的难民。
• Textile workers favoured protection because they feared an influx of cheap cloth.纺织工人拥护贸易保护措施，因为他们担心涌入廉价纺织品。

6 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

7 viable   

adj.可行的，切实可行的，能活下去的

参考例句：

• The scheme is economically viable.这个计划从经济效益来看是可行的。
• The economy of the country is not viable.这个国家经济是难以维持的。

8 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。