VOA常速英语2019--3D技术新应用：给猫咪安假肢

This lucky cat has two legs, and as the saying goes, has nine lives. He was found injured last year and needed parts of his infected back legs amputated. It left him with two different leg lengths, forcing him to drag himself around. The animal was taken in by a cat shelter in Wisconsin that named him Sergeant¹ Stubbs. Later, he was adopted by Adam Schofield. He walks, he kicks that he kicks his right leg around to keep himself balanced, but mostly, it looks like he’s sort of kicking on a scooter as he goes. To see if anything could be done to help Sergeant Stubbs, the cat shelter approached engineering students at the University of Wisconsin-Mandison.

这只幸运的小猫有两条腿，而且，俗话说得好：猫有九条命。去年，有人发现他的时候，他受了伤，后腿部分感染，需要切除。这次切除让这只猫两条腿的长短不一，使他不得不拖着腿在地上行走。这只猫得到了威斯康辛州一家猫咪收容所的收养，这家收容所给他取名为斯塔布斯警官。后来，亚当·斯科菲尔德收养了他。他走路的时候靠踢右腿来保持平衡，但这动作看起来就像是在骑滑板。为了做点什么来帮助斯塔布斯，这家收容所找到了威斯康星大学曼迪逊分校的工程学学生。

They came up with the idea of using a 3D printer to create new prosthetic limbs. This isn’t like a fake project, or like we’re just like designing something. You know, this is a real cat. We’re dealing² with real clients, so we need to be as professional as possible when dealing with these plans. But it isn’t always easy with a cat for a client as part of the prosthetic process. Sergeant Stubbs had to be put in a full-body cast; it was a challenge because he wiggled out of it.

他们想到了一个办法，即通过3D打印机来制作新的假肢。这不是虚拟的项目，也不是在设计什么东西。毕竟这是一只真实存在的猫，是我们真实的客户。所以我们要要尽可能以专业的方式来制定计划。但以猫作为假肢的设计对象，这是不容易做到的。斯塔布斯必须要全身打石膏，但它总是想通过扭动来摆脱束缚。

The students hope their creation can help other cats. I think the idea behind our prosthetics can be used further down the line. Back at home, Schofied struggles to get the prosthetics on Sargent Stubbs which are strapped³ to his back legs. He is impressed with the prosthetics, and hopes his cat will get used to them. It’s a cat. You can’t make him do it. You never know if Stubbs was a happy street cat, I don’t know. I know it was a very happy cat now. Schofield hopes the new prosthetics will make his cat’s life even better.

学生们希望他们的设计能帮助到其他的猫。我认为，我们设计假肢的理念可以进一步得到应用。在家里的时候，斯科菲尔德给斯塔布斯装上绑腿式假肢也是费了很大的劲儿。他对假肢的设计感到惊艳，他也希望小猫咪能够适应假肢的存在。斯塔布斯不是人，不会那么听话。斯塔布斯以前流浪街头是否过得开心，我不知道。但我知道它现在很快乐。斯科菲尔德希望新装的假肢能让这只猫的生活更加美好。

1 sergeant   

n.警官，中士

参考例句：

• His elder brother is a sergeant.他哥哥是个警官。
• How many stripes are there on the sleeve of a sergeant?陆军中士的袖子上有多少条纹？

2 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

3 strapped   

adj.用皮带捆住的，用皮带装饰的；身无分文的；缺钱；手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词)；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带

参考例句：

• Make sure that the child is strapped tightly into the buggy. 一定要把孩子牢牢地拴在婴儿车上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The soldiers' great coats were strapped on their packs. 战士们的厚大衣扎捆在背包上。 来自《简明英汉词典》