智能家居重新定義生活

導讀：掃地機器人、智能音箱、安防系統……現如今，人們的家中出現了越來越多的高科技產品，而這些智能家居，也重新定義了我們的生活。

Most of us have been in this situation. Youre halfway to meet friends for dinner， then you suddenly think to yourself， “did I remember to turn the iron off？” For those with “smart homes”， however， this isnt something that would ruin their night.

我們大多數人都遇到過這種情況：你正趕去和朋友共進晚餐，卻忽然想起，“我剛剛關掉熨斗了嗎？”然而，對于擁有“智能家居”的人來說，這點小事根本不會讓他們整晚都坐立難安。

Over the last few years， smart home technology has become more prominent and is now more affordable than ever. Thanks to user-friendly products such as intelligent lighting， heating controllers and motion sensors， being able to control nearly every electrical item in your home from anywhere in the world is no longer confined to science fiction stories.

在過去的幾年里，智能家居技術日漸突顯，如今在價格上也比以往更加經濟實惠。由于智能照明設備、加熱控制器、運動傳感器等人性化產品的出現，在世界上的任何一個角落控制家中幾乎所有的電子設備，不再僅僅出現于科幻故事中。

While smart home tech isnt new—the concept has been around for decades—companies like Philips， with its Hue lighting technology， as well as Amazon and Google， which have released speakers that control the home with the help of AI （artificial intelligence）， are finally putting home automation into easier reach of everyday people.

盡管智能家居技術并不是什么新鮮事——這一概念已經出現了幾十年——但各家企業如今才令家居自動化對于老百姓而言更為觸手可得，如飛利浦的Hue照明技術，亞馬孫和谷歌推出的用以控制家居設備的人工智能音箱。

“All of our light switches are controllable via our phones and computers. Our home security system， our TV and our heating and cooling controls are all linked together too，” says Mike Poulson， a senior program manager from Seattle， US， whose high-tech home even greets him and his family when they enter.

“我們生產的所有照明開關都能通過手機和電腦進行操控。我們的家居安防系統、電視，以及制冷制熱控制系統都是關聯在一起的。”高級項目經理邁克·波爾森表示。 在他位于美國西雅圖的家中，高科技家居設備甚至還能在他和家人進門時歡迎他們。

“The obvious message to consumers is that you can stop wasting energy.” Tom Kerber， director of research for US-based digital analysis firm Park Associates， told The Guardian.

“智能技術傳達給消費者們很直觀的信息是：你能停止浪費資源。”美國數據分析公司Park Associates 的研究總監湯姆·克貝爾在接受《衛報》采訪時表示。

“Automation gives you an opportunity to optimize the settings.”

“自動化給了人們優化設置的機會。”

And while being able to automate tasks like having the kettle boiled and ready when you wake in the morning leaves time to focus on other tasks， the technology has more meaningful uses.

盡管智能技術能夠完成一些自動化的任務，比如，在你早晨醒來時準備好一壺燒好的開水，這也讓你有時間去專注于其他事情，但智能技術還有更有意義的用途。

In Norway， for example， one company is using smart tech to make life easier for its elderly customers. The firm， Abilia， has designed a system that allows carers to check up on patients through a Skype-enabled tablet thats mounted on a wall inside their homes.endprint

比如， 挪威的一家公司正運用智能技術以使老年消費者的生活更加簡便。這家名為Abilia的公司設計了一個系統，通過安裝在病人家中墻上的平板電腦，護理人員能夠與病人進行網絡通話，了解病人的情況。

The device， which also sends patients spoken reminders about tasks， such as when they need to take medication， is even connected to a series of sensors which alert carers if theres any unusual activity in the home that could be potentially life-threatening.

這一設備還能給病人們發送語音任務提醒，如他們什么時候需要吃藥。此外，它還連接了一系列傳感器，如果家中出現了可能危及生命的特殊狀況，該設備就會向護理人員發送警報。

“With this kind of system， it allows people to take care of themselves， which is the most important thing，” Abilias vice president， Oystein Johnsen， told the BBC.

“有了這樣的系統，人們就能夠照顧好自己，這是最重要的事，”Abilia副總裁奧伊斯坦·約翰森在接受BBC采訪時表示。

So， for those who have already “gone smart”， would it ever be possible to go back to doing things the old-fashioned way？

所以，對于已經“走向智能”的人們來說，還有可能回到過去，用一些老辦法做事嗎？

“I think it would be difficult. When we go to a friends house or on vacation we find ourselves expecting the house to do things for us that ours does. Its not the end of the world but just annoying that things dont work as expected，” Poulson explains.

“我認為這會很困難。當我們去朋友家里或者出門度假時，我們發現自己會希望別人的房子也能像自己家的一樣，能為我們做很多事。這并非是世界末日，但事情不能如我們所愿，那會令人感到心煩，”波爾森解釋道。

“It would be like going back to a world without cell phones. Not impossible， just different.”

“就像是回到一個沒有手機的世界。不是不可能，而是會相當不同。”

Word Study

prominent /'pr?m?n?nt/ adj. 顯著的；突出的；卓越的

The story was given a prominent position on the front page.

security /s?'kj??r?ti/ n. 安全；保護措施

They carried out security checks at the airport.

release /r?'li?s/ v. 發行；公布

Police have released no further details about the accident.

potentially /p?'ten??li/ adv. 潛在地；可能地

Maybe this study will potentially change the way we see the environment.endprint