?Teaching robots gain popularity in Europe

By Jane/曾躍蘭（譯）

◆語篇導讀

機器人是一個讓我們興奮不已的詞匯。但如果這么具有魔力的機器人走進教室，對學生們的學習是有利還是有弊呢？他們的出現會不會讓我們朝夕相處的老師深感不安呢？現在，就讓這篇文章為我們答疑解惑吧！

Just thirty centimeters tall,Elias likes to dance Gangnam style when he’s not teaching.But besides his dancing skills,the co-founder of the company who made Elias says,when it comes to learning,robots are hard to beat.The robot is programmed to speak and understand nearly 25 languages.Its makers say it’s equipped with software that helps it behave in a way that encourages learning.

Robots are neutral,it doesn’t laugh if you make mistakes and it doesn’t get tired of repeating words.Whether it’s learning new languages or getting tutored in math,kids find robots both educational and entertaining.Students seem to be much happier than before.It’s true that they are willing to learn from a robot teacher.Perhaps getting better grades is only a matter of time.

One language teacher sees robots as another tool in her teaching.She says having them in classrooms is something teachers should be open-minded about.She thinks Elias is one of the tools for students to get a different kind of practice in the classroom.But some teachers do worry they might be replaced by robots.One student says there is no need to worry.The reason is that teachers are still needed to keep the kids behaved.Without human teachers,classes will be in a mess.Also,it’s not enough to learn from robot teachers alone.

Teaching robots willnevercompletely replace human teachers but they can make it easier for students to learn and sometimes more entertaining.

◆詞語積淀

co-founder/k?u'faund?/n.聯合創始人；共同創辦者

equip/I'kwIp/v.裝備；配備

behave/bI'heIv/v.表現；有禮貌

neutral/'nju?tr?l/adj.中立的；中性的

tutor/'tju?t?(r)/v.輔導；教

entertaining/,ent?'teInI?/adj.使人愉快的；有趣的

a matter of time一個時間方面的問題

open-minded/'?up?n'maIndId/adj. 思想開明的；虛心的

◆典句賞析

1....when it comes to learning,robots are hard to beat.……在談及學習的時候，機器人很難被打敗。

when it comes to是固定搭配形式，意為“談及”，這里的to為介詞，后面可以接名詞、代詞或者動名詞。

【即時嘗試】談到打籃球，我總是很容易激動。

2....It doesn’t get tired of repeating words.……它不厭其煩地重復話語。

get tired of...是固定詞組，意為“對……感到厭倦；厭煩……”，表示一種漸漸改變的語氣，介詞of之后可以接名詞、代詞或者動名詞。如果表示狀態，也可以說be tired of...，意為“厭煩……”。

【即時嘗試】我認為你很快就會厭倦在這個地方生活。

3.Whether it’s learning new languages or getting tutored in math,kids find robots both educational and entertaining.不管是學習新的語言還是在數學上接受輔導，孩子們覺得機器人寓教于樂。

該句為含有讓步狀語從句的復合句。whether...or...意為“不管……還是……”，or是連詞，可以連接兩個并列的句子成分。該詞組所連接的兩個并列成分既可以是謂語、表語，也可以是賓語等。

【即時嘗試】不管是唱歌還是跳舞，我的朋友湯姆都很有天賦。

譯文助讀

僅30厘米高的埃利亞斯在教學之余喜歡跳《江南style》。除了他的跳舞技能，埃利亞斯制造公司的聯合創始人稱，在談及學習的時候，機器人很難被打敗。這款機器人被程序設置為能說并理解近25種語言。制造商稱他身上的軟件可以促進他不斷學習。

機器人是中立的，如果你犯錯誤，他們不會笑話你，也不會因為重復一些話語而厭倦。不管是學習新的語言還是在數學上接受輔導，孩子們覺得機器人寓教于樂。學生們似乎比以前更開心了，而且他們真的愿意向一位機器人老師學習。也許取得更好的成績只是一個時間問題。

一位語言教師把機器人看作是她的另外一種教學工具。她說老師們應該對機器人課堂持一種開放的態度。她認為埃利亞斯是其中一種可以讓學生在教室里獲得一種不同實踐的工具。但是有的教師著實擔心他們可能會被機器人代替。一位學生說沒有必要擔心，原因是老師們依然被需要來讓學生遵規守矩。沒有人類老師，課堂將會一片混亂。而且，單單向機器人老師學是不夠的。

教學型機器人永遠不會完全代替人類教師，但是對于學生而言，機器人老師可以讓學習變得更容易，有時更有趣。