2018年的最佳發(fā)明

張倩云

Each year， TIME magazine picks the best of the inventions that will change how we live， work， and play. Here， we have selected some that we think will improve the world. Some help people overcome obstacles. Others help protect the environment. A few just help us have fun.

Read on to learn about these amazing objects. Which will make the biggest difference in your life， or in the lives of people around you？

每年，《時代》雜志都會挑選出能改變我們生活、工作和娛樂方式的最佳發(fā)明。下面，我們選出了一些我們認為會改善世界的發(fā)明。有一些可以幫助人們克服障礙，有一些可以幫助保護環(huán)境，還有一些只是讓我們玩得開心。

繼續(xù)往下讀來了解一下這些神奇的東西吧。哪一個會讓你或者你周圍的人的生活變得大不一樣呢？

Eyes on Demand

For people who are blind， everyday tasks such as walking to school or doing laundry can be a challenge. But what if they could “borrow” the eyes of someone who can see？

Thats the thinking behind AIRA. With this service， users send live video of their surroundings to an AIRA agent through special glasses or a smartphone app. The agents， who are available at all times， can then answer questions， describe objects， or guide users through a location.

隨需而變的眼睛

對于盲人來說，每天的任務，比如步行上學或洗衣服，都是一個挑戰(zhàn)。但是如果他們能“借用”一個能看見的人的眼睛會怎么樣呢？

這就是AIRA背后的想法。通過這項服務，用戶可以通過特制眼鏡或智能手機應用程序向AIRA代理商發(fā)送他們周圍環(huán)境的實時視頻。然后，代理商可以隨時回答問題、描述對象或指引用戶穿過某個位置。

Smog Solution

Smog is air pollution that comes mostly from automobile and factory emissions. Breathing in too much smog can cause a person to become sick.

The company 3M has created a new material for roofing shingles. When 3M SMOG-REDUCING GRANULES are exposed to the sun， the granules break down smog particles in the air. The broken-down particles are then washed away by rainfall. This product will help reduce air pollution.

霧霾解決方案

霧霾主要來自汽車和工廠排放的空氣污染。吸入過多的霧霾會導致人生病。

3M公司為屋頂瓦創(chuàng)造了一種新材料。當“3M除霾顆?！北┞对陉柟庀聲r，這些顆粒會分解空氣中的霧霾顆粒。這些破碎的顆粒隨后被雨水沖走。這種產品有助于減少空氣污染。

Now Hear This

About 48 million Americans suffer from hearing loss. Though many of them could benefit from a hearing aid， some people dont want to wear one because of how theyll look.

A traditional hearing aid wraps around the ear. EARGO MAX works almost entirely out of sight. It is a rechargeable hearing aid that fits comfortably inside the ear. Its expected to end 2018 with 20，000 users.

現在聽聽這個

大約有4800萬美國人聽力受損。雖然他們中的許多人可以使用助聽器，但有些人因為助聽器的外形而并不想戴助聽器。

傳統(tǒng)的助聽器包裹著耳朵，而“EARGO MAX”則幾乎完全看不見。它是一種可充電的助聽器，能舒適地安裝在耳朵里。在2018年底之前，預計使用“EARGO MAX”的人達到20000名。

Bright Idea

Biking in the dark can be dangerous. When inventor forgot his lights， cars almost hit him. So he started thinking about a better way to ride.

Eventually， he created the LUMOS KICKSTART HELMET. Its bright LED lights make a cyclist more visible. They also blink to indicate a turn. Riders can activate the signal by clicking a wireless remote1 on their handlebars.

閃亮的主意

在黑暗中騎自行車可能很危險。因為忘記帶燈時幾乎被汽車撞到，所以該發(fā)明者開始考慮更好的騎行方式。

最后，他發(fā)明了“Lumos訊號燈頭盔”。它明亮的LED燈使騎自行車的人更顯眼。它們也會閃爍表示轉彎。騎手可以通過按下車把手上的無線遙控器來激活信號燈。

Better Wheels

More than 3 million Americans use wheelchairs to get around. But most wheelchairs are bulky2 and hard to move on many surfaces.

The WHILL MODEL CI is a new electric wheelchair. Its specially engineered front “omni3-wheels” allow it to go 10 miles indoors or out and climb obstacles two inches high. The wheelchair can also be taken apart， in minutes. This makes it easy to transport.

更好的輪椅

超過300萬美國人借助輪椅四處走動。但大多數輪椅都是笨重的，在許多種地面上難以移動。

“WHILL MODEL CI”是一種新的電動輪椅。它特別設計的前輪“萬能輪”使它能夠在室內或室外行駛10英里，翻過2英寸高的障礙物。該輪椅也可以在幾分鐘內被拆卸開來，這樣便于運輸。

Sweet Shoes

Many shoe parts are not eco-friendly4. Allbirds is trying to change that. It is testing a new material called SWEETFOAM， which is made from parts of sugarcane5 that would otherwise be thrown away. Allbirds launched SweetFoam in a line of flip-flops. The company plans to use the material across all of its product lines. To encourage others to do the same， Allbirds has made the technical know-how behind SweetFoam available to all.

甜美鞋

許多鞋的部件并不環(huán)保。Allbirds在努力改變這一點。它正在測試一種新材料，叫做“甜泡沫”，這種材料是由甘蔗通常被扔掉的一部分制成的。Allbirds啟動了使用“甜美泡沫”的人字拖生產線。該公司計劃在其所有產品線中使用該材料。為了鼓勵其他廠商也這么做，Allbirds已經向所有廠商提供了“甜美泡沫”背后的技術訣竅。

Homes for All

The ICON VULCAN 3D PRINTER is a groundbreaking machine. In 2018， it built a 350-square-foot home in 48 hours. It erects6 the structure of the home， layer by layer， from concrete. This process costs much less than traditional building methods. ICON is the company behind the printer. It hopes to print a 2，000-square-foot home in just 24 hours. It is also working to take the printer to places where cheap， durable7 houses are needed.

所有人的家

“ICON Vulcan 3D打印機”是一個突破性的機器。2018年，它在48小時內建造了一座350平方英尺的住宅。它用混凝土逐層安裝房屋結構。這一過程的成本比傳統(tǒng)的建筑方法要低得多。ICON是該打印機制造商。它希望能在24小時內打印出一個2000平方英尺的房子。它還致力于把打印機帶到需要廉價耐用的房屋的地方去。

Ready to Fly

Gravity Industries， a London-based company， has developed the coolest flying suit since Iron Man. The GRAVITY JET SUIT includes five mini jet engines. Two are built into each of the hand units， and one is built into the backpack. It can fly at 50 miles per hour. For now， the suits are extremely expensive and extremely loud. Inventor and company founder Richard Browning hopes to raise money to develop a quieter， cheaper version.

準備起飛

總部位于倫敦的重力工業(yè)公司研發(fā)出了《鋼鐵俠》問世以來最酷的飛行服。“重力噴氣式飛行裝備”包括五個微型噴氣式發(fā)動機。每只手部裝備上都有兩個，一個裝在背包里。它能以每小時50英里的速度飛行。目前，這種套裝造價非常昂貴，而且聲音非常大。發(fā)明者兼公司創(chuàng)始人理查德·布朗寧希望籌集資金開發(fā)一種更安靜、更便宜的裝備。

1. remote [ ] n. 遙控器

2. bulky [ ] adj. 體積大的；龐大的；笨重的

3. omni [ ] n. 全方位；泛光燈

4. eco-friendly [ ] adj. 對生態(tài)環(huán)境友好的，不妨害生態(tài)環(huán)境的

5. sugarcane [ ] n. 甘蔗

6. erect [ ] vt. 使豎立；建造；安裝

7. durable [ ] adj. 耐用的，持久的