人形机器人运动会上那些笨笨的机器人

近日，2025世界人形机器人运动会在北京开幕。

今天你练听力了吗？

🤔️小作业：

1. What is the author's primary purpose in describing robots tripping over each other like “dominoes”?

A. To highlight the danger robots pose to human staff

B. To criticize the organizers for lack of safety precautions

C. To illustrate the humorous yet fragile nature of robotic performance

D. To emphasize robots' superiority in coordinated movements

无注释原文：

The Athletes at China's Robot Games Fell Down a Lot

From: The New York Times

There's a very real concern that robots could eventually make some of our jobs obsolete. But at a robot-only sports competition in China over the weekend, the immediate concern was that they would fall over or crash into each other.

The Humanoid Robot Games, a three-day event in Beijing that ended on Sunday, featured more than 280 teams from universities and private companies in 16 countries. Some robots landed back flips and successfully navigated obstacle courses and rough terrain.

In other cases, the robots' athletic ability left, well, something to be desired.

During soccer matches, child-size ones tripped over each other, falling down like dominoes. One goalkeeper robot stood placidly as its opponent kicked a ball at its legs several times before finally managing to score.

One robot by China's Unitree Robotics plowed into a human staff member while sprinting during a track event, knocking him down.

In kickboxing matches, robots wearing colorful gloves and head gear struggled to land punches.

“To be honest, the hit rate is a little low,” a commentator said in the event's official livestream. “They're punching the air.”

After a few minutes of flailing jabs and kicks, the referee declared one robot the winner. It raised its gloved hands and pumped them in the air to the sound of spectators applauding, while its opponent laid down in an apparent show of defeat.

The event was China's latest high-profile robotics showcase. During China's Lunar New Year's Eve television gala, watched by hundreds of millions of people, humanoid robots performed folk dances. In April, the Beijing municipal government held a half-marathon for 12,000 runners and 20 humanoid robots.

The test revealed limitations, but also possibilities.

“Despite the pratfalls, significant progress in robot locomotion and balance is being achieved including back flips, side flips, and other acrobatic and martial arts moves,” said Ken Goldberg, a robotics professor at the University of California, Berkeley

Some entrepreneurs believe that humanoid robots will one day do many physical tasks now handled by people, including household chores, warehouse jobs and factory labor. But for now, even simple tasks like loading the dishwasher are anything but simple for them.

Alan Fern, a robotics professor at Oregon State University, said that the Humanoid Robot Games helped to “give the public a realistic impression of where things really are.”

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注：完整题目见本文开头；中文文本为纽约时报官方译文，仅供参考

含注释全文：

The Athletes at China's Robot Games Fell Down a Lot

From: The New York Times

There's a very real concern that robots could eventually make some of our jobs obsolete. But at a robot-only sports competition in China over the weekend, the immediate concern was that they would fall over or crash into each other.

人们确实非常担心，机器人最终可能会取代一些人类工作。但上周末在中国举办的一场仅限机器人的体育比赛上，人们最担心的却是它们会摔倒或撞到彼此。

obsolete /ˌɒb.səlˈiːt/ 作形容词，表示“废弃的；过时的；淘汰的；老化的”，英文解释为“not in use any more, having been replaced by something newer and better or more fashionable”举个🌰：Gas lamps became obsolete when electric lighting was invented. 电灯发明以后煤气灯就被淘汰了。

美式，作动词，表示“淘汰（产品），废弃（想法）”，英文解释为“cause (a product or idea) to be or become obsolete by replacing it with something new.”

The Humanoid Robot Games, a three-day event in Beijing that ended on Sunday, featured more than 280 teams from universities and private companies in 16 countries. Some robots landed back flips and successfully navigated obstacle courses and rough terrain.

为期三天的人形机器人运动会于上周日在北京落幕，共有来自16个国家的280多支大学和私营企业团队参赛。一些机器人完成了后空翻，成功穿越了障碍赛道和崎岖地形。

humanoid /ˈhjuː.mə.nɔɪd/ 表示“人形机器人；类人的生物”，英文解释为“a machine or creature with the appearance and qualities of a human”

backflip /ˈbæk.flɪp/ 表示“后空翻”，英文解释为“a type of somersault (= movement in which you turn over completely) which involves turning backwards and landing on your feet”如：to do a backflip 做一个后空翻。

terrain /təˈreɪn/ 表示“地形，地势；地带”，英文解释为“an area of land, when considering its natural features”举个🌰：The car handles particularly well on rough terrain. 这种汽车特别适宜在崎岖不平的地带行驶。

In other cases, the robots' athletic ability left, well, something to be desired.

但在其他一些项目中，机器人的运动能力只能说还有待提高。

During soccer matches, child-size ones tripped over each other, falling down like dominoes. One goalkeeper robot stood placidly as its opponent kicked a ball at its legs several times before finally managing to score.

足球比赛中，孩童大小的机器人互相绊倒，像多米诺骨牌一样接连倒地。有一个守门员机器人一动不动地站着，对手好几次把球踢向它的腿部，最后破门得分。

trip 熟词僻义，作动词，表示“转动（开关）；转动开关开动（或关掉）；触发（开关）；（松开开关）开动”，英文解释为“to move a switch that operates an electrical system, or to cause such a system to start or stop working by moving a switch”举个🌰：A special system prevents the circuitry from being tripped accidentally by a power surge or lightning strike. 有一种特殊系统防止电路因电力激增或闪电而被意外切断。

作动词，还可以表示“绊，绊倒”，英文解释为“to lose your balance after knocking your foot against something when you are walking or running, or to cause someone to do this”举个🌰：He tripped and fell down, grazing his knee. 他绊了个跟头，擦伤了膝盖。

表示“多米诺骨牌游戏”，英文解释为“a game using dominoes”举个🌰：A group of old men sat playing dominoes. 一群老人坐着玩多米诺骨牌游戏。

placidly /ˈplæs.ɪd.li/ 表示“宁静地；平和地”，英文解释为“in a calm way”举个🌰：She smiled placidly. 她温和地笑了笑。

One robot by China's Unitree Robotics plowed into a human staff member while sprinting during a track event, knocking him down.

在田径项目冲刺时，中国宇树科技的一个机器人撞倒了一名工作人员。

plow /plaʊ/ 是plough的美式拼写，plough into sth/sb表示“（车辆）撞上”，英文解释为“If a vehicle ploughs into something or someone, it hits the object or person with great force.”举个🌰：Many people were injured when the train came off the rails and ploughed into the bank. 当火车冲出铁轨撞上斜坡时，很多人受了伤。

可以作名词，也可以作动词，sprint /sprɪnt/ 表示“短距离快速奔跑，冲刺”，英文解释为“to run as fast as you can over a short distance, either in a race or because you are in a great hurry to get somewhere”举个🌰：We had to sprint to catch the bus. 我们不得不飞跑着去赶公共汽车。

📍sprinter表示“短跑选手；短程赛选手；短跑运动员”

区分：

📍sprite /spraɪt/表示“（传说中的）小仙子，小精灵，小妖精”（a small creature with magic powers, especially one that likes playing tricks）也是雪碧的英文商标名。

In kickboxing matches, robots wearing colorful gloves and head gear struggled to land punches.

在跆拳道比赛中，戴着彩色手套和头盔的机器人挥拳出击却频频落空。

kickboxing /ˈkɪk.bɒk.sɪŋ/ 表示“跆拳道”，英文解释为“a sport in which two competitors fight by hitting each other with their hands and kicking each other with their feet”

punch /pʌntʃ/ 作动词，1）表示“用拳猛击”，英文解释为“If you punch someone or something, you hit them hard with your fist.”举个🌰：After punching him on the chin she wound up hitting him over the head. 她对准他的下巴猛击一拳，最后又在他的头上打了一拳。

2）表示“按（键或钮）”，英文解释为“If you punch something such as the buttons on a keyboard, you touch them in order to store information on a machine such as a computer or to give the machine a command to do something.”举个🌰：She strode to the lift and punched the button. 她大步走到电梯前按了一下按钮。

Land a punch是一个常见的比喻性短语，源于拳击术语，字面意思是“击中对方一拳”。在比喻意义上，它通常指在某种情境中成功地“取得显著的效果”或“传递有力的信息”。在非物理意义上，指通过言辞、行动或某些成就成功产生影响，常常带有一种冲击力或强调作用。举个🌰：Her speech landed a punch, leaving everyone in awe. 她的演讲直击人心，让所有人都为之震撼。

“To be honest, the hit rate is a little low,” a commentator said in the event's official livestream. “They're punching the air.”

“缺乏目标性，”赛事官方直播中的解说员说道，“经常对着空气挥两下。”

livestream/live-stream 表示“互联网直播，线上直播，流直播”，英文解释为“to broadcast video and sound of an event over the internet as it happens, or to be broadcast in this way”

After a few minutes of flailing jabs and kicks, the referee declared one robot the winner. It raised its gloved hands and pumped them in the air to the sound of spectators applauding, while its opponent laid down in an apparent show of defeat.

经过几分钟胡乱出拳和踢腿后，裁判宣布其中一个机器人获胜。它举起戴着手套的双手，在空中挥舞，观众们报以掌声，而它的对手则躺倒在地，似乎是在表示认输。

flail /fleɪl/ 表示“（尤指手臂和双腿）乱动，胡乱摆动”，英文解释为“(especially of arms and legs) to move energetically in an uncontrolled way”举个🌰：She ran from the house in a terrible rage, her arms flailing in the air. 她怒不可遏地从房子里跑出来，手臂在空中乱挥乱打。

jab /dʒæb/ 表示“刺，戳，捅；猛击”，英文解释为“a quick hard push or hit”举个🌰：She gave me a sharp jab in the ribs with her elbow to stop me from saying any more. 她用肘猛戳了一下我的胸口，不让我再说下去。

referee /ˌref.əˈriː/ 表示“裁判，裁判员”，英文解释为“a person who is in charge of a sports game and who makes certain that the rules are followed”举个🌰：We only lost the game because the referee was biased. 我们输掉了比赛就是因为裁判员偏袒对手。

The event was China's latest high-profile robotics showcase. During China's Lunar New Year's Eve television gala, watched by hundreds of millions of people, humanoid robots performed folk dances. In April, the Beijing municipal government held a half-marathon for 12,000 runners and 20 humanoid robots.

这是中国最新举办的一场备受瞩目的机器人展示活动。在有数亿人观看的中国央视春晚中，人形机器人表演了民族舞。今年4月，北京市政府举办了一场半程马拉松，有1.2万名跑步者和20个人形机器人参赛。

profile /ˈprəʊ.faɪl/ 一词经常出现，1）表示“（有关某人的）简介，概况”，英文解释为“A profile of someone is a short article or programme in which their life and character are described.”举个🌰：A newspaper published comparative profiles of the candidates' wives. 一份报纸刊登了候选人妻子们的对比简介。

2）表示“关注度”，英文解释为“If someone has a high profile, people notice them and what they do. If you keep a low profile, you avoid doing things that will make people notice you.” 常用：a high profile 惹人注目/关注；高姿态，a low profile 不惹人注目，低姿态；如：a move that would give Egypt a much higher profile in the upcoming peace talks 会给埃及在即将到来的和平谈判中高关注度的一个行动。

📍如果你把微信语言设置成英文，你就会发现微信官方把头像处理成：Profile Photo，上面的“My Profile”对应的中文则是“个人信息”。

作动词，1）表示“扼要介绍；概述；写简介”，英文解释为“to give or write a description of sb/sth that gives the most important information”举个🌰：His career is profiled in this month's journal.这期月刊概述了他的工作生涯。

2）表示“给……画侧画像；显出……侧面轮廓”，英文解释为“represent in outline from one side”

gala /ˈɡɑː.lə/ 表示“节日盛会；演出”，英文解释为“A gala is a special public celebration, entertainment, performance, or festival.”如：a gala evening at the Metropolitan Opera House 大都会歌剧院的庆祝晚会，Spring Festival Gala即“春节联欢晚会”。

The test revealed limitations, but also possibilities.

这次检验既暴露了局限性，也展现了可能性。

“Despite the pratfalls, significant progress in robot locomotion and balance is being achieved including back flips, side flips, and other acrobatic and martial arts moves,” said Ken Goldberg, a robotics professor at the University of California, Berkeley

“尽管存在狼狈的失误，但机器人在移动和平衡方面正取得显著进步，包括后空翻、侧空翻以及其他杂技和武术动作，”加州大学伯克利分校的机器人学教授肯·戈德堡说。

pratfall /ˈpræt.fɔːl/ 表示“令人难堪的失败；丢人现眼；出丑”，英文解释为“an embarrassing defeat or failure”举个🌰：Most of us get over the pratfalls of childhood. 我们大多数人都不在意孩提时都出过的洋相。

locomotion /ˌləʊ.kəˈməʊ.ʃən/ 表示“运动能力；运动”，英文解释为“the ability to move”

acrobatic /ˌæk.rəˈbæt.ɪk/ 表示“杂技的；杂技演员的”，英文解释为“involving or able to perform difficult and attractive body movements”如：an acrobatic leap into the air 矫捷地跃入空中。

martial art /ˌmɑː.ʃəl ˈɑːt/ 表示“（日本或中国的）武术”，英文解释为“a sport that is a traditional Japanese or Chinese form of fighting or defending yourself”举个🌰：Kung fu and karate are martial arts. 功夫和空手道都属于武术。

Some entrepreneurs believe that humanoid robots will one day do many physical tasks now handled by people, including household chores, warehouse jobs and factory labor. But for now, even simple tasks like loading the dishwasher are anything but simple for them.

一些企业家认为，人形机器人终有一天会承担许多现在由人类完成的体力工作，包括家务、仓储和工厂劳动。但就目前而言，即便是把餐具装进洗碗机这样简单的任务，对它们来说也绝非易事。

chore /tʃɔːr/ 表示“日常琐事；杂务；乏味的例行工作”，英文解释为“a job or piece of work that is often boring or unpleasant but needs to be done regularly”举个🌰：I'll go shopping when I've done my chores (= done the jobs in or around the house). 我把家务琐事干完后要去购物。

dishwasher /ˈdɪʃˌwɒʃ.ər/ 表示“洗碗机”，英文解释为“a machine that washes dirty plates, cups, forks, etc.”

Alan Fern, a robotics professor at Oregon State University, said that the Humanoid Robot Games helped to “give the public a realistic impression of where things really are.”

俄勒冈州立大学的机器人学教授艾伦·费恩说，人形机器人运动会有助于“让公众对机器人技术的实际水平有一个切实的了解”。

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