BBC地道英语:Netbook 上网本

Diarmuid: Hi everybody and welcome to Authentic Real English from the BBC. I’m Diarmuid.

Feifei: And I’m Feifei.

(Typing sounds)

Feifei: Diarmuid 今天又拿来的一个新玩意儿！What’s that gadget you are playing with Diarmuid?

Diarmuid: It’s my latest toy – a netbook.

Feifei: A netbook?

Diarmuid: Yes a netbook. N.E.T.B.O.O.K. It’s like a laptop computer only even smaller.

How big is your laptop?

Feifei: What a cute little computer! 这个笔记本电脑比一般的要小一些，主要是来满足一般的上网功能，也就是我们现在常说的上网本。I like your netbook, but I have a question about the name. Why is a computer called a book?

Diarmuid: That’s a very good question. I suppose it’s because there are lots of names for different types of computers.

Feifei: And those names can be different between Britain and America, can’t they?

Diarmuid: To an extent, yes. For example, in British English we use the word laptop.

Feifei: Laptop 笔记本电脑。

Diarmuid: But in American English they call the same thing a notebook.

Feifei: Notebook 美式英语中的笔记本电脑。英国人通常用 laptop, 而美国人会说notebook.

Diarmuid: So I think that the name netbook is a mix of two words – internet and notebook.

Example

A: Did you buy anything in the January sales?

B: Yes, I bought a little netbook computer. It’s really handy.

Feifei: So a netbook then is a small computer that is used mostly for surfing the internet. 因为上网本很小，所以它所能提供给我们的功能也就不必台式机和笔记本电脑了，那么大家也就用它上上网罢了。

Diarmuid: I use it mostly for surfing the web and checking emails - things like that.

Feifei: It’s incredible how small computers are these days, isn’t it?

Diarmuid: It certainly is and it looks like we will soon see more tablet computers too.

Feifei: Tablet computers 平板电脑。这种电脑使用的是最新的触摸屏技术 touch-screen technology.

Diarmuid: It’s all very different from the computers I grew up with - 3k of RAM and a tape player for saving files!

Feifei: You’re getting old, Diarmuid.

Diarmuid: I suppose so. And on that depressing note it’s time for us to go.

Feifei: 您可以登陆www.bbcukchina.com 来收听更多的《地道英语》节目。Bye for now.

Diarmuid: Goodbye.