2015考研英语：阅读热点之虚拟现实技术

考研英语同考研政治一样也会涉及到当年的热点问题，这就要求考生在备考过程中不能闭门造车，要学会将英语和时事相联系，KK老师在辅导考生备考的过程中，就特别注意将热点阅读材料给考生们展现，今天和大家分析一篇与虚拟现实技术有关的热门话题的阅读文章，希望各位考生认真学习。

文章的题目是这样的：Virtual Reality, Perfect for an Immersive Society（虚拟现实技术，浸入式社会的完美搭配）

Virtual reality is coming, and you’re going to jump into it.That’s because virtual reality is the natural extension of every major technology we use today — of movies, TV, videoconferencing, the smartphone and the web. It is the ultra-immersive version of all these things, and we’ll use it exactly the same ways — to communicate, to learn, and to entertain ourselves and escape. Dr. Bailenson says that it will even alter how society deals with such weighty issues as gender parity and environmental destruction.

【词汇突破】：weighty issues 重大问题    gender parity 性别差异

【参考译文】：虚拟现实即将到来，你会迫不及待地投身其中。这是因为虚拟现实是我们今天使用的每一种主要技术的自然延伸，如电影、电视、视频会议、智能手机、网络等技术。它是所有这些东西的超级沉浸化的版本，我们也会以完全相同的方式使用虚拟现实技术，例如：用于通讯、学习、娱乐和逃避。拜伦森说，它甚至会改变社会处理一些重大议题的方式，如性别平等和环境破坏。

This week, in an hour-and-a-half session, Dr. Bailenson offered a series of simulations similar to the ones Mr. Zuckerberg experienced，in which he experienced how an immersive virtual reality simulator can play strange tricks on one’s body, mind and mood.

【词汇突破】： simulations 模拟场景

【参考译文】：本周，在一次一个半小时长的体验中，拜伦森呈现了与扎克伯格体验到的情景相似的一系列模拟场景，他体验到了沉浸式的虚拟现实模拟装置能够如何迷惑人的身体、头脑和情绪。

It’s this ability to let us feel a sense of human connection that boosters say will make virtual reality a powerful communications platform. Today, companies spend billions on travel and videoconferencing, because even though we can all get our work done remotely, face-to-face meetings are powerful.

【词汇突破】：boosters 支持者

【参考译文】：正是这种让我们产生人际联络感的能力，促使支持者认为，虚拟现实是一种强大的传播平台。如今的公司要在差旅和视频会议上耗费数十亿美 元，因为尽管我们都能远程完成工作，面对面的谈话仍然是一种强大的手段。

Yet researchers have shown that virtual meetings can be even better than real-life encounters, because our avatars can be programmed to act perfectly manipulatively, in ways that we can’t. For instance, in VR encounters, everyone can make eye contact with everyone else, suggesting a level of attentiveness that might be lacking in reality.

【参考译文】： 而研究人员已经证明，虚拟会议甚至比真人会面还要好，因为我们的化身可以通过编程进行完美的操控，以我们做不到的方式行事。比如，在 虚拟现实的会面中，每个人都可以和他人进行眼神交流，展现一种在现实生活中可能缺失的专注。

Another potential use is pure escapism. History shows that we’ve never shied away from such immersive experiences when they work. Since their invention, movies have offered a compelling, immersive world. These days, we go outside wearing big headphones to transport us through music. And we can’t stop staring at our phones.

【词汇突破】:shy away from 躲避，远离

immersive experiences 沉浸式体验

compelling, immersive world 引人入胜的、身临其境的世界

通过今天的学习，各位考生是否已经掌握了最新热点材料“虚拟现实技术”了呢，由于考研英语的文章多选自《科学美国人》、《华盛顿邮报》、《经济学家》等报刊杂志，与最新时事热点和最潮科技联系紧密，希望考生们注意题材和文章材料的收集整理。预祝各位考生金榜题名！