2018考研英语双语阅读：苹果推出智能扬声器HomePod

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　　Apple reveals HomePod smart speaker

　　苹果推出智能扬声器HomePod

　　Apple has announced a voice-activated loudspeaker powered by its virtual assistant Siri.

　　苹果推出一款支持语音助手Siri的声控扬声器。

　　Like devices by Amazon and Google, Apple’s HomePod speaker can respond to questions and control smart home gadgets such as lights.

　　与亚马逊和谷歌的设备一样，苹果的HomePod扬声器能回答问题，控制智能家居的设备，比如灯。

　　Analysts say Apple has been slow to improve its Siri virtual assistant and launch a smart speaker, after Amazon launched its Echo in 2014.

　　分析师说，苹果在升级Siri语言助手和推出智能扬声器上已经落后，之前亚马逊在2014年推出了Echo。

　　The company has pitched HomePod first and foremost as a music player.

　　苹果将HomePod定位为一流的音乐播放器。

　　Apple being very clever by launching its Siri speaker as a music speaker that’s smart, because Siri isn’t great, said Tom Warren from the technology news site The Verge.

　　苹果非常聪明，推出了Siri语音智能音乐扬声器，因为Siri不够出色，科技新闻网站The Verge的汤姆·沃伦说。

　　Interesting that home assistant was the last feature they talked about. Focusing on music is smart, main use case for smart speakers, said Ben Bajarin, of the Creative Strategies consultancy.

　　有趣的是，家用设备是他们谈及最少的。专注于音乐很机智，这是智能扬声器的主要作用，创意决策咨询本杰明·巴继尔说。

　　The announcement was made at the tech giant’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in San Jose, California.

　　这一推出宣布于加州圣何塞的苹果全球开发者大会。

　　It’s a logical step for Apple, to ensure that they don’t miss the opportunity to get a smart device right in the centre of people’s homes, said Ben Wood, an industry analyst at CCS Insight.

　　苹果的这一步很合理，确保他们不会错失这个机会，让智能设备出现在人们的家中，CCS Insight的行业分析师本·伍德说。

　　There has been a huge amount of hype around Amazon Echo and Google Home, but we are really at the start of this technology.

　　关于亚马逊Echo和谷歌Home的宣传有很多，我们已经处在这种技术的开端。

　　This does a great job of extending the tentacles of Apple services."

　　这一设备扩展了苹果设备的范围。

　　Analysis - Dave Lee, BBC North America technology reporter, at WWDC

　　分析--戴维·李，北美科技记者，苹果全球开发者大会。

　　At more than double the cost of Amazon’s Echo, the HomePod is a typical Apple move.

　　成本是亚马逊Echo的两倍多，HomePod是典型的苹果风格。

　　The company is once again banking on its reputation as a creator of intuitive, luxury products that justify a hefty price tag.

　　作为简约、昂贵奢侈品的创造者，苹果再一次依仗着其名气。

　　What’s interesting about Apple’s approach here is that the company has positioned HomePod as a music device first and foremost, a big contrast to the approach of Google which touted its Home speaker as a day-to-day assistant for many aspects of your life.

　　关于苹果的宣传，有意思的是，苹果将HomePod定位为一流的音乐设备，和谷歌的方式截然不同，谷歌称其家用扬声器为，生活各个方面的日常助手。

　　So - a cynic might say Apple has just launched the world’s most-hyped bluetooth speaker - not much imagination there.

　　所以--愤世嫉俗的人可能会说，苹果刚刚推出了世界上宣传最夸张的蓝牙扬声器，并没有什么想象力。

　　But let’s face it, before AI and machine learning really matures, most home assistant devices are essentially voice-controlled speakers, and so Apple dedicating its effort into making it sound great is probably a smart move.

　　但是我们不得不承认，在人工智能和机器学习成熟之前，大多数的家用助理设备基本都是语音控制的扬声器，所以苹果努力让扬声器音效更棒可能是一步好棋。

　　Then again, you might wonder if its "smart" capabilities are being downplayed due to Siri just not being as advanced as its competitors.

　　此外，你可能会想，是否由于Siri不及其竞争者先进，它的“智能”功能被低估。

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