联合国一项新的调查显示，有越来越多的消费者求助于机械帮手来帮他们干脏活累活。克里斯蒂•卢•斯陶特对家用机器人做如下报道。

注释：
1.domestic adj. 家庭的
2.hockey n. 冰球
3.puck n. 冰球，橡胶圆盘
4.hot rod n. 旧车改装的高速马力汽车
5.Sci-fi adj. n. (=science fiction) 科学幻想小说
6.chore n.［美］(=chare) [pl.] 家庭杂务
7.intruder n. 侵入者，夜盗
8.soar vi. 飞涨，猛涨，激增
9.slash vt. ［美俚］（大幅度）减薪，降低（价格）

The Rise of the Domestic Robot

ANCHOR
A new U.N. survey shows more and more consumers are turning to mechanical helpers to do their dirty work. Kristie Lu Stout is on the rise of the domestic robot.

CORRESPONDENT
It looks like a giant hockey puck and hums like a hot rod. But the Trilobite is not a toy.

FREDERIK RAMEN, ELECTOLUX
First of all, it's a vacuum cleaner.

CORRESPONDENT
A robotic vacuum cleaner. The Trilobite can clean a room on its own, using sound waves to feel its way around.

FREDERIK RAMEN
It does it when you are not there. You can basically turn it on when you leave for the office and when you get home, it is cleaned and fixed.

CORRESPONDENT
It's like something straight out of The Jetsons.

TALKING ROBOT FROM THE JETSONS TV SHOW
You will not get one word out of me, not one word.

CORRESPONDENT
But the stuff of sci-fi fantasy is happening now, as more and more people turn to robots to do the chores.

JAN KARLSSON, U.N. ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE
Well, at last, it seems as domestic robots are starting to take off. And we see now signs of solid growth in this area.

CORRESPONDENT
According to a new U.N. survey, sales of domestic robots in 2002 rose to 33,000 units. That's up from 20,000 the year before. Sales are taking off for robots that wash windows, scan for intruders and sweep the floor. The U.N. study says domestic robot sales are expected to soar over the next three years, that 400,000 vacuum robots will be in service by 2006, despite their high price tags.

JAN KARLSSON, U.N. ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE
Prices are coming down, which means that there are solid signs that they will become mass markets.

CORRESPONDENT
The Trillabyte retails at around 2,000 dollars. Electolux won't reveal any plans to slash the price. Anyways, the company says, it's not built to save money, but to save time.

FREDERIK RAMEN
Because time is getting very, very scarce for all of us.

CORRESPONDENT
But when the robot misses a few spots, we can't wait for technology to do our dirty work. At least we have the low tech option. Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.

家政机器人

主播
联合国一项新的调查显示，有越来越多的消费者求助于机械帮手来帮他们干脏活累活。克里斯蒂•卢•斯陶特对家用机器人做如下报道。

记者
它看上去像一个巨大的冰球，轰鸣起来又像一个由旧车改装而成的高速汽车。但“三叶虫”并非一个玩具。

弗雷德里克•拉曼，伊莱克斯公司
首先，它是一台真空吸尘器。

记者
一个机器人真空吸尘器。“三叶虫”可以利用声波探路，从而自己打扫房间。

弗雷德里克•拉曼，伊莱克斯公司
它可以利用你不在家的时候打扫房间。基本上你可以在上班前打开它，等你回到家，屋内会焕然一新、井然有序。

记者
它简直就像来自《杰森家庭》。

《杰森家庭》电视片中会说话的机器人
你休想从我这里得到一个字，一个也得不到。

记者
不过，这种科幻小说中的幻想正在变为现实，因为已有越来越多的人求助于机器人做家务。

简•卡尔松，联合国欧洲经济委员会
嗯，看起来这种家用产品终于开始畅销了，而且我们现在也注意到在这一领域有持续增长的迹象。

记者
根据联合国一项新的调查，家用机器人的销售在2002年已由前一年的两万台增长到3万3千台。其中那些能够擦玻璃、看家和扫地的机器人开始畅销。联合国的研究表明，今后三年家用机器人的销售预计会激增，尽管标价很高，但到2006年将有40万台真空机器人投入使用。

简•卡尔松，联合国欧洲经济委员会
（家用机器人的）价格正在下跌，这意味着有明显的迹象显示它们将会形成巨大的市场。

记者
“三叶虫”的零售价约为两千美元。伊莱克斯不会泄露任何有关大幅降价的计划。不管怎样，该公司认为，研制（“三叶虫”）不是为了省钱，而是为了省时间。

弗雷德里克•拉曼
因为时间对于我们所有人来说正变得越来越宝贵。

记者
但如果机器人漏掉了几处污迹，我们不能等待（高）技术去为我们干脏活。至少我们还有低技术选择。CNN，克里斯蒂•卢•斯陶特从香港报道。