CNN新闻英语第 29 课：Cockroaches Robot 蟑螂机器人-1

HATTORI 哈托利
Most people think of cockroaches as household pests, but for a group of American scientists, roaches are a source of inspiration. Not romantic, but robotic inspiration. UC Berkeley biologist Bob Full doesn't especially care for cockroaches.
大多数人认为蟑螂是家中害虫，但是对于一些美国科学家来说，蟑螂是灵感的来源。不是浪漫的灵感，而是在机器人方面的灵感。加州大学伯克利分校的生物学家鲍勃·富尔并不喜欢蟑螂。

BOB FULL, UC BERKELEY 鲍勃·富尔，加州大学伯克利分校
They're disgusting. 它们令人恶心。

HATTORI 哈托利
But he's fascinating by the way they move. 但是它们的活动方式使他好奇不已。

FULL 富尔
They're very effective at maneuvering. They can seem to go anywhere, and nothing seems to stop them. 它们机动灵活。它们什么地方都可以去，好像什么都拦不住它们。

HATTORI 哈托利
Using time lapsed computer studies, Full has determined the six-legged creatures move using three legs at a time - two on one side, one on the other. 富尔通过慢速摄影和电脑分析发现，这种6足动物每次移动三条腿── 一边两条，另一边一条。

MARK CUTKOSKY, STANFORD UNIVERSITY 马克·卡特卡斯基，斯坦福大学
And actually, as they're running like this, bounce along like pogo sticks. And they propel themselves mostly by thrusting, especially with the rear legs. 实际上，它们跑的时候就像弹簧一样跳跃着前进。它们主要靠后腿的蹬力向前运动。

HATTORI 哈托利
It's a simple structure, allowing cockroaches to maneuver effortlessly, even over obstacles - a simplicity that inspired sprawlica (ph). This air-driven robot and its successors, the sprawlex (ph), This air-driven robot and its successors, the sprawlex (ph), are the work of Mark Cutkosky's lab at Stanford University. Are cockroaches and most kinds of animals good models for building robots? 它的构造简单，可以毫不费力地移动，甚至是越过障碍。受这种简单功能的启发便有了sprawlica（音），这种空气驱动机器人和它的后继产品sprawlex（音）是斯坦福大学马克·卡特卡斯基实验室的杰作。蟑螂和大多数动物是制造机器人的好原型吗？

CUTKOSKY 卡特卡斯基
If you want to build small things that run very fast, yes. 如果你想制造运动快捷的小东西，是的。

HATTORI 哈托利
Potential future uses include planetary rovers for NASA, or finding land mines for the military. 这种技术的潜在价值包括美国航空航天局的行星探测或者是为军方寻找地雷。