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Hello, welcome to 6 Minute English. I’m Rob.
大家好，歡迎來到六分鐘英語。我是羅伯。
And I’m Neil.
我是尼爾。
Now, Neil. Can you remember the first time you ever used the World Wide Web or as we often call it, the internet? And what you used it for?
現在，羅伯，你還記得自己第一次使用萬維網或者通常被我們稱作互聯網的事物嗎？你用它來做什麼？
Oh, that’s a good question. I do remember. And well, nothing really changes, does it?Because I looked up pictures of cats!
哦，那是個好問題。我確實記得。而且沒有什麼變化，不是嗎？因為我上網是查找貓咪的圖片！
Cats! Very useful. Anyway, do you think the internet has generally been positive or negative for the world?
貓咪！真有用。不管怎麼說，你認為網絡逐漸對世界起積極作用還是消極作用？
Wow, now that is a big question, a huge question.I don’t know if I can answer that.
哇，現在那是個大問題，一個巨大的問題。我不知道自己是否可以回答得出來。
Well, one person who perhaps can answer it, is the man who invented it: British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee. We’ll find out what he thinks has become of his ’child’ shortly. But before that, a question for you all. When did Berners-Lee first suggest the idea for what would become the World Wide Web? Was it in... a) 1985 b) 1989 or c) 1991 ?
好吧，或許有一個人可以回答這個問題，他就是網絡的創造者：英國計算機科學家提姆•博納斯李。我們馬上將會找出他認為自己創造的互聯網遭遇了什麼。但是在那之前有一個問題要問你。博納斯李什麼時候提出了萬維網的概念？是在 a) 1985 b) 1989 還是c) 1991 ？
Tricky, but I think it’s earlier than people think, so I’m going to go for 1985.
真棘手，但是我覺得要比人們認為的早，所以我選1985年。
Well, that was a long time ago. But we’ll reveal the answer a little later in the programme.I think it’s true to say that the internet has been one of, if not the most important technological developments, perhaps of all time. Would you agree, Neil?
好吧，那是很久之前了。但是稍後我們將在節目中揭曉答案。我認為說互聯網即使不是最重要的科技進步，也是比較重要的科技進步是沒錯的，或許一直都是這樣。你同意嗎，尼爾？
Well, it’s hard to imagine living without it. Not impossible, but not nearly as convenient.
好吧，很難想象沒有網絡的生活。也不是不可能，但就沒那麼方便了。
These days we take the internet for granted. We share our lives on social media and not just with friends and family. And that isn’t always a positive thing according to the father of the internet, Tim Berners-Lee. In a recent BBC Tech Tent programme he talked about his concerns with the internet and particularly the companies that control its information. Companies which he calls ’internet giants’. What does he say he thought these companies had to do?
現在我們把互聯網當成理所當然的事物。我們這社交媒體上分享自己的生活，而且不只是和朋友以及家人。而且據互聯網之父提姆•博納斯李來看，互聯網並不總是一件積極的事物。在最近的BBC科技節目中他談到了對互聯網的擔憂，特別是管理互聯網信息的公司。那些公司被他稱作“互聯網巨頭”。他說他認為這些公司必須做些什麼呢？
Initially I felt the main thing that internet giant had to do was just to be neutral, just be a platform. And humanity, once connected by technology, will do wonderful things. And clearly it doesn’t work like that.If you connect humanity via Wikipedia then they do produce, in general, wonderful things. If you connect people by social network where they have anonymity, then it can bring out the very nastiest of people.
最初我覺得互聯網巨頭必須要做的主要事情只是中立，只是作為一個平臺。而且人們一旦通過科技聯繫起來將會產生許多美好的事情。顯然它並沒有像那樣運作。如果你通過維基百科將人們聯繫起來，它們確實通常會創造出美好的事情。如果你通過匿名的社交網絡將人們聯繫起來，那麼它會使人們最險惡的東西顯露出來。
So what did he say he thought these internet giants had to do?
所以他說自己認為這些互聯網巨頭必須做什麼呢？
He said that he thought initially, that they just had to be neutral. Initially means ’at first’, ’in the beginning’.And it also suggests that later he changed his mind. Anyway, he said that he thought they just had to be neutral. Neutral here means that they didn’t need to do anything, they didn’t need to control the internet or information. He thought it would be a tool to connect people and ideas and information and it would be wonderful.
他說自己最初認為互聯網巨頭必須要做的只是中立。Initially指的是“最初”，“起初”，他同樣表明後來自己改變了觀點。不管怎樣，他說自己曾經認為互聯網巨頭必須要做的只是中立。中立在這裡指的是他們不需要做任何事，他們不需要管理互聯網或者信息。他認為那是將人，觀念和信息聯繫起來的工具，是美好的事物。
But it’s not all good, is it?
但也不全是好的，不是嗎？
No. He does say that giving people access to sources of information is generally a good thingBut that when it comes to social networks, social media, people have anonymity.
不是的。他確實說讓人們接觸到信息源通常是一件好事，但是當它涉及社交網絡，社交媒體時，人們會匿名。
Anonymity?
匿名？
Yes. It means that on the internet people can hide their true identity or personality. Some people write things that they would never say to someone in person, because they think there will be no consequences. Berners-Lee says anonymity can bring out the nastiest side of people, people saying horrible and terrible things to each other.
是的。它是指在互聯網上人們隱藏自己的真實身份或人格。有一些人寫下他們絕不會當面和他人說的話，因為他們認為那不會有嚴重後果。博納斯李稱匿名會帶使人最險惡的一面暴露出來，他們會對他人說不友好的，糟糕的東西。
Berners-Lee does have some suggestions for how this could be changed. And it’s based on the idea of likes and shares, which he calls kudos. What’s his suggestion?
博納斯李確實有一些針對這種變化的看法。並且它是基於喜愛和共享的觀點，他稱其為稱讚。他的看法是什麼嗎？
The different social networks and different platforms are in different situations and in some cases they have acknowledged there is an issue. I think they realise that the issue could be hugely ameliorated by tweaking the way the thing works, by changing the way retweets so propagated or changing the way people get kudos.Give them more kudos for being constructive for example.
不同的社交網絡和平臺狀況不同，並且在一些情況下，它們承認互聯網存在問題。我認為它們意識到通過稍微調整互聯網的運作方式，通過改變轉發推特的廣泛傳播方式，或者改變人們集讚的方式，該問題會極大改善。例如由於其積極性給予更多稱讚。
So how does he think companies could address the problem?
所以他認為這些公司怎樣可以解決該問題？
Well, he says that some of the social networks have agreed that there is a problem and they know what could improve it.
好吧，他說一些社交媒體已經承認互聯網存在問題，並且他們知道如何改進。
He didn’t use the word improve though, did he?
然而他沒有使用”improve”這個詞，是吧？
No, he actually used the rather formal verb - ameliorate, which means ’to improve or make something better’.
沒有，他實際上用的是相當正式的一個動詞“ameliorate“，指的是改進或者是讓某事物變得更好。
So how does he suggest the problem could be ameliorated?
所以他建議如何改進這個問題？
By tweaking the way in which people give or receive kudos. Tweaking means ’making a small change to the way something works’. Much of what happens on the internet is driven by our desire to get likes and shares. This is the kudos that Berners-Lee talks about. He feels that tweaking this could lead to a better experience. For example, getting more kudos for constructive or positive actions.
通過稍微改變一下人們點贊或者求讚的方式。"Tweak"指的是“對某事物的運作方式做出細微改變”。互聯網上發生的大部分事件都是被人們想要獲得喜愛和共享的意願所驅動的。這就是博納斯李所談到的稱讚。他感覺稍微改變稱讚的方式將會帶來更好的體驗。例如，由於自身積極性獲得更多稱讚。
Mmm, interesting. But I wonder who would decide if something is constructive?
嗯，有趣。但是我在猜想誰將決定某事物是積極的？
Well, that’s another big question for another day, I guess.
好吧，我猜那是改天要回答的另一個大問題。
For now though, let’s have the answer to our small question. In what year did Berners-Lee present the idea for what would become the World Wide Web? The options were a) 1985, b)1989 or c) 1991. It was infact 1989.Now before we go let’s have a quick recap of today’s vocabulary.
現在，讓我們看一下我們小問題的答案。在哪一年博納斯李提出來萬維網的概念。選項有a) 1985, b)1989 還是 c) 1991。答案實際上是1989年。在結束之前讓我們快速回顧一下今天的詞彙。
Initially, means ’at first - in the beginning’. Then we had neutral.
"Initially"指的是“最初，起初”。然後是"neutral"。
In this case it meant ’not controlling’ or ’not taking any action to control’.
在這裡它指的是“不管理”或者是“不採取任何舉動來管理”。
Then there was the noun - anonymity, which is the state of having a hidden identity or personality.
然後是名詞“匿名”，是隱藏個人身份或者人格。
Next, to ameliorate a situation is to make it better.
接下來，改善狀況就是使狀況變好。
To tweak something is to make a small change to the way something works.
"To tweak something"就是稍微改變某事物的運作方式。
And then we had of course kudos. Kudos is praise and appreciation for something you’ve done.
當然我們還提到了“稱讚”。"Kudos"是稱讚和欣賞你所做的某件事。
Well, kudos to you Rob for today’s programme. Thank you very much.
好吧，羅伯，今天的節目要稱讚你。十分感謝。
Well, thank you Neil and thank you everyone for listening. That’s all we have time for today. Bye for now.
好的，謝謝你尼爾，而且感謝各位的收聽。這就是我們今天的所有內容。再見了。
Thanks for joining us and goodbye.
感謝您的參與，再見。
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