【BBC六分钟英语】您的智能手机使用年限是多少？

【英文脚本】

Catherine
Hello and welcome to Six Minute English! I’m Catherine.

Rob
And I’m Rob, and today we bring you a techy topic along with six up-to-date vocabulary items.

Catherine
And today’s techy topic is smartphones. So Rob, can you tell me which age group have been buying smartphones at the fastest rate over the last five years here in the UK? Is it… a) 15-35 year olds, b) 35-55 year olds or c) 55-75 year olds?

Rob
It’s got to be the youngsters. It’s got to be the 15-35 year olds.

Catherine
Oh well we’ll see whether you got that right or wrong later on in the show. Now Rob, a question: how old is your smartphone?

Rob
OK mine, I bought it a couple of years ago.

Catherine
And are you happy with it?

Rob
Yes, I am. It works just fine, it does everything I need it to do.

Catherine
So you’re not worried about not having the latest model?

Rob
Not at all. My phone works really well, it has all the functionality I need. And I’m not convinced that the latest model offers any more than the one I’ve got, to be honest.

Catherine
Functionality refers to the range of functions a computer or other electronic device can perform. So, let’s listen now to Andrew Orlowski, from the tech news website The Register. He explains why people are holding onto their phones longer, instead of rushing out to buy the latest model of phone.

Andrew Orlowski, The Register
What’s happened is that prices have gone up at the high end. And it’s kind of a cycle where people hang onto their phones for longer, therefore manufacturers charge more. Then people hang onto them longer to justify that higher purchase.

Rob
So big brand names like iPhone and Samsung make phones at the high end of the market – meaning the expensive ones. So once people have bought a handset, they hang on to it! If you hang onto something, you keep it. I’ve been hanging onto my phone for a couple of years, and am hoping I won’t need to change it for another year or so, at least.

Catherine
But what happens is, if people aren’t replacing their phones, the phone manufacturers don’t make a big enough profit. So they start charging more…

Rob
… and this, in turn, makes people hang onto their phones even longer! So that’s why Andrew Orlowski calls it a cycle, that’s where one event leads to another, and then often repeats itself.

Catherine
So where will the cycle end?

Rob
Good question! Let’s listen to Andrew again, talking about where he thinks the smartphone market is heading.

Andrew Orlowski, The Register
I think it’s a very mature market now. And you have to compare, say, a £900 Galaxy Note or a £1000 iPhone with a spectacular TV you can… a 49 inch TV you can get for £450. It no longer has that kind of must-have lustre that it might have had 4 or 5 years ago.

Catherine
What does ‘mature’ mean, Rob?

Rob
Mature means fully-grown, we’re mature adults for example, Catherine! And in a business context, a mature market is where supply is equal to demand.

Catherine
And if something has ‘must-have lustre’? What’s that?

Rob
A must-have item is something you feel you must have. And lustre means shine.

Catherine
I love shiny new things, especially when it’s a piece of new tech. But £1000 is a lot of money for a phone. A spectacular 49-inch TV for only £450 sounds like a bargain though! My TV only has a 30-inch screen.

Rob
Stop there, Catherine! It’s time for the answer to today’s question.

Catherine
OK: Which age group have been buying smartphones at the fastest rate over the last five years here in the UK? Is it… a) 15-35 year olds, b) 35-55 year olds, or c) 55-75 year olds?

Rob
I said 15-35 year olds.

Catherine
And you were wrong, I’m afraid, Rob! The answer is 55-75 year olds! Although research also highlighted that this age group tended to use their smartphones less than younger people.The study was based on a sample of 1,163 people questioned between May and June in 2017.

Rob
Interesting. OK, I think it’s time we looked back at the words we learned today. Our first word is ‘functionality’, which refers to the range of functions a computer of other electronic device can perform.

Catherine
‘These two computers are similar in terms of both their price and functionality.’

Rob
Good example Catherine. Number two, if you hang on to something, you keep it. For example, ‘You should hang onto your old TV, Catherine. There’s nothing wrong with a 30 inch screen!’

Catherine
Thanks for the advice, Rob. And our next word is ‘cycle’, that’s where one event leads to another, and then often repeats itself. For example, ‘I’m in a bad cycle of going to bed late, then oversleeping in the morning.’

Rob
You need to sort yourself out, Catherine! You’re spending too much time on social media – and all that blue-screen time makes it very hard to fall asleep. The last thing you need is a bigger TV!

Catherine
You’re probably right. OK, the adjective ‘mature’ means fully grown or fully developed. Here’s an example of the verb form– ‘My investments have matured and they’re worth a lot of money now!’

Rob
Right moving on, a ‘must-have item’ is something you feel you must have! For example, ‘Check out the latest must-have tech bargains on our website!’

Catherine
And finally, ‘lustre’, which means shine.

Rob
For example, ‘I polished my brass doorknob until it shone with a pleasing lustre.’

Catherine
OK before Rob heads off to polish is doorknob, and I nip out to buy a new big-screen TV, please remember to check out our Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube pages.

Rob/Catherine
Bye!

【中英文双语脚本】

Catherine(凯瑟琳)
Hello and welcome to Six Minute English! I’m Catherine.
您好，欢迎来到 Six Minute English！我是 Catherine。

Rob(罗伯)
And I’m Rob, and today we bring you a techy topic along with six up-to-date vocabulary items.
我是 罗伯，今天我们为您带来一个技术性话题以及六个最新的词汇项目。

Catherine(凯瑟琳)
And today’s techy topic is smartphones. So Rob, can you tell me which age group have been buying smartphones at the fastest rate over the last five years here in the UK? Is it… a) 15-35 year olds, b) 35-55 year olds or c) 55-75 year olds?
今天的科技话题是智能手机。那么 罗伯，您能告诉我在过去五年中，哪个年龄段的英国智能手机购买速度最快吗？是吗。。。a） 15-35 岁，b） 35-55 岁或 c） 55-75 岁？

Rob(罗伯)
It’s got to be the youngsters. It’s got to be the 15-35 year olds.
必须是年轻人。必须是 15-35 岁的年轻人。

Catherine(凯瑟琳)
Oh well we’ll see whether you got that right or wrong later on in the show. Now Rob, a question: how old is your smartphone?
哦，好吧，我们会在节目后面看看你是对还是错。现在 罗伯 来问一个问题：你的智能手机有多旧了？

Rob(罗伯)
OK mine, I bought it a couple of years ago.
好的，我的，我几年前买的。

Catherine(凯瑟琳)
And are you happy with it?
你对它满意吗？

Rob(罗伯)
Yes, I am. It works just fine, it does everything I need it to do.
是的，我是。它工作得很好，它完成了我需要它做的所有事情。

Catherine(凯瑟琳)
So you’re not worried about not having the latest model?
所以你不担心没有最新的型号吗？

Rob(罗伯)
Not at all. My phone works really well, it has all the functionality I need. And I’m not convinced that the latest model offers any more than the one I’ve got, to be honest.
一点也不。我的手机运行得非常好，它具有我需要的所有功能。老实说，我不相信最新型号提供的功能比我所拥有的更多。

Catherine(凯瑟琳)
Functionality refers to the range of functions a computer or other electronic device can perform. So, let’s listen now to Andrew Orlowski, from the tech news website The Register. He explains why people are holding onto their phones longer, instead of rushing out to buy the latest model of phone.
功能是指计算机或其他电子设备可以执行的功能范围。那么，现在让我们听听科技新闻网站 The Register 的 Andrew Orlowski 的演讲。他解释了为什么人们持有手机的时间更长，而不是急于购买最新型号的手机。

Andrew Orlowski, The Register(安德鲁·奥洛夫斯基，TheRegister)
What’s happened is that prices have gone up at the high end. And it’s kind of a cycle where people hang onto their phones for longer, therefore manufacturers charge more. Then people hang onto them longer to justify that higher purchase.
现在的情况是，高端价格上涨了。这是一个循环，人们挂在手机上的时间更长，因此制造商收取更高的费用。然后人们坚持使用它们的时间更长，以证明更高的购买是合理的。

Rob(罗伯)
So big brand names like iPhone and Samsung make phones at the high end of the market – meaning the expensive ones. So once people have bought a handset, they hang on to it! If you hang onto something, you keep it. I’ve been hanging onto my phone for a couple of years, and am hoping I won’t need to change it for another year or so, at least.
因此，iPhone 和三星等大品牌在高端市场生产手机 —— 即昂贵的手机。因此，一旦人们购买了手机，他们就会坚持下去！如果你坚持什么，你就保留它。我已经挂着我的手机几年了，希望至少再过一年左右我就不需要换它了。

Catherine(凯瑟琳)
But what happens is, if people aren’t replacing their phones, the phone manufacturers don’t make a big enough profit. So they start charging more…
但发生的事情是，如果人们不更换手机，手机制造商就不会获得足够大的利润。所以他们开始收取更高的费用……

Rob(罗伯)
… and this, in turn, makes people hang onto their phones even longer! So that’s why Andrew Orlowski calls it a cycle, that’s where one event leads to another, and then often repeats itself.
…反过来，这让人们在手机上挂的时间更长！所以这就是为什么安德鲁·奥洛夫斯基 （Andrew Orlowski） 称之为循环，即一个事件导致另一个事件，然后经常重复。

Catherine(凯瑟琳)
So where will the cycle end?
那么，这个周期将在哪里结束呢？

Rob(罗伯)
Good question! Let’s listen to Andrew again, talking about where he thinks the smartphone market is heading.
问得好！让我们再次聆听 Andrew 的演讲，谈谈他认为智能手机市场的发展方向。

Andrew Orlowski, The Register(安德鲁·奥洛夫斯基，TheRegister)
I think it’s a very mature market now. And you have to compare, say, a £900 Galaxy Note or a £1000 iPhone with a spectacular TV you can… a 49 inch TV you can get for £450. It no longer has that kind of must-have lustre that it might have had 4 or 5 years ago.
我认为现在这是一个非常成熟的市场。而且你必须比较，比如说，一台 900 英镑的 Galaxy Note 或一台 1000 英镑的 iPhone，以及一台你可以……您可以以 49 英镑的价格获得一台 450 英寸的电视。它不再具有 4 或 5 年前可能拥有的那种必备光泽。

Catherine(凯瑟琳)
What does ‘mature’ mean, Rob?
“成熟”是什么意思，罗伯？

Rob(罗伯)
Mature means fully-grown, we’re mature adults for example, Catherine! And in a business context, a mature market is where supply is equal to demand.
成熟意味着完全成熟，我们是成熟的成年人，例如，凯瑟琳！在商业环境中，成熟市场是供需相等的市场。

Catherine(凯瑟琳)
And if something has ‘must-have lustre’? What’s that?
如果某样东西具有“必备的光泽”呢？什么？

Rob(罗伯)
A must-have item is something you feel you must have. And lustre means shine.
必备物品是您认为必须拥有的东西。光泽意味着光泽。

Catherine(凯瑟琳)
I love shiny new things, especially when it’s a piece of new tech. But £1000 is a lot of money for a phone. A spectacular 49-inch TV for only £450 sounds like a bargain though! My TV only has a 30-inch screen.
我喜欢闪亮的新事物，尤其是当它是新技术时。但是 1000 英镑对于一部手机来说是一大笔钱。不过，只需 49 英镑即可购买一台壮观的 450 英寸电视听起来很划算！我的电视只有一个 30 英寸的屏幕。

Rob(罗伯)
Stop there, Catherine! It’s time for the answer to today’s question.
停在那里，凯瑟琳！现在是回答今天问题的时候了。

Catherine(凯瑟琳)
OK: Which age group have been buying smartphones at the fastest rate over the last five years here in the UK? Is it… a) 15-35 year olds, b) 35-55 year olds, or c) 55-75 year olds?
OK：在过去五年中，哪个年龄段的英国智能手机购买速度最快？是吗。。。a） 15-35 岁，b） 35-55 岁，还是 c） 55-75 岁？

Rob(罗伯)
I said 15-35 year olds.
我说的是 15-35 岁的人。

Catherine(凯瑟琳)
And you were wrong, I’m afraid, Rob! The answer is 55-75 year olds! Although research also highlighted that this age group tended to use their smartphones less than younger people.The study was based on a sample of 1,163 people questioned between May and June in 2017.
恐怕你错了，罗伯！答案是 55-75 岁的人！尽管研究还强调，这个年龄段的人往往比年轻人更少地使用智能手机。该研究基于 2017 年 5 月至 6 月期间接受调查的 1,163 人的样本。

Rob(罗伯)
Interesting. OK, I think it’s time we looked back at the words we learned today. Our first word is ‘functionality’, which refers to the range of functions a computer of other electronic device can perform.
有趣。好的，我认为我们是时候回顾一下我们今天学到的单词了。我们的第一个词是“功能性”，它指的是其他电子设备的计算机可以执行的功能范围。

Catherine(凯瑟琳)
‘These two computers are similar in terms of both their price and functionality.’
“这两台电脑在价格和功能方面都很相似。”

Rob(罗伯)
Good example Catherine. Number two, if you hang on to something, you keep it. For example, ‘You should hang onto your old TV, Catherine. There’s nothing wrong with a 30 inch screen!’
凯瑟琳 （Catherine） 的好例子。第二，如果你坚持某样东西，你就保留它。例如，’你应该坚持你的旧电视，凯瑟琳。30 英寸的屏幕没有问题！

Catherine(凯瑟琳)
Thanks for the advice, Rob. And our next word is ‘cycle’, that’s where one event leads to another, and then often repeats itself. For example, ‘I’m in a bad cycle of going to bed late, then oversleeping in the morning.’
谢谢你的建议，罗伯。我们的下一个词是 “循环”，即一个事件导致另一个事件，然后经常重复。例如，“我处于一个糟糕的循环中，睡得很晚，然后早上睡过头。

Rob(罗伯)
You need to sort yourself out, Catherine! You’re spending too much time on social media – and all that blue-screen time makes it very hard to fall asleep. The last thing you need is a bigger TV!
你得把自己整理一下，凯瑟琳！你在社交媒体上花了太多时间 —— 所有这些蓝屏时间让你很难入睡。您最不需要的就是一台更大的电视！

Catherine(凯瑟琳)
You’re probably right. OK, the adjective ‘mature’ means fully grown or fully developed. Here’s an example of the verb form– ‘My investments have matured and they’re worth a lot of money now!’
你可能是对的。好吧，形容词“成熟”的意思是完全成熟或完全发育。这是动词形式的一个例子 —— “我的投资已经成熟，它们现在值很多钱！

Rob(罗伯)
Right moving on, a ‘must-have item’ is something you feel you must have! For example, ‘Check out the latest must-have tech bargains on our website!’
继续前进，“必备物品”是您觉得必须拥有的东西！例如，“在我们的网站上查看最新的必备技术优惠！

Catherine(凯瑟琳)
And finally, ‘lustre’, which means shine.
最后，“lustre”，意思是光泽。

Rob(罗伯)
For example, ‘I polished my brass doorknob until it shone with a pleasing lustre.’
例如，“我擦亮了我的黄铜门把手，直到它闪耀着令人愉悦的光泽。

Catherine(凯瑟琳)
OK before Rob heads off to polish is doorknob, and I nip out to buy a new big-screen TV, please remember to check out our Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube pages.
好的，在 罗伯 去擦亮门把手之前，我抽出时间买了一台新的大屏幕电视，请记得查看我们的 Facebook、Twitter 和 YouTube 页面。

Rob/Catherine(罗伯/凯瑟琳)
Bye!
再见！

【核心词汇】

functionality

a range of functions a computer or other electronic device can perform
功能性
计算机或其他电子设备可以执行的一系列功能。
The functionality of this software is impressive.
这个软件的功能令人印象深刻。

hang on to (something)

keep (something)
抓住
保留；抓住不放
Hang on to your hat, it’s windy out there.
抓住你的帽子，外面风很大。

cycle

a process where one event leads to another, and then often repeats itself
循环
一个事件导致另一个事件，然后经常重复自身的过程。
The cycles of boom and bust seem to be getting shorter.
繁荣与萧条的周期似乎变得越来越短。

mature

fully grown or fully developed
成熟
完全长大或完全发育成熟的。
Some fish mature after only a year.
有些鱼在一年后就成熟了。

must-have item

something you feel you must have
必备品
你觉得你必须拥有的东西。
This season’s must-have item is a leather jacket.
这个季度必备的单品是一件皮夹克。

lustre

shine
光泽
光泽；光彩
The gilt had lost its lustre.
镀金失去了光泽。

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