BBC英语｜Is the internet good or bad?
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Hello, welcome to 6 Minute English. I’m Rob.
大家好，欢迎来到六分钟英语。我是罗伯。
And I’m Neil.
我是尼尔。
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?
现在，罗伯，你还记得自己第一次使用万维网或者通常被我们称作互联网的事物吗？你用它来做什么？
Oh, that’s a good question. I do remember. And well, nothing really changes, does it?Because I looked up pictures of cats!
哦，那是个好问题。我确实记得。而且没有什么变化，不是吗？因为我上网是查找猫咪的图片！
Cats! Very useful. Anyway, do you think the internet has generally been positive or negative for the world?
猫咪！真有用。不管怎么说，你认为网络逐渐对世界起积极作用还是消极作用？
Wow, now that is a big question, a huge question.I don’t know if I can answer that.
哇，现在那是个大问题，一个巨大的问题。我不知道自己是否可以回答得出来。
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，或许有一个人可以回答这个问题，他就是网络的创造者：英国计算机科学家提姆•博纳斯李。我们马上将会找出他认为自己创造的互联网遭遇了什么。但是在那之前有一个问题要问你。博纳斯李什么时候提出了万维网的概念？是在 a) 1985 b) 1989 还是c) 1991 ？
Tricky, but I think it’s earlier than people think, so I’m going to go for 1985.
真棘手，但是我觉得要比人们认为的早，所以我选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。但是稍后我们将在节目中揭晓答案。我认为说互联网即使不是最重要的科技进步，也是比较重要的科技进步是没错的，或许一直都是这样。你同意吗，尼尔？
Well, it’s hard to imagine living without it. Not impossible, but not nearly as convenient.
好吧，很难想象没有网络的生活。也不是不可能，但就没那么方便了。
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?
现在我们把互联网当成理所当然的事物。我们这社交媒体上分享自己的生活，而且不只是和朋友以及家人。而且据互联网之父提姆•博纳斯李来看，互联网并不总是一件积极的事物。在最近的BBC科技节目中他谈到了对互联网的担忧，特别是管理互联网信息的公司。那些公司被他称作“互联网巨头”。他说他认为这些公司必须做些什么呢？
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.
最初我觉得互联网巨头必须要做的主要事情只是中立，只是作为一个平台。而且人们一旦通过科技联系起来将会产生许多美好的事情。显然它并没有像那样运作。如果你通过维基百科将人们联系起来，它们确实通常会创造出美好的事情。如果你通过匿名的社交网络将人们联系起来，那么它会使人们最险恶的东西显露出来。
So what did he say he thought these internet giants had to do?
所以他说自己认为这些互联网巨头必须做什么呢？
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.
他说自己最初认为互联网巨头必须要做的只是中立。Initially指的是“最初”，“起初”，他同样表明后来自己改变了观点。不管怎样，他说自己曾经认为互联网巨头必须要做的只是中立。中立在这里指的是他们不需要做任何事，他们不需要管理互联网或者信息。他认为那是将人，观念和信息联系起来的工具，是美好的事物。
But it’s not all good, is it?
但也不全是好的，不是吗？
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。他确实说让人们接触到信息源通常是一件好事，但是当它涉及社交网络，社交媒体时，人们会匿名。
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。它是指在互联网上人们隐藏自己的真实身份或人格。有一些人写下他们绝不会当面和他人说的话，因为他们认为那不会有严重后果。博纳斯李称匿名会带使人最险恶的一面暴露出来，他们会对他人说不友好的，糟糕的东西。
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?
博纳斯李确实有一些针对这种变化的看法。并且它是基于喜爱和共享的观点，他称其为称赞。他的看法是什么吗？
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.
不同的社交网络和平台状况不同，并且在一些情况下，它们承认互联网存在问题。我认为它们意识到通过稍微调整互联网的运作方式，通过改变转发推特的广泛传播方式，或者改变人们集赞的方式，该问题会极大改善。例如由于其积极性给予更多称赞。
So how does he think companies could address the problem?
所以他认为这些公司怎样可以解决该问题？
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，他说一些社交媒体已经承认互联网存在问题，并且他们知道如何改进。
He didn’t use the word improve though, did he?
然而他没有使用”improve”这个词，是吧？
No, he actually used the rather formal verb - ameliorate, which means ’to improve or make something better’.
没有，他实际上用的是相当正式的一个动词“ameliorate“，指的是改进或者是让某事物变得更好。
So how does he suggest the problem could be ameliorated?
所以他建议如何改进这个问题？
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.
通过稍微改变一下人们点赞或者求赞的方式。"Tweak"指的是“对某事物的运作方式做出细微改变”。互联网上发生的大部分事件都是被人们想要获得喜爱和共享的意愿所驱动的。这就是博纳斯李所谈到的称赞。他感觉稍微改变称赞的方式将会带来更好的体验。例如，由于自身积极性获得更多称赞。
Mmm, interesting. But I wonder who would decide if something is constructive?
嗯，有趣。但是我在猜想谁将决定某事物是积极的？
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个大问题。
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.
现在，让我们看一下我们小问题的答案。在哪一年博纳斯李提出来万维网的概念。选项有a) 1985, b)1989 还是 c) 1991。答案实际上是1989年。在结束之前让我们快速回顾一下今天的词汇。
Initially, means ’at first - in the beginning’. Then we had neutral.
"Initially"指的是“最初，起初”。然后是"neutral"。
In this case it meant ’not controlling’ or ’not taking any action to control’.
在这里它指的是“不管理”或者是“不采取任何举动来管理”。
Then there was the noun - anonymity, which is the state of having a hidden identity or personality.
然后是名词“匿名”，是隐藏个人身份或者人格。
Next, to ameliorate a situation is to make it better.
接下来，改善状况就是使状况变好。
To tweak something is to make a small change to the way something works.
"To tweak something"就是稍微改变某事物的运作方式。
And then we had of course kudos. Kudos is praise and appreciation for something you’ve done.
当然我们还提到了“称赞”。"Kudos"是称赞和欣赏你所做的某件事。
Well, kudos to you Rob for today’s programme. Thank you very much.
好吧，罗伯，今天的节目要称赞你。十分感谢。
Well, thank you Neil and thank you everyone for listening. That’s all we have time for today. Bye for now.
好的，谢谢你尼尔，而且感谢各位的收听。这就是我们今天的所有内容。再见了。
Thanks for joining us and goodbye.
感谢您的参与，再见。