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Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Rob. And I'm Sam.
大家好。这里是 BBC 学习英语栏目的六分钟英语。我是罗布。我是萨姆。
Here at 6 Minute English, we love to chat about new technology.
在《6分钟英语》节目中，我们热衷于讨论新技术。
One of our favourite topics is VR or virtual reality, and the ways it’s shaping life in the future.
我们最喜欢的话题之一是VR，即虚拟现实技术，以及它将如何改变我们的生活。
VR allows you to put on a headset and escape into a completely different world.
戴上视图器，VR就能带你逃离到一个完全不同的世界。
In this programme, we’ll be hearing about some of the ways VR is tackling serious problems
在本期节目中，我们将了解虚拟现实是如何解决一些严重问题的，
like domestic violence, and helping people overcome phobias
比如家庭暴力，以及帮助人们克服恐惧。
– the strong and irrational fear of something.
“phobia”指对某些东西强烈而非理性的恐惧。
And, of course, we’ll be learning some useful related vocabulary along the way.
当然，我们还将学习一些有用的相关词汇。
People who use VR often describe the experience as intense.
使用VR的人常将这种体验描述为强烈。
Putting on the headset makes you feel you’re really there,
戴上视图器，你就会感觉自己真的去了那个地方，
in whatever new world you’ve chosen.
那个你选择的新世界。
And it’s this intensity that inventors, scientists and therapists are using to help people overcome their problems.
发明家、科学家和治疗师正在利用VR带来的这种强烈的体验感来帮助人们解决难题。
We’ll hear more soon, but first I have a question for you, Sam.
我们将继续讨论这个问题，但首先我有个问题要问你，萨姆。
One of the phobias VR can help with is the fear of heights
VR可以治疗的恐惧症之一是恐高症，
but what is the proper name for this psychological disorder?
那恐高症正确的英文名称是什么？
Is the fear of heights called a) alektorophobia? b) arachnophobia? Or c) acrophobia?
是 a) alektorophobia？b) arachnophobia？还是 c) acrophobia？
I’ll say a) alektorophobia.
我选 a) alektorophobia。
OK, Sam. We’ll find out the answer at the end of the programme.
好的，萨姆。我将在节目结束时揭晓答案。
Now, if like me, you’re not very good with heights,
如果你和我一样恐高，
you’ll be happy to know that a company called Oxford VR
那你一定会很高兴，因为一家名为牛津VR的公司
has designed a system to help with precisely that problem.
已经设计了一个系统专门来解决这个问题。
In the safety of your own home, you put on a headset and are guided through a series of tasks
在安全的家里，你戴上视图器，在系统的引导下，完成一系列任务，
moving you higher and higher off the ground.
去往越来越高的地方。
You start by taking an elevator to the top floor of tall buildings and move on harder challenges, like climbing a rope.
一开始，你乘电梯来到高层建筑的顶层，然后完成更加困难的任务，比如拽着绳子向上爬。
Daniel Freeman is a professor of clinical psychology at Oxford University.
丹尼尔·弗里曼是牛津大学的一位临床心理学教授。
Listen as he explains how the VR experience works to BBC World Service programme, People Fixing the World.
他曾在BBC世界服务栏目的《人们改变世界》中解释VR是如何起作用的。
Even though you’re consciously aware it’s a simulation,
即使知道眼前的景象是模拟出来的假象，
it doesn’t stop all your habitual reactions to heights happening,
你还是会对高海拔做出习惯性反应。
and that’s really important, and that’s why it’s got such a potential to be therapeutic.
这真的很重要，这就是为什么它能用于治疗恐高症。
The art of successful therapy, and what you can do really, really well in VR,
VR技术可以实现治疗恐高症的关键一步，
is enable someone to drop those defences, and in VR a person is more able to drop them
就是让一个人放下戒备。而在虚拟现实中，人更有可能放下戒备，
because they know there’s no real height there.
因为他们知道那高度其实不存在。
Although the VR experience seems real,
尽管VR看起来是真实的，
the person using it knows it’s only a simulation – a pretend copy of the real thing.
但使用它的人知道，那只是一种假象，是对真实情景的复刻。
This gives them confidence to go higher, knowing they can’t really get hurt.
这让他们有信心走得更高，因为他们知道自己不会真的受伤。
But although it’s simulated,
尽管VR场景是虚拟的，
the experience is real enough to trick your mind into acting in its habitual way – the way it usually, typically works.
但它又足够真实，足以诱使大脑按照往常的方式做出反应。
Although your brain knows you have both feet on the ground,
尽管大脑知道你两只脚都踩在地上，
VR is so realistic that to complete the tasks you have to drop your defences,
但VR场景是如此真实，以至于要完成任务你必须放下防备，
a phrase meaning to relax and trust people by lowering the psychological barriers you have built to protect yourself.
即通过降低你为保护自己而建立的心理防线来放松、信任他人。
Oxford VR’s ‘Fear of Heights’ experience uses VR to put people into another world,
牛津VR开发的“恐高症”项目使用VR将人们带入另一个世界，
but the next project we’ll hear about takes things even further - putting people into someone else’s body.
但我们将听到的下一个项目更加神奇——它把人带入了别人的身体里。
In Barcelona, a VR simulation is being used in prisons to make men convicted of domestic violence
巴塞罗那的监狱里正在使用VR技术，让犯有家庭暴力罪的男性
aware of what it feels like to be in the position of their victims.
感受受害者的处境。
The project, called ‘virtual embodiment’, is led by neuroscientist, Mavi Sanchez-Vives,
该项目名为“虚拟化身”，由神经学家玛维·桑切斯维韦斯牵头完成。
of Barcelona’s Institute for Biomedical Research.
她是巴塞罗那生物医学研究所的一名研究员。
So in a virtual world we can be someone different and have a first-person embodied perspective
在虚拟世界中，我们可以成为其他人，从事件亲历者的视角出发看待问题。
from the point-of-view, for example, of a different person, different gender, different age.
例如，我们可以成为不同的人，拥有不同的性别、不同的年龄。
One can go through different situations and have the experience from this totally novel perspective.
人们可以站在全新的视角经历各种事情。
Many of the prisoners lack empathy for their victims.
许多囚犯对受害者缺乏同情心。
‘Virtual embodiment’ works by giving these men the experience of abuse in the first-person
“虚拟化身”的工作原理就是让这些人以亲历者的视角体验家庭暴力，
– from the perspective of someone who actually experiences an event in person.
，即站在亲身经历过某事的人的立场上来看待问题。
In VR, the men have the insults and abuse they gave to others turned back on them.
在VR中，曾经辱骂虐待他人的男性，现在要经历同样的虐待。
It’s a novel – a new and original - experience for them, and not a pleasant one either.
对他们来说，这是一种新奇的体验，而且并不愉快。
But the VR therapy seems to be working,
但VR疗法似乎奏效了，
and Dr Sanchez-Vives reports more and more of the prisoners
桑切斯维韦斯博士报告称，越来越多的囚犯
successfully reintegrating into their communities after their release from prison.
在出狱后重新融入了社会。
The experience VR creates of seeing things from someone else’s point-of-view
VR创造的从他人的角度看事物的体验
can be therapeutic, even for serious problems.
可以用于治疗疾病，甚至可以解决严重的问题。
And speaking of problems, what was the answer to your question, Rob?
说到问题，你问题的答案是什么，罗布？
I asked Sam whether the correct name for the fear of heights was alektorophobia, arachnophobia, or acrophobia?
我问萨姆恐高症的正确英文名称是alektorophobia、arachnophobia还是acrophobia。
I guessed it was alektorophobia.
我猜是alektorophobia。
Which was the wrong answer.
回答错误。
Alektorophobia is the fear of chickens!
alektorophobia是对鸡的恐惧症！
The correct answer was c) acrophobia
正确答案是 c) acrophobia，
– a fear of heights, and a good example of a phobia.
即恐高症，一种典型的恐惧症。
Let’s recap the rest of the vocabulary we’ve learned,
让我们回顾一下本期词汇吧。
starting with simulation – a pretend copy of something that looks real but is not.
从“simulation”开始。它指的是一个看似真实其实虚假的仿造品。
Habitual describes the usual, typical way something works.
“habitual”指的是某物通常的、典型的工作方式。
The phrase ‘drop your defences’ means to relax and trust something by lowering your psychological barriers.
短语“drop your defences”的意思是通过降低心理防线来放松、建立信任。
In the first-person means talking about something from the perspective of the person who actually experienced an event themselves.
“in the first-person”指的是从亲身经历者的角度谈论某事。
And finally, the adjective novel means completely new and original, unlike anything that has happened before.
最后，形容词“novel”的意思是全新的、原创的，与之前的都不一样。
Well, once again, our six minutes are really - and virtually - over!
好了，我们的六分钟真的又要结束了！
Goodbye for now! Bye!
下期再见！再见！
