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在不久的將來，機器人就能做家務了，它們不僅可以說話，還會獨立打掃、煮飯嗎？雖然機器人的發展突飛猛進，但短期之內這大概還無法成真。不過，在工業和太空探勘領域就不同了，機器人已經在這兩領域扮演舉足輕重的角色，而且技術也不斷進步。

Will robots soon be able to do the housework, to talk, clean and cook independently? That looks unlikely in the short-term, despite huge advances in robotics. The picture is quite different in industry and space travel though, where robots already play a key role – and their performance is improving.

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沒有「塑膠」這類人造材料的現代生活，簡直令人難以想像，但塑膠的原料「石油」是有限的，不可分解的材料也對環境是一大威脅，因此，科學家正在努力發展以植物為原料的生質塑膠。

Today's world would be inconceivable without synthetic materials such as plastic. But crude oil as the basis for most plastics is finite, and non - degradable materials represent a huge environmental problem. So scientists are busy developing bioplastics made out of vegetable matter.

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人類不只想有安全、舒適、快速的飛航經驗，還希望能兼顧環保和經濟價值，科學家和工程師為了讓這些成真，正在致力研究新的推進系統，且目前的測試結果很振奮人心，未來無疑是無噪音環保飛機的時代。

People don't just want to fly safely, comfortably and quickly, they also want air travel to be environmentally sound and good value for money: Scientists and engineers are developing new propulsion systems aimed at making that possible. Initial results of their work are encouraging. The future belongs to quiet and comparatively clean aeroplanes.

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理論上，幹細胞能發展成不同類型的專門細胞，它們可取代有缺陷的細胞，也可修復細胞，幹細胞現在成了對抗不治之症的一大希望，不過，此類治療有風險，也牽扯到倫理問題。

Stem cells are cells that can in principle differentiate into other specialized kinds of cells: For example, they can be used to replace damaged blood cells or repair organs. A great deal of hope is being pinned on stem cells in the fight against many so far incurable diseases. But it is still difficult to contain the risks of such therapies, and their application throws up ethical questions.

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3D電影雖然精彩，但觀眾總得戴上厚重的眼鏡才能觀賞，而且許多人因而產生不舒服的生理反應，醫療學者、攝影機製造商、動畫師正在努力研究新科技，希望不久後能解決這些問題。

3D movies are impressive to watch, but viewers need to wear clunky glasses and some people report negative physical reactions. Medical researchers, camera manufacturers and graphic designers are working on new technologies that could soon address these problems.

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全球的遺傳學者都在研究癌症、阿茲海默症、帕金森症等疾病的治療之道，他們運用知識和線索，試圖解出疾病原因的這塊巨型拼圖，未來，我們也許終於可以阻斷有缺陷的基因及預防疾病。

Genetic researchers worldwide are searching for the key to illnesses such as cancer, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. They assemble their insights and clues as to the origins of these diseases like pieces of a giant puzzle. It might eventually be possible to simply switch off defective genes that cause diseases.

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