What do you picture in your mind, when you think of robots?
當你想到機器人時，你腦海裡會出現什麼畫面？
Do you think of a walking, talking piece of metal, like this?
你是不是想到了一個能走能說話的金屬物體，就像這個？
A lot of people do!
很多人都這麼想，
Because some robots really do look sort of like people，
因為有些機器人看起來確實有點兒像人類，
But, despite what you see in the movies, most real-life robots don't look like us.
但是，儘管你在電影裡看到的那些機器人和人一樣，現實生活中絕大部分機器人看起來並不像我們。
They can look like animals, like Squeaks here, or like things you've never even seen before.
他們看起來可能像動物，就像這裡的「吱吱」一樣，或者像你從未見過的物體。
Robots come in all different shapes and sizes, because they all have different jobs to do.
因為機器人都有不同的工作要做，所以機器人的形狀和大小也不同。
And if you're wondering what robots really are, and what they can do. You are not alone!
如果你想知道機器人到底是什麼，他們能幹什麼，那麼，你不是唯一的好奇者。
Seven-year-old Rowan recently e-mail to ask "What is a robot, and how do robots work?"
七歲的羅恩最近給我們發了一封電子郵件，問「什麼是機器人，它們如何工作?」
Squeaks says "Great, question, Rowan!"
吱吱說 「 問得好，羅恩 」。
A robot is a machine that's designed by people to do a specific job.
機器人是人類設計出來做特殊工作的機器。
And the scientists who design and build robots are called roboticists.
設計並製作機器人的科學家被稱為機器人專家。
Most robots do jobs that people can't do, or don't want to do.
絕大多數機器人做的都是人類無法做或不想做的工作。
If a job is kind of boring—like if it involves doing the same thing over and over,
如果工作有點無聊，像如果它需要反反覆覆做同一件事，
or if a job is very dangerous—and it means going places where people could get hurt,
又如果工作非常危險，這意味著去可能會有人受傷的地方，
then chances are, a robot has been built to do it instead!
那麼很有可能，一個機器人已經被製造出來代替它做這件事了!
The very first robot was built over 50 years ago to help build cars in a factory.
最早的機器人是在50多年前製造出來的，用來幫助工廠製造汽車。
Today, car factories still depend on robots a lot like that one to do all kinds of jobs: from putting the pieces of car together to spraying them paint when they're finished.
現在，汽車製造廠仍舊非常依賴像最早的機器人那樣的機器人做各種各樣的工作:從組裝零件到噴漆上色。
And robots work in lots of other kinds of factory jobs, too.
機器人也做各種其他的工作,
Like building computers,and even putting candies in their wrappers!
像製造電腦甚至是包裝糖果。
Robots are good at jobs like these, because unlike humans,
機器人擅長這類工作，因為它們和人類不同，
they're less likely to make mistakes when they're working,
它們在工作中更不容易犯錯，
and they don't go on vacation, or even take lunch breaks.
並且他們不需要放假， 甚至不需要午休。
Plus, they never get bored. They can keep going, and going, and going.
加上，它們從不會變得厭倦，它們能夠一直工作。
This makes nighttime jobs the perfect fit for rabots.
這使得夜間工作非常適合機器人去做。
They can do things like control city trains after dark while we get our sleep!
它們能在天黑以後當我們睡覺時做操控城市火車這一類的事情。
Robots can also work in places that humans would have a tough time adjusting to—or where we could never go.
機器人也能在人類很難適應的地方或者我們根本無法到達的地方工作。
There are robots that work in really hot places, like volcanoes…
...and really cold places like deep underwater in the ocean.
有能在火山之類的炎熱地帶工作的機器人，還有能在深海等非常冷的地方工作的機器人。
...and even in really smelly places like sewage plants.
甚至有在像汙水處理廠這樣非常臭氣燻天的地方工作的機器人。
There are even robots doing jobs for us on other planets.
甚至有在別的星球上為我們工作的機器人。
Yup, that means there are robots in space!
是的，那意味著在太空上有機器人。
There are two robots-on-wheels, named Opportunity and Curiosity,
這是兩個有輪子的機器人,一個叫「 機遇 」,另一個叫「 好奇 」,
that are cruising around on Mars right now!
正在火星上漫步！
Scientists call them rovers, and they might look like cars or go-carts, but they're considered robots, too,
科學家叫它們巡遊者, 它們可能看起來像小車或是輕便手推車,但它們也被認為是機器人，
because they get instructions from scientists here on Earth to do all kinds of important work，
因為它們接收來自地球上科學家們的指令，去做各種各樣重要的工作，
like studying the planet's air, digging up soil, and even drilling into rocks to see what they're made of!
比如研究這個星球上（指地球）的空氣，挖掘土壤，甚至鑽入巖石，看看它們是由什麼構成的!
Scientists hope that the discoveries that are made by Opportunity and Curiosity will help us figure out how we can one day send humans to Mars!
科學家希望通過「機遇 」和「 好奇 」兩個機器人的發現將幫助我們研究出把人類送上火星的方法。
Another robot called R2 was sent to the International Space Station, making it the first human-like robot in space.
另一個叫R2的機器人被送上了國際空間站，成為第一個在太空中出現的類人機器人。
Even though they're not very common,
儘管他們並不尋常，
there are other robots, like R2, that look and act sort of like people.
還有其它像R2這樣的機器人，它們的外表和行為都有些像人類。
One of them, called ASIMO, has been built to do some amazing, lifelike things.
其中有一個叫「 阿西莫 」的機器人，能夠做一些驚人的、逼真的事情。
Although he hasn't been to space—yet!
儘管它至今沒去過太空！
ASIMO can walk, run, climb stairs, and even dance!
「阿西莫」 能走路、跑步、爬樓梯甚至能跳舞。
Robots like ASIMO show us just how far roboticists have come since they built the very first robot over 50 years ago.
從50年前創造了第一個機器人至今，類似阿西莫這樣的機器人向我們展示了機器人專家們取得了多大的進步。
It'll probably be a long time before a robot can do your homework with you,or fly you to school every morning.
可能距機器人能每天陪你寫作業，或早上載著你飛向學校還有很長時間，
But they're already showing up in lots of homes, doing ordinary chores,like mowing the lawn or vacuuming the house.
但它們已經出現在了很多家庭，做一些尋常的家務，比如修理草坪或打掃房子。
All we have to do is to plug them in or press the START button.
而我們所需要做的僅僅是插上插頭或按下啟動按鈕。
So, who knows what super-cool robots will there be in the next 50 years!
所以，誰知道未來50年會有什麼超級酷的機器人呢!
I can't wait to find out!
我已經迫不及待地想知道了。
Thanks to Rowan for asking such a fun question, and thanks to you for learning about robots with Squeaks and me.
謝謝羅恩提出了這麼有趣的問題，也感謝你和我與「吱吱」一起了解機器人。
And remember, if you have a question about anything you'd like to learn more about,
記住，如果你有任何想了解的問題，
just let us know by getting help from a parent,
請爸爸或媽媽幫助告訴我們，
and leaving a comment below or emailing us at kids@thescishow.com.
在下方寫下評論或者發送郵件到kids@thescishow.com
See you next time!
我們下期節目再見