Unit 2 Computers Prefer Talking in Chinese.

A research project funded by the Government suggests that Chinese or Japanese may one day become the linqua franca of computing. The reason is the emerging technology of voice-recognition. Until now Westerners have had an important cultural advantage with computers.

Almost everyone who works with computers has to learn the Latin script, and usually some English, to program them with a keyboard. Native English-speakers have a head start. Gadgets that recognise human speech are gradually taking over from keyboards. Voice-activated car telephones are already on the market.

In industry, speech is often more convenient than a keyboard as a way to feed information into a computer. However, voice-recognition devices can understand only a pre-set vocabulary, from one speaker who has previously "trained" the machine. A state-of-the-art-device that Marconi will demonstrate next week at the Compec computer show in London can understand up to 640 words. Machines that can interpret human speech from sounds that make up words remain science fiction. Spoken English uses between 8,000 and 10,000 distinct syllables.

A voice-recognition computer would have to distinguish between them; and anyone wanting to use the machine would have to train it personally through all of them. Words in Mandarin and Japanese, however, are made up of about 400 basic syllables. Building a voice recogniser with unlimited vocabulary should be far easier for these languages than for European ones. A software company called Sindex Speech Technology is working with the Royal Signals and Radar Establishment, the School of Oriented and African Studies and University College, London, to develop such a system. The immediate goal of the project, funded by the Government, is to build word-processors that can transcribe spoken Chinese. But if tomorrow's speaking computers are happier working in Chinese or Japanese than in English, how long can - English remain the language of technology?

1) Find in the text and translate into Russian the following expressions.

Voice-recognition, Latin script, voice-activated car telephones, pre­set vocabulary, a state-of-the-art device, computer show, human speech, science fiction, a voice-recognition computer, a voice recog­niser, a software company, University college, word-processors.

2) Paraphrase the following sentences using the words from the text.

1. The reason is the appearing technology of voice-recognition.

2. Almost everyone who works with computers must learn the Latin script.

3. In industry, speech is often more convenient than a keyboard as a way to enter information into a computer.

4. A state-of-the-art device will be shown next week.

5. Words in Mandarin and Japanese, however, consist of about 400 basic syllables,

6. Building a voice recogniser with unlimited vocabulary should be much easier for these languages than for European ones.

7. The immediate purpose of the project is to build necessary word-processors.

3) Answer the following questions.

1. What languages may become the lingua franca of computing?

2. What cultural advantage with computers did Westerners have until now?

3. Why is it more convenient to use speech to feed information into a computer?

4. Can voice-recognition devices understand any voice?

5. Why is it easier to build a voice recognizer with unlimited voca­bulary for Japanese and not for English?

6. What language do you think can remain the language of technology?

4) Translate the following sentences into English.

1. Сообщается, что китайский или японский язык может стать основным языком компьютеров.

2. В промышленности более удобно использовать речь для вве­дения информации в компьютер.

3. Устройства, воспринимающие голос, могут понимать только ограниченное количество слов.

4. Воспринимающее голос устройство понимает только того, кто "тренировал" компьютер.

5. Слова японского языка состоят в основном из 400 слогов.

6. Сконструировать воспринимающее голос устройство легче для японского языка, чем для английского языка.

7. Главная цель проекта - сконструировать процессоры слов.

8. Какой язык останется языком компьютеров?

5) From the information you have read, write down as much as possible under these headings:

• An important cultural advantage with the computers

• Speech is more convenient than a keyboard

• Voice-recognition devices

• A voice-recogniser for Japanese

6) Read the following paragraphs and then put them into the most logical sequence. Paragraph a) is the first, but the others are mixed up.

a) Last year, the number of industrial robots installed in Britain declined for the first time according to the British Robot Association.

b) One reason is the decline in the automotive industry, which "employs" about one third of Britain's robots.

c) The survey will reflect mainly positive attitudes, with most firms reporting that robots increase profits and that employees soon over­come suspicions about the new technology.

d) Another interpretation is that industry's honeymoon with robotics is over, and that companies have learnt that robots on their own are not an instant solution to manufacturing problems.

e) On Wednesday the Policy Studies Institute publishes a survey on robots in industry.

Unit 3