《經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家》讀譯參考之四十三微縮無線－計(jì)算機(jī)芯片元件無線交互通信

1、TEXT 43Shrinking wireless微縮無線（陳繼龍 編譯）Jun 29th 2006From The Economist print editionTHE miniaturisation of the components of computer chips has proved unstoppable. In each new generation, those components are smaller and more tightly packed than they were in its predecessor. （1）Progress has been so ra

2、pid that chip designers are approaching apparently fundamental barriers to further reductions in size and increases in density. One of these is imposed by the need to wire the components in a chip together, so that they can exchange signals. But, in a miniaturised version of the s_ to wireless commu

3、nication in the macroscopic world, a group of researchers led by Alain Nogaret of the University of Bath, in England, think they can make chips whose components talk to each other wirelessly.事實(shí)證明，計(jì)算機(jī)芯片元件的微型化已經(jīng)勢(shì)不可擋。新一代芯片的元件越來越小，壓縮也越來越緊密。發(fā)展如此之快，致使芯片設(shè)計(jì)者在進(jìn)一步縮小元件尺寸、提高元件密集度上逐漸遇到了許多根本性難題。其中之一就是必須將某一芯片中的所有元

4、件用線連接起來，以便于各元件之間可以交換信號(hào)。不過，英國巴思大學(xué)的亞萊恩諾加雷特負(fù)責(zé)的一個(gè)研究小組認(rèn)為，通過在微型條件下實(shí)現(xiàn)宏觀意義上的無線通信，他們可以制造出具有無線信息交互元件的芯片。At present, the electronics that transmit and receive the radio waves used in wireless devices are too large to be used within individual chips. But Dr Nogaret believes he can o_ this. Last week he and his

5、colleagues at three other British universities, another in Belgium and a research institute in France won the money to try to build such a device.當(dāng)前，無線設(shè)備中采用的無線電波輸送和接收電子器件都過大，無法應(yīng)用于單個(gè)芯片。但是諾加雷特博士相信可以解決這一問題。上周，他和來自另外三所英國大學(xué)、一所比利時(shí)大學(xué)以及法國一研究院的同事們爭(zhēng)取到了研制這一設(shè)備的資金。The researchers intend to use the standard litho

6、graphic1 techniques employed in chipmaking to coat a semiconductor with microscopic magnets. （2）These magnets will generate local magnetic fields that point in opposite directions at different points on the chips surface. Electrons have a property called spin2 that is affected by magnetic fields, an

7、d the team hopes to use an effect called inverse electron-spin resonance to make electrons passing through the chip emit microwaves.研究人員擬應(yīng)用芯片制作中所用的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)平版印刷技術(shù)，將許多極小的磁鐵包被到一塊半導(dǎo)體上。這些磁鐵可產(chǎn)生局部磁場(chǎng)，從相反的方向作用于芯片表面不同位點(diǎn)。電子具有一種自旋特性，可受磁場(chǎng)影響，因此研究小組希望利用一種“反電子自旋諧振”效應(yīng)，讓穿過芯片的電子發(fā)射微波。The technique they are proposing is the r

8、_ of the process in medical magnetic-resonance imaging. （3）In MRI, the patient is placed in a strong magnetic field that causes some of his bodys atomic nuclei, which act like tiny magnetised spinning tops, to align3 themselves with the field. These nuclei are then zapped4 briefly with a second magn

9、etic field that knocks them out of alignment with the first one. The coils in the scanning apparatus detect these magnetic changes, which are used to build up a map of the part of the body being examined. After a few seconds, the nuclei realign themselves with the field, radiating small amounts of e

10、nergy as heat or, more rarely, as radio waves.他們計(jì)劃采用的此項(xiàng)技術(shù)與醫(yī)學(xué)上的核磁共振成像（MRI）過程恰好相反。MRI是將患者置于某一強(qiáng)磁場(chǎng)中，該磁場(chǎng)可讓患者機(jī)體原子核（其運(yùn)動(dòng)類似于磁化的陀螺）順著磁場(chǎng)方向排列。然后，用第二個(gè)磁場(chǎng)短時(shí)轟擊這些原子核，使其脫離第一個(gè)磁場(chǎng)陣列。掃描儀上的線圈探測(cè)到這些磁場(chǎng)變化，并以此構(gòu)建出患者受檢部位的圖譜。幾秒鐘后，原子核沿磁場(chǎng)方向重新排列，同時(shí)放射出少量熱能或者無線電波（較少見）。In chips, Dr Nogaret proposes to use the spin of the electron rathe

11、r than the spin of the atomic nucleus. Electrons flowing through the chip would “see” a magnetic field that flips from one direction to the opposite every few hundred nanometres (billionths of a metre). This is the equivalent of zapping a stationary object with an oscillating5 magnetic field of the

12、sort used in MRI. The changing magnetic field would force the electrons to oscillate, too, but would not allow them to radiate heat. As a result, they would be forced to emit radio wavesor, rather, microwaves, which are s_ but of shorter wavelength. 而就芯片而言，諾加雷特博士打算利用電子而非原子核的自旋。穿過芯片的電子可以“識(shí)別”某一磁場(chǎng)，該磁場(chǎng)每

13、隔幾百納米（十億分之一米）就變換一次方向。這相當(dāng)于不斷擺動(dòng)MRI中的磁場(chǎng)，并令其轟擊某一靜止物體。不斷變化的磁場(chǎng)也可促使電子來回?cái)[動(dòng)，但不使其散射熱能。這樣一來，電子僅可發(fā)射無線電波或者更好是微波，后者與無線電波類似，但波長較短。（4）Dr Nogaret envisages great advances that would stem from the success of his work, and these are not confined to the possibility of packing components yet more tightly. In todays chip

14、s, the failure of a single connection can put the whole circuit out of action. This should not happen with a wireless system because it could be programmed to re-route6 signals. Manufacturers could thus r_ their standards and produce chips that were cheaper than, but as reliable as, their predecesso

15、rs.諾加雷特博士設(shè)想此項(xiàng)工作一旦成功將會(huì)帶來重大突破，而且不僅僅局限于將各元件壓縮得更為緊密。目前的芯片某一條連接出現(xiàn)故障就可能導(dǎo)致整個(gè)電路無法運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)，而采用無線系統(tǒng)就不會(huì)發(fā)生這樣的問題，因?yàn)榭梢酝ㄟ^程序控制將信號(hào)改道。這樣的話，制造商就可以放寬標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，生產(chǎn)出比以前便宜但質(zhì)量同樣可靠的芯片。_.（這個(gè)項(xiàng)目不會(huì)是一帆風(fēng)順的。）Generating microwaves powerful enough to transmit data reliably will probably involve stacking several layers of magnets and semiconductor

16、s together and encouraging the electrons in them to oscillate in unison7. But if it works, a whole new wireless world will be opened up.這個(gè)項(xiàng)目不會(huì)是一帆風(fēng)順的。如要形成足以準(zhǔn)確傳輸數(shù)據(jù)的強(qiáng)大微波，可能不但需要疊加數(shù)層磁鐵和半導(dǎo)體，而且要促使其中的電子協(xié)調(diào)一致的擺動(dòng)。可它一旦獲得成功，就將開啟一個(gè)全新的無線世界。QUIZ1. 根據(jù)首字母以及括號(hào)內(nèi)的詞性提示和英文釋義填入單詞（注意復(fù)數(shù)、時(shí)態(tài)形式變化等）：s_（n. a change in the way peo

17、ple think about something, in the way something is done etc）o_（v. to successfully control a feeling or problem that prevents you from achieving something）r_（n. the exact opposite of what has just been mentioned）s_（adj. almost the same）r_ （v. to make a rule or law less strict）2. 英譯漢（將劃線部分英文翻譯成中文）：3漢譯

18、英（根據(jù)譯文提示和上下文，在空白處填入相應(yīng)英文）：NOTES(LONGMAN)1. lithographic adj. 平版印刷的2. spin n. 自旋3. align v. 排列4. zap v. 打擊；轟擊5. oscillate v. 持續(xù)振蕩，搖動(dòng)；搖擺不定6. re-route v. 變向發(fā)送；改道7. in unison 完全一致；完全協(xié)調(diào)TIPS & BACKGROUNDS核磁共振的基本原理自然界中任何原子核的內(nèi)部均含有質(zhì)子和中子，統(tǒng)稱核子，都帶正電荷。核子具有自旋性，由此產(chǎn)生自旋磁場(chǎng)。具有偶數(shù)核子的許多原子核在自旋磁場(chǎng)中相互抵消，不能產(chǎn)生核磁共振現(xiàn)象。只有具有奇數(shù)核子的原子

19、核才能產(chǎn)生磁場(chǎng)，如1H（氫）、13C（碳）、19F（氟）、31P（磷）。氫原子是人體內(nèi)數(shù)量最多的物質(zhì)，原子核中只含有1個(gè)質(zhì)子而不含中子，最不穩(wěn)定，最易受外加磁場(chǎng)的影響而產(chǎn)生核磁共振現(xiàn)象。氫質(zhì)子帶有一個(gè)正電荷，又能自旋，其周圍形成一個(gè)小磁場(chǎng)，產(chǎn)生了某一方向的磁矩。在無外加磁場(chǎng)的時(shí)候，平常人的氫質(zhì)子雜亂無章的排列著，磁矩方向不一，相互抵消。人體進(jìn)入強(qiáng)大均勻的外加磁場(chǎng)B0后，體內(nèi)所有自旋的混雜的氫質(zhì)子，其磁矩將重新定向，按量子力學(xué)規(guī)律紛紛從雜亂無章狀態(tài)變成順著外加磁場(chǎng)B0的方向（E方向）排列，絕大部分與B0方向一致（處于低能級(jí)），少數(shù)與B0方向相反（處于高能級(jí)），最后達(dá)到動(dòng)態(tài)平衡。通過表面線圈施加一個(gè)與B0方向垂直的射頻脈沖，受檢部位的氫質(zhì)子吸收能量向垂直與E方向的XY平面偏轉(zhuǎn)；射頻脈沖中斷后，氫質(zhì)子放出吸收的能量并回到E方向；釋放出的能量轉(zhuǎn)化為MR信號(hào)；在梯度磁場(chǎng)輔助下轉(zhuǎn)化為MR圖像。因此，“核”的意思是指核磁共振成像主要涉及到的原子核（尤其是氫原子核）?！按拧庇袃蓚€(gè)含義：1、強(qiáng)大均勻的外加磁場(chǎng)B0。2、疊加一個(gè)小的射頻磁場(chǎng)和梯度磁場(chǎng)。“共振”是宏觀世界中常見的自然現(xiàn)象。原子核間能量的吸收及