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Now from the Boston Museum of Science Sci-Tech Today on NECN.
有線新聞波士頓消息。
You've likely heard of drug-sniffing dogs. Today we learn about the next wave of cargo screening. Researchers at the University of Sheffield are developing cargo screening ferrets to aid in the search of cargo for illegal substances. And joining us now from the Museum of Science Boston is Joanna Bunn. Thanks for joining us this morning, Joanna.
我們都知道緝毒犬，但現在海關檢查又有了新方法。來自英國謝菲爾德大學的研究人員正在研究利用新的探測器（robotic ferrets）幫助海關檢驗非法進出境物品。讓我們歡迎來自波士頓科學院的Joanna Bunn。你好，Joanna。
Good morning Lutoya.
早上好，Lutoya。
So what exactly are robotic ferrets?
這款探測器究竟怎么樣呢？
Yes, these aren't the cute and cuddly kinds that you wanna bring home. These robotic ferrets are being developed in the United Kingdom currently. They are gonna be about 30 centimeters to a little under a foot long and are gonna be used to search cargo containers that we have at seaports and airports such as in Boston, Massachusetts.
這些探測器并不是可愛的讓人想要抱回家的小物件。它們正由英國相關部門研制，全長30厘米到1英尺，用于檢測波士頓，馬賽出塞州等地的海運空運集裝箱。
Ok, how will they work exactly?
那么這些探測器效果如何呢？
Well, the standard cargo container is 48-feet long and about 8-feet tall. It is stuffed full of boxes and cargo. Oftentimes there's just a little bit of room near the top which is where our robotic ferret comes in. The robotic ferret will be attached to the top of the cargo container and there will move around, using sensors that take advantage of laser and fiber optic technologies to look for particles of contraband such as nuclear weapons, biotoxins, drugs and even carbon dioxide.
標準的集裝箱長48英尺，高8英尺，里面堆滿了盒子或箱子。通常只有集裝箱的上面留有少量空間，這正是探測器要安置的地方。探測器附在集裝箱的上方，并四處移動，利用激光和光纖技術探尋禁運物品的分子，例如核武器，生物毒素，毒品，甚至是二氧化碳。
Wow! So what exactly are the benefits of using this type of robot?
哇！那么使用這種儀器的好處是什么呢？
Well, first we wanna reduce the number of time that Security and Customs Officials need to physically go inside these cargo containers and remove the items form inside. This is time-consuming and can potentially expose them to harmful materials that are within the containers.
首先，我們希望利用這項技術能夠減少海關人員進入集裝箱的次數，以往，工作人員必須搬動貨物并進入集裝箱才能檢驗集裝箱內的所有物品。這樣做費力不討好，還有可能使檢驗人員受到箱內物品的傷害。
So briefly Joanna, when will the robot ferrets be available?
那么，Joanna，這種儀器什么時候投入使用呢？
Oh well, the researchers are hoping to have a prototype in about two years with possible deployment in about five years.
研究人員計劃在兩年內制造出產品模型，可能的話在五年內投入使用。
Joanna Bunn, thank you so much for educating us this morning. Join us every morning every Thursday morning at this time for Sci-Tech Today or log on to Museum of Science website mos.org.
Jonna Bunn，謝謝你的介紹。觀眾們，歡迎您每周四早上同一時間關注我們的節目，或登錄我們的網站www.mos.org。
注：本篇文章英文來自普特論壇，譯文屬可可英語原創，未經允許，請勿轉載。
