每日英語 #052: The Screens are Watching You

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The Screens are Watching You 屏幕在監視你

Do you feel like someone is watching you, even when you’re in a room alone? Well, maybe they are.

你是否感覺有人在監視你，即使你一個人在房間裡？嗯，可能真的是這樣。

A recent Los Angeles Times article talked about the many ways that screens — a computer screen, a TV screen, a cell phone screen — is “collecting” (gathering) information about you.

最近《洛杉磯時報》的一篇文章討論了屏幕——電腦屏幕、電視屏幕、手機屏幕——如何以多種方式“收集”（聚集）有關你的信息。

Most people know that what we do on our personal computers is not always “private” (not seen or known by other people).

大多數人知道，我們在個人電腦上所做的事情並不總是“隱私的”（不被其他人看到或知道的）。

“No matter” (it doesn’t matter) which “web search engine” (such as Google, Bing) you use, what you search for, what you buy, how long you visit certain types of websites, and what you do on “social networking websites” (connecting with friends using a website, such as Facebook), all of that activity is a “source of data” (information that can be used).

無論你使用哪種“網絡搜索引擎”（如谷歌、必應），你搜索什麼，購買什麼，訪問某些類型網站的時間多長，以及你在“社交網絡網站”（使用網站與朋友聯繫，如Facebook）上做什麼，所有這些活動都是“數據來源”（可以使用的信息）。

If you own a “smartphone” (a cell phone that can access the Internet, check email, and more), the phone company is “keeping track of” (watching and recording) where you are and where you go, so that it can find you if you get a telephone call, if you ask for driving instructions, or if you want a list of restaurants or stores near you.

如果你擁有一部“智能手機”（可以上網、查郵件等的手機），手機公司正在“跟蹤”（監視並記錄）你的所在地和去向，這樣如果你接到電話、尋求駕駛指示或想要附近餐館或商店的列表，它都能找到你。

If you use “apps” (computer programs downloaded onto cell phones and other devices to play games and to get specific services), these apps gather a lot of the same information that personal computers do.

如果你使用“應用程式”（下載到手機和其他設備上以玩遊戲和獲取特定服務的計算機程序），這些應用程式收集了與個人電腦相同的大量信息。

Do you have “cable television” or “satellite TV,” where you get extra channels by paying a monthly fee? If you do, you probably have a box next to your television that allows you to view those additional channels.

你有“有線電視”或“衛星電視”嗎，你可以通過每月付費獲取額外的頻道？如果有，你的電視旁可能有一個盒子，它允許你觀看這些額外的頻道。

That box also allows the company providing you with the service to “log” (record) which shows you watch, which “commercials” (TV advertisements) you watch and don’t watch, and “in some cases” (with some companies; in some situations), even when you “mute” (turn off the sound for a short time) on your TV.

那個盒子還允許為你提供服務的公司“記錄”（記錄）你觀看的節目、觀看和不觀看的“廣告”（電視廣告），並且“在某些情況下”（對某些公司來說；在某些情況下），甚至記錄你在電視上“靜音”（短時間關閉聲音）的時間。

Of course, companies that gather this kind of data say that they don’t watch individuals when they gather this data. Instead, they “aggregate” (combine) data to help improve their products and services.

當然，收集這類數據的公司表示，他們在收集數據時不會監視個人。相反，他們“聚合”（合併）數據以幫助改進他們的產品和服務。

However, in this “age” (period) of technology, it’s difficult to be truly private.

然而，在這個技術“時代”（時期），要真正保持隱私是很困難的。

重點單字

• collect /kəˈlɛkt/ 收集
• private /ˈpraɪvɪt/ 私人的
• web search engine /wɛb sɜrtʃ ˈɛnʤɪn/ 網絡搜索引擎
• source of data /sɔrs ʌv ˈdeɪtə/ 數據來源
• smartphone /ˈsmɑrtˌfoʊn/ 智能手機
• keep track of /kip træk ʌv/ 監視
• apps /æps/ 應用程式
• cable television /ˈkeɪbəl ˈtɛləˌvɪʒən/ 有線電視
• satellite TV /ˈsætəˌlaɪt tiˈvi/ 衛星電視
• log /lɔg/ 記錄
• commercials /kəˈmɜrʃəlz/ 廣告
• mute /mjut/ 靜音
• aggregate /ˈægrəˌgeɪt/ 聚合
• age /eɪʤ/ 時代