An Australian professor is developing a robot to monitor the health of grazing cattle, a development that could bring big changes to a profession that’s relied largely on a low-tech approach for decades but is facing a labor shortage
澳大利亚一位教授正在研发一种机器人来监测放牧牛的健康状况，这一进展可能会给这个长期以来主要依靠低技术方法的行业带来巨大变革，但却面临着劳动力短缺的挑战

Salah Sukkarieh, a professor at the University of Sydney, sees robots as necessary given how cattlemen are aging. He is building a four-wheeled robot that will run on solar and electric power. It will use cameras and sensors to monitor the animals. A computer system will analyze the video to determine whether a cow is sick. Radio tags (标签) on the animals will measure temperature changes. The quality of grassland will be tracked by monitoring the shape, color and texture (质地) of grass. That way, cattlemen will know whether they need to move their cattle to another field for nutrition purposes.
悉尼大学的教授萨拉赫·苏卡里耶认为，鉴于放牧人员普遍年龄较大，机器人是必要的。他正在研制一种四轮机器人，将采用太阳能和电力驱动。它将利用摄像头和传感器监测动物。计算机系统将分析视频来判断牛是否生病。动物身上的无线电标签将测量体温变化。通过监测牧草的形状、颜色和质地来跟踪草地的质量。这样，放牧人员将知道是否需要将牲畜移至另一块田地以达到营养目的。

Machines have largely taken over planting, watering and harvesting crops such as com and wheat, but the monitoring of cattle has gone through fewer changes.
种植、浇灌和收割玉米和小麦等作物已经基本实现机器化，但牲畜监测的变化较少。

For Texas cattleman Pete Bonds, it’s increasingly difficult to find workers interested in watching cattle. But Bonds doesn’t believe a robot is right for the job. Years of experience in the industry - and failed attempts to use technology - have convinced him that the best way to check cattle is with a man on a horse. Bonds, who bought his first cattle almost 50 years ago, still has each of his cowboys inspect 300 or 400 cattle daily and look for signs that an animal is getting sick.
对于德克萨斯州的牧牛人皮特·邦德来说，越来越难找到有兴趣看护牛的工人。但是邦德不认为机器人适合这份工作。在这个行业已经有近50年经验，并且尝试过使用技术却未成功的情况下，他深信最佳的检查牛的方式是骑马的人。邦德在将近50年前买下他的第一头牛，至今他的每一位牛仔都要每天检查300到400头牲畜，寻找动物是否开始生病的迹象。

Other cattlemen see more promise in robots. Michael Kelsey Paris, vice president of the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association, said a robot could be extremely useful given rising concerns about cattle theft. Cattle tend to be kept in remote places and their value has risen, making them appealing targets.
其他放牧人却看到机器人的更多潜力。俄克拉荷马州牛业协会副主席迈克尔·凯尔西·帕里斯表示，考虑到与牛只盗窃相关的不断上升的担忧，机器人可能会非常有用。牛往往被关在偏远地区，它们的价值已经上升，这使它们成为有吸引力的目标。

1. What is a problem with the cattle-raising industry?
   A. Soil pollution. B. Lack of workers.
   C. Aging machines. D. Low profitability.
   答案：B

2. What will Sukkarieh’s robot be able to do?
   A. Monitor the quality of grass. B. Cure the diseased cattle.
   C. Move cattle to another field. D. Predict weather changes.
   答案：A

3. Why does Pete Bonds still hire cowboys to watch cattle?
   A. He wants to help them earn a living. B. He thinks men can do the job better.
   C. He is inexperienced in using robots. D. He enjoys the traditional way of life.
   答案：B

4. How may robots help with cattle watching according to Michael Kelsey?
   A. Increase the value of cattle. B. Bring down the cost of labor.
   C. Make the job more appealing. D. Keep cattle from being stolen.
   答案：D