Can you remember the first time you ever used the World Wide Web or as we often call it, the internet, and what you used it for?
您还记得您第一次使用万维网或我们通常所说的互联网以及您使用它的目的吗？
Neil(尼尔)
Oh that's a good question. I do remember. And nothing really changes does it? Because I looked up pictures of cats!
哦，这是个好问题。我确实记得。没有什么真正改变的，不是吗？因为我查了猫的照片！
Rob(罗伯)
Cats! Very useful, anyway do you think the internet has generally been positive or negative for the world?
猫！非常有用，无论如何，您认为互联网对世界通常是积极的还是消极的？
Neil(尼尔)
Wow, that's a big question. A huge question. I don't know if I can answer that.
哇，这是个大问题。这是一个很大的问题。我不知道我是否能回答这个问题。
Rob(罗伯)
Well one person who perhaps can answer it, is the man who invented it: British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee. We'll find out what he thinks has become of his 'child' shortly but before that, a question for you all. When did Berners-Lee first suggest the idea for what would become the World Wide Web? was it? a) 1985; b) 1989 c) 1991.
好吧，也许可以回答这个问题的人是发明它的人：英国计算机科学家蒂姆·伯纳斯-李 1991 年。
Neil(尼尔)
Tricky but I think it's earlier than people think so I'm going to go for 1985.
这很棘手，但我认为它比人们想象的要早，所以我打算选择 1985 年。
Rob(罗伯)
Well that was a long time ago but we'll reveal the answer a little later in the programme. I think it's true to say that the internet has been one of, if not the most important technological developments perhaps of all time. Would you agree Neil?
嗯，那是很久以前的事了，但我们稍后会在节目中揭示答案。我认为可以说，互联网可能是有史以来最重要的技术发展之一，如果不是的话。你同意 Neil 吗？
Neil(尼尔)
Well it's hard to imagine living without it. Not impossible, but not nearly as convenient.
嗯，很难想象没有它的生活。并非不可能，但也没有那么方便。
Rob(罗伯)
These days we take the internet for granted. We share our lives on social media and not just with friends and family. And that isn't always a positive thing according to the father of the internet, Tim Berners-Lee. In a recent BBC Tech Tent programme he talked about his concerns with the internet and particularly the companies that control its information. Companies which he calls 'internet giants'. What does he say he thought these companies had to do?
如今，我们认为互联网是理所当然的。我们在社交媒体上分享我们的生活，而不仅仅是与朋友和家人分享。根据互联网之父蒂姆·伯纳斯-李 的说法，这并不总是一件好事。在最近的 BBC Tech Tent 节目中，他谈到了他对互联网的担忧，尤其是控制其信息的公司。他称之为“互联网巨头”的公司。他说他认为这些公司必须做什么？
Tim Berners-Lee(蒂姆·伯纳斯-李)
Initially I felt the main thing an internet giant had to do was just to be neutral, just be a platform and humanity, once connected by technology, will do wonderful things. And clearly it doesn't work like that. If you connect humanity via Wikipedia then they do produce, in general, wonderful things. If you connect people by social network where they have anonymity, then it can bring out the very nastiest of people.
So what did he say he thought these internet giants had to do?
那么他说他认为这些互联网巨头必须做什么呢？
Neil(尼尔)
He said that he thought initially, that they just had to be neutral. Initially means 'at first', 'in the beginning' and it also suggests that later he changed his mind. Anyway, he said that he thought they just had to be neutral. Neutral here means that they didn't need to do anything, they didn't need to control the internet or information. He thought it would be a tool to connect people and ideas and information and it would be wonderful.
No. He does say that giving people access to sources of information is generally a good thing but that when it comes to social networks, social media, people have anonymity.
不。他确实说，让人们访问信息来源通常是一件好事，但当涉及到社交网络、社交媒体时，人们是匿名的。
Rob(罗伯)
Anonymity?
匿名？
Neil(尼尔)
Yes. It means that on the internet people can hide their true identity or personality. Some people write things that they would never say to someone in person because they think there will be no consequences. Berners-Lee says anonymity can bring out the nastiest side of people. People saying horrible and terrible things to each other.
Berners-Lee does have some suggestions for how this could be changed. And it's based on the idea of likes and shares, which he calls kudos. What's his suggestion?
The different social networks and different platforms are in different situations and in some cases they have acknowledged there is an issue. I think they realise that the issue could be hugely ameliorated by tweaking the way the thing works by changing the way retweets are propagated or changing the way people get kudos - give them more kudos for being constructive for example.
So how does he think companies could address the problem?
那么，他认为公司如何解决这个问题呢？
Neil(尼尔)
Well, he says that some of the social networks have agreed that there is a problem and they know what could improve it.
嗯，他说一些社交网络已经同意存在问题，他们知道什么可以改善它。
Rob(罗伯)
He didn't use the word improve though, did he?
不过他没有使用改进这个词，对吧？
Neil(尼尔)
No he actually used the rather formal verb ameliorate, which means 'to improve or make something better'.
不，他实际上使用了相当正式的动词 ameliorate，意思是“改进或使某事变得更好”。
Rob(罗伯)
So how does he suggest the problem could be ameliorated?
那么，他建议如何改善这个问题呢？
Neil(尼尔)
By tweaking the way in which people give or receive kudos. Tweaking means 'making a small change to the way something works'. Much of what happens on the internet is driven by our desire to get likes and shares – this is the kudos that Berners-Lee talks about. He feels that tweaking this could lead to a better experience. For example, getting more kudos for constructive or positive actions.
Mmm, interesting – but I wonder who would decide if something is constructive?
嗯，很有趣 —— 但我想知道谁来决定某件事是否是建设性的？
Neil(尼尔)
Well that's another big question for another day, I guess.
嗯，我想这是另一个大问题。
Rob(罗伯)
For now though, let's have the answer to our small question. In what year did Berners-Lee present the idea for what would become the World Wide Web? The options were a) 1985, b)1989 or c) 1991. It was infact 1989. Now before we go let's have a quick recap of today's vocabulary.
Initially – means 'at first - in the beginning'. Then we had neutral.
最初 – 意思是 “起初 - 在开始时”。然后我们是中立的。
Rob(罗伯)
In this case it meant 'not controlling' or 'not taking any action to control'.
在这种情况下，它的意思是 “不控制 ”或 “不采取任何行动来控制”。
Neil(尼尔)
Then there was the noun anonymity which is the state of having a hidden identity or personality.
然后是名词匿名，即拥有隐藏身份或个性的状态。
Rob(罗伯)
Next, to ameliorate a situation is to make it better.
接下来，改善一种情况就是让它变得更好。
Neil(尼尔)
To tweak something is to make a small change to the way something works.
调整某项内容就是对某项工作方式进行小幅更改。
Rob(罗伯)
And then we had kudos. Kudos is praise and appreciation for something you've done.
然后我们得到了荣誉。Kudos 是对你所做的事情的赞美和赞赏。
Neil(尼尔)
Well kudos to you Rob for today's programme. Thank you very much.
感谢你，罗伯，今天的节目。谢谢。
Rob(罗伯)
Well, thank you Neil and thank you everyone for listening. That's all we have today but you can, find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, and of course our website bbclearningenglish.com! Bye for now.
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