您現(xiàn)在的位置: Language Tips> Audio & Video> Special Speed News  
       
     





     
    Need an answer? Just ask the box
    [ 2009-10-12 10:30 ]

     

    This is the VOA Special English Development Report.

    Need an answer? Just ask the box

    When you have a question about something, where do you go? For many people the answer is simple. They go online to a search engine like Google or Yahoo. But what about people in rural or underdeveloped areas who may have no way to get on the Internet?

    A business and international development consultant in California, Rose Shuman, wanted to find an answer for them, too. Her solution is Question Box.

    Question Box is a service that provides answers -- free of charge -- for people who cannot search the Internet directly. They might not be able to read, or they simply have no access.

    Question Box began two years ago in India. People use a metal call box with a push-to-talk button to connect to a live operator, as Rose Shuman explains:

    ROSE SHUMAN: "You just push a button, a big green button, and that will connect you directly to our operators who are sitting in front of computers, and speak your language. And you can ask them any sort of question you want, and they'll look it up in English or in Hindi, or whatever the main language is, and translate the answer right back for you."

    The service is currently offered in two villages. The latest version of the box uses mobile phone technology, and solar panels in case the electrical power fails. Rose Shuman says the aim was to make the box as easy as possible for users.

    ROSE SHUMAN: "Rather than try to bring a lot of infrastructure to them and expect them to learn how to use the Internet, the idea was to make a technology that even Grandma could use, figuring that Grandma could probably walk up to a box and push a button."

    In April, Question Box expanded to Uganda. 40 community workers with mobile phones connect villagers to call center operators in Kampala. The community workers go around telling people about the service. They wear T-shirts that say "Ask Me."

    But Internet service in Uganda proved slow and undependable. So Question Box teamed up with a local technology company to store information on a local server. That way, the researchers in Kampala can quickly search the database for answers.

    Question Box is a project of Open Mind, a nonprofit organization founded by Rose Shuman. She says Question Box is working to expand by offering its software through partnerships.

    In Uganda, Question Box formed a partnership with the Grameen Foundation. Grameen had money from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to bring agricultural information to rural farmers. But users also ask about current events and many other subjects.

    ROSE SHUMAN: "When was Mahatma Gandhi born, and how long is the Nile River? What's the tallest mountain? The funniest one I think we got was, 'Did the pyramids ever move to another place?' Which we found pretty funny. But we did look it up, and they haven't moved."

    And that's the VOA Special English Development Report, written by June Simms. I'm Steve Ember.

    infrastructure: the basic facilities, services, and installations needed for the functioning of a community or society (基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施)

    team up with:與...合作

    Related stories:

    Brazil launches first fuel cell bus in Latin America

    New ways for poor countries to diagnose infectious diseases

    From depths of a library, water filters for the poor

    A cycle rickshaw with help from the sun

    (Source: VOA 英語點(diǎn)津編輯)

    英語點(diǎn)津版權(quán)說明:凡注明來源為“英語點(diǎn)津:XXX(署名)”的原創(chuàng)作品,除與中國日報(bào)網(wǎng)簽署英語點(diǎn)津內(nèi)容授權(quán)協(xié)議的網(wǎng)站外,其他任何網(wǎng)站或單位未經(jīng)允許不得非法盜鏈、轉(zhuǎn)載和使用,違者必究。如需使用,請與010-84883631聯(lián)系;凡本網(wǎng)注明“來源:XXX(非英語點(diǎn)津)”的作品,均轉(zhuǎn)載自其它媒體,目的在于傳播更多信息,其他媒體如需轉(zhuǎn)載,請與稿件來源方聯(lián)系,如產(chǎn)生任何問題與本網(wǎng)無關(guān);本網(wǎng)所發(fā)布的歌曲、電影片段,版權(quán)歸原作者所有,僅供學(xué)習(xí)與研究,如果侵權(quán),請?zhí)峁┌鏅?quán)證明,以便盡快刪除。
    相關(guān)文章 Related Story
     
     
     
    本頻道最新推薦
     
    Official outed by netizens gets 11 years
    《十日拍拖手冊》精講之四
    豆腐渣工程 jerry-built project
    “恐懼癥”如何表達(dá)
    To say the least
    翻吧推薦
     
    論壇熱貼
     
    翻譯達(dá)人評選,快來投票!
    經(jīng)典英語口語,不得不看(推薦)
    I chocolate you!怎么翻譯?
    請教obama演講里的一句話
     
    曬曬小D機(jī)器人暴強(qiáng)的翻譯

     

    无码任你躁久久久久久老妇| 一本一道色欲综合网中文字幕| 中文字幕在线看视频一区二区三区| 一本加勒比hezyo无码专区| 中文无码伦av中文字幕| 国产乱子伦精品无码码专区| 国产色爽免费无码视频| 日本一区二区三区精品中文字幕 | 中文精品久久久久人妻不卡| 无码成人一区二区| 亚洲国产午夜中文字幕精品黄网站| 日韩亚洲国产中文字幕欧美| 久久国产亚洲精品无码| 亚洲精品无码成人片久久| 合区精品久久久中文字幕一区| 亚洲精品成人无码中文毛片不卡| AV无码免费永久在线观看| 无码人妻精品一区二区三区久久久| 麻豆AV无码精品一区二区| 中文字幕在线观看日本| 91中文在线视频| 三级理论中文字幕在线播放| 永久免费无码网站在线观看个| 无码av免费一区二区三区试看| 久久久久久国产精品免费无码| 亚洲av无码一区二区乱子伦as| 红桃AV一区二区三区在线无码AV| 久久中文字幕无码专区| 久久精品亚洲乱码伦伦中文| 中文www新版资源在线| 最近2019中文字幕免费大全5| 中文字幕亚洲综合久久2| 中文字幕日韩在线| 一本一道色欲综合网中文字幕| 日本乱偷人妻中文字幕在线| 伊人久久无码精品中文字幕| 中文字幕一区二区三区乱码| 免费看又黄又无码的网站| 亚洲乱码无码永久不卡在线| 亚洲av永久无码精品古装片 | 国产精品无码A∨精品影院|