VOA慢速英語:Activists Call for International Ban on Fully Autonomous Weapons

[00:00.00]From VOA Learning English, [00:02.21]this is the Technology Report. [00:05.77]An international coalition is calling for a ban [00:11.07]on fully autonomous weapons known as "killer robots." [00:16.75]The 45-member coalition proposed the ban [00:20.95]to governments last month [00:23.06]at a meeting of the United Nations Convention [00:26.57]on Conventional Weapons in Geneva, Switzerland. [00:30.37]The Campaign to Stop Killer Robots [00:33.74]wants the U.N. organization to add fully autonomous weapons [00:39.69]to its work program in 2014. [00:43.99]Scientists have yet to develop fully autonomous killer robots. [00:49.20]However, technology is moving toward increasing autonomy. [00:55.05]Such weapons would identify [00:57.90]and attack targets without human assistance. [01:01.81]Noel Sharkey is a founding member [01:05.21]of the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots. [01:08.61]He also chairs the International Committee for Robot Arms Control. [01:14.62]Mr Sharkey says autonomous weapons should be banned. [01:20.37]"The big problem for me is that there are no robot systems [01:23.82]that can discriminate between civilian targets and military targets [01:29.40]unless they are very, very clearly marked in some way… [01:32.90]so, the idea of having robots going out into the field [01:35.86]and selecting their own targets is to me, [01:38.06]is just horrifying. It cannot work, " said Sharkey. [01:40.35]Activists say robotic systems with different degrees of autonomy [01:45.41]are already in use by Britain, Israel, [01:49.22]the United States and South Korea. [01:52.80]They believe China and Russia are also moving toward these systems. [01:58.85]Steve Goose is a member of the campaign, [02:02.20]he also directs the Arms Division at Human Rights Watch. [02:07.20]He warns the killer robots will become a reality [02:12.06]unless governments act now to ban them. [02:15.66]He says the world should oppose the weapons system [02:20.33]that would be able to identify and attack targets mechanically. [02:25.83]He believes such a system crosses a basic moral and ethical line. [02:32.08]"Robotic weapons systems should not make life [02:35.34]and death decisions on the battlefield. [02:37.37]That is simply inherently wrong. [02:39.01]So, they need to be banned on ethical grounds. [02:42.82]We think they also need to be banned on legal grounds. [02:45.72]If and when a killer robot commits a war crime, [02:51.12]violates international humanitarian law… [02:53.94]who would be held accountable, [02:55.29]who would be responsible for that violation?" said Goose. [02:57.44]He adds that in recent months, fully autonomous weapons [03:01.39]have gone from a little known issue to one [03:05.24]that is commanding worldwide attention. [03:08.10]He says that since last May, [03:12.37]34 countries have openly expressed concern [03:17.03]about the dangers the weapons present. [03:20.08]Mr Goose notes that in 1995, [03:24.33]the Convention on Conventional Weapons [03:27.55]added a new policy to the treaty, [03:30.30]which barred the use of blinding lasers. [03:34.11]He believes killer robots could become the second such weapon [03:39.51]to be banned before it is ever used in battle. [03:43.76]And that is the Technology Report from VOA Learning English. [03:49.73]For more about our reports, [03:51.93]visit our website at chinavoa.com [03:56.34].I'm June Simms.

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By VOA

15 December, 2013

From VOA Learning English, this is the Technology Report.

An international coalition is calling for a ban on fully autonomous weapons known as "killer robots." The 45-member coalition proposed the ban to governments last month at a meeting of the United Nations Convention on Conventional Weapons in Geneva, Switzerland.

A robot is pictured in front of the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey as part of the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots in London, April 23, 2013.

The Campaign to Stop Killer Robots wants the U.N. organization to add fully autonomous weapons to its work program in 2014.

Scientists have yet to develop fully autonomous killer robots. However, technology is moving toward increasing autonomy. Such weapons would identify and attack targets without human assistance.

Noel Sharkey is a founding member of the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots. He also chairs the International Committee for Robot Arms Control. Mr Sharkey says autonomous weapons should be banned.

"The big problem for me is that there are no robot systems that can discriminate between civilian targets and military targets unless they are very, very clearly marked in some way...so, the idea of having robots going out into the field and selecting their own targets is to me, is just horrifying. It cannot work, " said Sharkey.

Activists say robotic systems with different degrees of autonomy are already in use by Britain, Israel, the United States and South Korea. They believe China and Russia are also moving toward these systems.

Steve Goose is a member of the campaign, he also directs the Arms Division at Human Rights Watch. He warns the killer robots will become a reality unless governments act now to ban them. He says the world should oppose the weapons system that would be able to identify and attack targets mechanically.

He believes such a system crosses a basic moral and ethical line.

"Robotic weapons systems should not make life and death decisions on the battlefield. That is simply inherently wrong. So, they need to be banned on ethical grounds. We think they also need to be banned on legal grounds. If and when a killer robot commits a war crime, violates international humanitarian law...who would be held accountable, who would be responsible for that violation?" said Goose.

He adds that in recent months, fully autonomous weapons have gone from a little known issue to one that is commanding worldwide attention. He says that since last May, 34 countries have openly expressed concern about the dangers the weapons present.

Mr Goose notes that in 1995, the Convention on Conventional Weapons added a new policy to the treaty, which barred the use of blinding lasers. He believes killer robots could become the second such weapon to be banned before it is ever used in battle.

And that is the Technology Report from VOA Learning English. For more about our reports, visit our website at chinavoa.com.I'm June Simms.

[page]參考譯文[/page]

From VOA Learning English, this is the Technology Report.

這里是美國之音慢速英語科技報道。

An international coalition is calling for a ban on fully autonomous weapons known as "killer robots." The 45-member coalition proposed the ban to governments last month at a meeting of the United Nations Convention on Conventional Weapons in Geneva, Switzerland.

一個國際聯(lián)盟呼吁禁止被稱為“殺人機器”完全自主武器。這個由45人組成的聯(lián)盟上月在瑞士日內(nèi)瓦舉行的聯(lián)合國常規(guī)武器公約的一次會議上，向各國政府提出了這一禁令。

The Campaign to Stop Killer Robots wants the U.N. organization to add fully autonomous weapons to its work program in 2014.

制止殺人機器聯(lián)盟希望該聯(lián)合國組織將完全自主武器列入其2014年的工作計劃中。

Scientists have yet to develop fully autonomous killer robots. However, technology is moving toward increasing autonomy. Such weapons would identify and attack targets without human assistance.

科學(xué)家們尚未開發(fā)出完全自主殺人機器。然而，技術(shù)正逐步走向提高自主權(quán)。這類武器可以無需人工輔助識別并攻擊目標(biāo)。

Noel Sharkey is a founding member of the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots. He also chairs the International Committee for Robot Arms Control. Mr Sharkey says autonomous weapons should be banned.

諾埃爾·夏基(Noel Sharkey)是制止殺人機器聯(lián)盟的創(chuàng)始成員。他也是國際機器人武器控制委員會的主席。夏基先生表示，自主武器應(yīng)當(dāng)被禁止。

"The big problem for me is that there are no robot systems that can discriminate between civilian targets and military targets unless they are very, very clearly marked in some way…so, the idea of having robots going out into the field and selecting their own targets is to me, is just horrifying. It cannot work, " said Sharkey.

他說，“對我來說最大的問題是，尚沒有機器人系統(tǒng)可以區(qū)分平民目標(biāo)和軍事目標(biāo)，除非他們有非常明顯的標(biāo)記。因此，我認為讓機器人自己到現(xiàn)場選擇攻擊目標(biāo)的想法是非?？膳碌?，這一想法沒法成功實現(xiàn)。”

Activists say robotic systems with different degrees of autonomy are already in use by Britain, Israel, the United States and South Korea. They believe China and Russia are also moving toward these systems.

活動人士稱，不同程度自主權(quán)的機器人系統(tǒng)已經(jīng)在英國、以色列、美國和韓國得到應(yīng)用。他們認為，中、俄也在走向這類系統(tǒng)。

Steve Goose is a member of the campaign, he also directs the Arms Division at Human Rights Watch. He warns the killer robots will become a reality unless governments act now to ban them. He says the world should oppose the weapons system that would be able to identify and attack targets mechanically.

史蒂芬· 古斯(Steve Goose)也是該聯(lián)盟成員，他還負責(zé)人權(quán)觀察組織的武器分部。他警告說，殺人機器將成為現(xiàn)實，除非各國政府立即采取行動。他說，全球應(yīng)該反對這類能夠自動識別和攻擊目標(biāo)的武器系統(tǒng)。

He believes such a system crosses a basic moral and ethical line.

他認為這類系統(tǒng)越過了基本的道德和倫理界線。

"Robotic weapons systems should not make life and death decisions on the battlefield. That is simply inherently wrong. So, they need to be banned on ethical grounds. We think they also need to be banned on legal grounds. If and when a killer robot commits a war crime, violates international humanitarian law…who would be held accountable, who would be responsible for that violation?" said Goose.

古斯說，“機器人武器系統(tǒng)不應(yīng)該在戰(zhàn)場上做出生死抉擇。這簡直荒謬絕倫。因此基于道德立場他們應(yīng)當(dāng)被禁止，我們認為基于法律立場他們也應(yīng)該被禁止。如果殺人機器犯了戰(zhàn)爭罪，違反了國際人道主義法，誰將會被追責(zé)?誰為此承擔(dān)責(zé)任?”

He adds that in recent months, fully autonomous weapons have gone from a little known issue to one that is commanding worldwide attention. He says that since last May, 34 countries have openly expressed concern about the dangers the weapons present.

他補充說，最近幾個月，完全自主武器從一個鮮為人知的問題變成博取世界關(guān)注的焦點。他說，從去年5月開始，34個國家已經(jīng)公開表達了對這種危險武器的擔(dān)憂。

Mr Goose notes that in 1995, the Convention on Conventional Weapons added a new policy to the treaty, which barred the use of blinding lasers. He believes killer robots could become the second such weapon to be banned before it is ever used in battle.

古斯先生指出，1995年常規(guī)武器公約增加了禁止使用激光致盲武器的新政策。他認為，殺人機器可能會在投入戰(zhàn)場使用之前成為第二個這類(被禁止的)武器。