Shopping robots come into their own in locked-down English town

Shopping robots come into their own in locked-down English town

購物機器人在處於封鎖的英格蘭小鎮展現本事

【摘要2020.6.3.自由】◎管淑平

A fleet of robots on wheels that deliver shopping in the English town of Milton Keynes have seen their popularity surge as residents are stuck indoors due to the coronavirus lockdown.

一群靠著輪子行進、在英格蘭小鎮米爾頓凱恩斯運送購物貨品的機器人，受歡迎程度隨著居民因新型冠狀病毒封鎖措施無法外出而升高。

The robots, which come up roughly to an adult’s knee height and look like smooth white plastic boxes mounted on six black wheels, are a familiar sight in the town, where they have been delivering groceries for over two years.

這群機器人的高度大約到一名成年人的膝蓋，外表看起來像個裝在6個黑色輪子上的白色光滑塑膠盒，它們在這個小鎮快遞日用品已有2年時間，是當地常見景象。

But since the government imposed strict social distancing measures on March 23, the devices have been busier than ever, delivering for free to National Health Service (NHS) staff and facing increased demand from the general public.

但是，自從政府在3月23日實施嚴格的社交距離，這些裝置就比以往更為忙碌，忙著為國家醫療保健服務（NHS）員工免費快遞，也面臨一般民眾越來越大的需求量。

The robots have what looks like an antenna, topped with a small red flag to make it easier to spot them as they do their rounds. (Reuters)

這批機器人有一根看起來像天線、上面有個小紅旗的桿子，讓它們穿梭街頭快遞時更為醒目。（路透）

新聞辭典

come into your own：（在某種情況下）發揮能力、價值，能力或成就受到外界肯定的程度。例句：She comes into her own in the current crisis.（她在當前危機下展現自己的本事。）

do one’s rounds：片語，往來各處巡行或查看。例句：I’ll do the rounds through all the coffee shops in the neighborhood.（我會遍訪這附近所有的咖啡館。）

come up to something：片語，達到（某種標準或要求）。例句：Your job performance didn’t come up to our expectations.（你的工作績效沒有達到我們的期望。）