文◎Sarah Frier 譯◎Dlacus

Facebook Inc.'s research unit Building 8 is working to make it possible for people to type using signals①from their brains.

Regina Dugan, hired from Alphabet Inc. last year to oversee②the lab, said that within "a few years' time" Facebook aims to develop a system that can type at 100 words per minute, just from monitoring the brain, without using any kind of implant③. The company is working with outside academics on the issue now.

This would give "the ability to text a friend without taking out your phone," Dugan said at the social network operator's F8 developer conference④.The lab also is working on a way for people to hear through their skin.

"One day, not so far away, it may be possible for me to think in Mandarin and for you to feel it instantly in Spanish," Dugan said.

Far-fetched⑤as it may sound, Dugan said researchers have already found it possible to use brain waves for typing at eight words per minute⑥.

For Facebook, the research connects to its overall⑦goals because it relates to improving people's social experiences. It could also make it possible for those who are deaf or otherwise⑧disabled to communicate more easily.

臉書公司的研究機(jī)構(gòu)Building 8正努力使人們用腦電波就能打字。

去年臉書公司從Alphabet公司（谷歌重組后的“傘形公司”）聘請了雷吉娜·杜根來管理該實(shí)驗(yàn)室，杜根表示，臉書打算在“幾年內(nèi)”開發(fā)一個(gè)系統(tǒng)，該系統(tǒng)不需要任何植入，只通過監(jiān)測大腦（信號）就能在每分鐘內(nèi)打100個(gè)字。目前該公司正與外部院校合作解決這個(gè)問題。

這將會(huì)賦予你“不用拿出手機(jī)就能給朋友發(fā)短信的能力”，杜根在社交媒體經(jīng)營者參與的F8開發(fā)者大會(huì)上說道。該實(shí)驗(yàn)室也在研究一種使人們通過皮膚來接收信息的方式。

“有朝一日，我也許可以用中文思考，而你可以用西班牙語即刻了解到（我的想法），而這一天不會(huì)太遠(yuǎn)?！倍鸥f道。

這聽上去也許牽強(qiáng)附會(huì)，但杜根表示研究人員已經(jīng)發(fā)現(xiàn)，用腦電波每分鐘打八個(gè)字是有可能的。

對臉書公司而言，這項(xiàng)研究結(jié)合了其綜合目標(biāo)，因?yàn)樗c提高人們的社交體驗(yàn)有關(guān)。而對那些失聰或殘疾的人來說，這項(xiàng)技術(shù)也可以使他們更方便地與人溝通成為可能。

① signal 英 ['s?gn(?)l] 美 ['s?gnl] n. 信號；暗號；導(dǎo)火線vt. 標(biāo)志；用信號通知adj. 顯著的；作為信號的vi. 發(fā)信號

② oversee 英 [??v?'si?] 美 ['ov?'si] vt. 監(jiān)督；審查；俯瞰；偷看到，無意中看到

③ implant 英 [?m'plɑ?nt] 美 [?m'pl?nt] vt. 種植；灌輸；嵌入n. [醫(yī)] 植入物；植入管vi. 被移植

④ conference 英 ['k?nf(?)r(?)ns] 美 ['kɑnf?r?ns] n. 會(huì)

議；討論；協(xié)商；聯(lián)盟；討論會(huì)；大會(huì)vi. 舉行或參加（系列）會(huì)議 ⑤ far-fetched ['fɑ:'fet?t] adj. 牽強(qiáng)附會(huì)的

⑥per minute 每分鐘

⑦overall 英 ['??v?r??l] 美 [,ov?'r?l] adj. 全部的；全體的；一切在內(nèi)的adv. 全部地；總的說來n. 工裝褲；罩衫

⑧ otherwise 英 ['?e?wa?z] 美 ['?e?wa?z] adv. 否則；另外；在其他方面adj. 另外的；原本，本來conj. 其他；如果不；然后