我国有些高校禁止外卖送进校园，希望学生多吃食堂少叫外卖，但是这种做法很容易引起反感。在国外，高校同样受到外卖的影响。有些学校引进了送餐机器人，相当于“校内外卖”，比较好地解决了这个问题。
Delivery robots are invading university campus
by Peter Holley
In the first days after a fleet of 25 delivery robots descended on George Mason University's campus in January, school officials could only speculate about the machines' long-term impact.
fleet /fliːt/ n. 车队
delivery /dɪˈlɪv(ə)ri/ n. 配送
descend /dɪˈsend/ v. 降落（这里指突然到来）
campus /ˈkæmpəs/ n. 校园
official /əˈfɪʃ(ə)l/ n. 官员
speculate /ˈspekjuleɪt/ v. 猜测
long-term 长期的
impact /ˈɪmpækt/ n. 显著影响
The cooler-size robots from the Bay Area start-up Starship Technologies – which were designed to deliver food on demand across campus – appeared to elicit curious glances and numerous photos but not much else.
cooler /ˈkuːlə(r)/ n. 便携式冷藏箱（由cool加上表示人或物的后缀-er）
start-up 初创公司
deliver /dɪˈlɪvə(r)/ v. 配送
on demand 按需要（指随时提供服务）
elicit /ɪˈlɪsɪt/ v. 引起（某种反应）
curious /ˈkjʊəriəs/ adj. 好奇的
glance /ɡlɑːns/ n. 一瞥、看一眼
numerous /ˈnjuːmərəs/ adj. 许多的
Each robot is opened using a delivery code and can carry as much as 9 kilometers. They're frequently seen making the 15-minute trip from campus restaurants to a handful of nearby dorms, as well as to other buildings across campus, where students meet them en route to class.
code /kəʊd/ n. 码、代码（delivery code就是配送码）
a handful /ˈhændfʊl/ of 几个
dorm /dɔːm/ n. 学生宿舍
as well as = and also
en route /ˌɒn ˈruːt/ 在去…的路上
In the two months since the robots arrived at the school, an extra 1,500 breakfast orders have been delivered autonomously, according to Starship Technologies and Sodexo, a company that manages food services for GMU on contract and works closely with the robots.
autonomously /ɔːˈtɒnəməsli/ adv. 自主地
service /ˈsɜːvɪs/ n. 服务商
contract /ˈkɒntrækt/ n. 合同
closely /ˈkləʊsli/ adv. 紧密地、密切地（由close加后缀-ly变成副词）
During the first day of deliveries at GMU, the machines were flooded by so many dinner orders that school officials had to pull the plug, shutting off orders so that robots weren't operating late into the night, far behind schedule. Two months later, breakfast has replaced dinner as the go-to meal for robot delivery.
flood /flʌd/ v. 潮水般涌来、大量涌入
plug /plʌɡ/ n. 插头（pull the plug意思是拔插头，也就是停止服务）
shut off 关闭、停机
operate /ˈɒp(ə)reɪt/ v. 运作
schedule /ˈʃedjuːl/ n. 日程安排、时间表（behind schedule指延误）
go-to 首选的
College students are prolific users of food delivery apps and place a high value on convenience and having access to multiple options when they dine.★ During the morning hours, there is generally more emphasis on speed than any other part of the day. Combine college students' love of food delivery with chaotic morning routines, and perhaps you have a perfect recipe for robots.
prolific /prəˈlɪfɪk/ adj. 高产的
app /æp/ n. （手机上的）应用程序
place /pleɪs/ v. 放置
convenience /kənˈviːniəns/ n. 方便、便利
access /ˈækses/ n. 使用权、使用机会
multiple /ˈmʌltɪp(ə)l/ adj. 多个
dine /daɪn/ v. 吃饭、用餐
★ 这句话里的第二个and使convenience和having access to multiple options两者并列
generally /ˈdʒen(ə)r(ə)li/ adv. 一般来说（由general加后缀-ly变成副词）
emphasis /ˈemfəsɪs/ n. 强调、重视
combine /kəmˈbaɪn/ v. 合并
chaotic /keɪˈɒtɪk/ adj. 混乱的、无秩序的
routine /ruːˈtiːn/ n. 固定做的事（morning routines指起床、刷牙、洗脸等）
a recipe /ˈresɪpi/ for something 带来某事的情形
"Breakfast is an easy meal to miss. Imagine you're running late for class or you don't want to leave your bed after an evening of 'studying,'" Starship Technologies said in a statement. "Our robots allow the breakfast to come to you, at a time you want. We've found this to be very popular with students to date at GMU."
imagine /ɪˈmædʒɪn/ v. 想象
run late 延误
statement /ˈsteɪtmənt/ n. 声明
to date 到目前为止
With a growing number of students using delivery services such as Uber Eats and DoorDash, the robots are part of an ambitious plan to keep some of that business on campus. "Why can't we do it and capture part of those sales also?" said Mark Kraner, executive director of campus retail operations. "It will benefit the students and the businesses paying rent here on campus."
ambitious /æmˈbɪʃəs/ adj. 雄心勃勃的
capture /ˈkæptʃə(r)/ v. 捕获、抓住
sales /seɪlz/ n. 销量
executive /ɪɡˈzekjutɪv/ adj. 执行的
retail /ˈriːteɪl/ n. 零售
operation /ˌɒpəˈreɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 业务
benefit /ˈbenɪfɪt/ v. 受益、使受益
rent /rent/ n. 租金
The robots also provide campus officials with valuable data showing what time students are eating, where that food is coming from and how meal plans are being used. Though that information won't be monetized by the school, it could lead to changes in how the university serves students over time.
valuable /ˈvæljub(ə)l/ adj. 很有价值的
data /ˈdeɪtə/ n. 数据
meal plan 指校方为学生提供的膳食计划，往往有一定程度的优惠
monetize /ˈmʌnɪtaɪz/ v. 变成钱
lead to 造成、带来
over time 随着时间的推移
（如果您发现某些行的最后一个单词被分成两半了，请把您使用的浏览器升级到最新版本就能正常显示了。）
网友评论