随着电脑科技的发展，虚拟现实技术越来越多地被用到电脑游戏中。相信在不久的将来，打游戏就不再是坐在电脑前不动了。
Playing to win
by Biz Carson
Steve Zhao was in deep trouble. The Hong Kong-based video game company that he spent the last decade building was falling apart as people shifted to playing games on their phones. By early 2016, he knew he would have to shut it down. He tried releasing a game for virtual reality, but it bombed, and he lost most of the small investment in it.
-based /beɪst/ 后缀，意思是“在某地活动的”
decade /ˈdekeɪd/ n. 十年
fall apart 垮台
shift /ʃɪft/ v. 转移、改变
release /rɪˈliːs/ v. 发布
virtual /ˈvɜːtʃuəl/ adj. 虚拟的
reality /rɪˈæləti/ n. 现实（由real加后缀-ity变成名词；virtual reality就是虚拟现实）
bomb /bɒm/ v. 失败、惨败
investment /ɪnˈvestmənt/ n. 投资、投资额（由invest加后缀-ment变成名词）
But Zhao had a new vision: a virtual reality world where people could experience games by playing with friends, rather than by wearing a headset alone in their homes. "I would compare it to, in a way, a movie and a game," Zhao said. "Because once you're inside the experience it is almost like living inside a movie where you and your friends are the stars."
vision /ˈvɪʒ(ə)n/ n. 设想、构想
headset /ˈhedset/ n. 头带式耳机
in a way 在某种程度上
His idea was to build out physical spaces where people could strap on VR headsets, haptic vests and sensors and become immersed in the virtual world, essentially bringing the Star Trek Holodeck to the shopping mall.
physical /ˈfɪzɪk(ə)l/ adj. 实实在在的
strap /stræp/ v. （用带子）系好
VR headset 指VR眼镜
haptic /ˈhæptɪk/ adj. 触觉的、跟触觉有关的
vest /vest/ n. 背心、马甲
sensor /ˈsensə(r)/ n. 传感器
immerse /ɪˈmɜːs/ v. 沉浸
essentially /ɪˈsenʃ(ə)li/ adv. 基本上、实质上（由essential加后缀-ly变成副词）
Star Trek 星际旅行（一部很流行的科幻电视剧，也译做星际迷航）
holodeck /ˈhɒlədek/ n. （科幻影视中的）全息甲板（人在里面能体验到虚拟世界）
Investors, though, had cooled on the idea of virtual reality startups, and Zhao struggled to find backers who bought into his dream. Instead, he invested his life savings and set a deadline of six months. Four months later, Zhao launched Sandbox VR on the 16th floor of an old high-rise in Hong Kong.
investor /ɪnˈvestə(r)/ n. 投资者（由invest加上表示人的后缀-or）
cool /kuːl/ v. 反应冷淡
startup /ˈstɑːtʌp/ n. 初创公司（由start和up组成）
struggle /ˈstrʌɡ(ə)l/ v. 艰难地奋斗
backer /ˈbækə(r)/ n. 支持者、资金支持者
buy into something 出资支持某事
invest /ɪnˈvest/ v. 投资
savings /ˈseɪvɪŋz/ n. 积蓄、存款（life savings就是一生的积蓄）
deadline /ˈdedlaɪn/ n. 最后期限、截止时间
launch /lɔːntʃ/ v. 使（某个产品）上市
high-rise 高层建筑、高楼
"The moment we realized that we actually might have something is when we demoed the product to close friends and family," Zhao said. "When they were playing, we just realized how loud they were screaming – and no one expected that. It was so loud that the neighbors came to our office to see if we had a problem."
something /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/ pron. 重要的东西、有价值的东西
demo /ˈdeməʊ/ v. 演示
scream /skriːm/ v. 尖叫、高喊
That's when Zhao realized Sandbox VR might be able to create an experience where people forgot they were in virtual reality and felt like real life. "To us, that was a catalyst," he said.
real life 现实生活
catalyst /ˈkæt(ə)lɪst/ n. 带来巨大改变的人或事物
The company started with a zombie experience in Hong Kong that shot up to become the number one attraction for the city on TripAdvisor. It added pirate and robot-themed games, and franchised out the company to Singapore, where it also reached the top-rated activity, Zhao said.
zombie /ˈzɒmbi/ n. 僵尸、行尸走肉
shoot up 迅速成长
TripAdvisor 是美国的旅行网站
pirate /ˈpaɪrət/ n. 海盗
themed /θiːmd/ adj. 以…为主题的
franchise /ˈfræntʃaɪz/ v. 特许经营、开加盟店
Singapore /ˌsɪŋəˈpɔː(r)/ n. 新加坡
top-rated 顶级的、一流的
Today Sandbox VR operates in seven locations around the world and plans to launch another eight in the U.S. alone. Every game costs 45 a person, depending on the location, and the company is working on new titles, including a sports-themed experience. The buzz hasn't slowed down – even Kanye West was spotted in a Silicon Valley mall trying out Sandbox VR.
operate /ˈɒp(ə)reɪt/ v. 运营
depend /dɪˈpend/ on 取决于
title /ˈtaɪt(ə)l/ n. 一本书（这里指一款游戏）
buzz /bʌz/ n. 热闹
slow down 变慢、放缓
Kanye West 是美国的歌星
spot /spɒt/ v. 看到
Silicon /ˈsɪlɪkən/ Valley 硅谷
try out 试用
In January, the investor freeze on virtual reality ended when Andreessen Horowitz, alongside investors like Floodgate and TriplePoint Capital, invested $68 million to help Sandbox VR expand into the US. "To be validated by them just felt like – it was the best day of my life," Zhao said.
freeze /friːz/ n. 冻结、停止
alongside /əlɒŋˈsaɪd/ prep. 跟…一起
expand /ɪkˈspænd/ v. 扩张
validate /ˈvælɪdeɪt/ v. 认可
（如果您使用的是火狐浏览器，可能会发现某些行的最后一个单词被分成两半了，这是简书系统的Bug，换成Chrome或其他浏览器就能正常显示了。）
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