Lesson6 Technological Advances
No one can deny that technology is transforming the way we live at a breathtaking rate. It is hard to believe that only a few years ago the great majority of people were still communicating by letter and traditional telephones. Now e-mail and cell phones are rapidly replacing the old forms of communication. Just around the corner are robot vacuum cleaners and cars which automatically keep a safe distance from the car ahead.
All these technological advances make our lives increasingly more comfortable and convenient. Just as the dishwasher, clothes washer and dryer and microwave oven made life easier and created more leisure time for our parents generation, the technological advances of the future will create an even more leisurely life for the future generation.What worries some people, however, is that the technological devices which are transforming our lives are at the same time leading to less human interaction. In the future people will have to be watchful to prevent technology from diminishing our personal contacts with our fellow human beings.

技术进步
没有人能够否认技术在以惊人的速度改变我们的生活方式。很难相信，仅在几年前大多数人仍在使用信件和传统电话进行通讯。现在电子邮件和移动电话正在迅速取代旧的通讯方式。遥控的真空吸尘器和能够自动与前面汽车保持安全距离的车很快就会出现。
所有这些技术进步使我们的生活日益舒适和便利。正如洗碗机、洗衣机、烘干机和微波炉让我们的父辈生活得更加轻松，创造了更多的空暇时光，未来技术上的进步会为后代带来比现在更安逸的生活。然而，令许多人担心的是，技术装置在改变我们生活的同时也减少了人与人之间的交往。在将来，人们必须警惕，防止技术减少我们与其他人的交往。