A modern winter
让现代科技温暖你的冬日
In my memory, winters always used to be really unpleasant. You had to bundle up just to keep warm when you went outside. You were often cold, wet and never more than a sodden misstep away from a patch of black ice. If you didn't have a nasty slide, you'd arrive home to an ice-cold house. And that would mean turning on the heating and waiting. It's a miracle you didn't get chilled to the bone.
在我的记忆中，冬天总是很不愉快。外出时必须裹得严严实实。你常常会感到又冷又湿，还会一不小心就滑倒在冰面上。如果你没有重重摔倒，就能回到冰冷的家中。这意味着需要打开暖气并等待室温变暖。你没有感到刺骨的寒冷就算是个奇迹了。
Fortunately, things don't have to be so challenging any more. Technology, engineering and design have advanced giving us new solutions to old problems. It means dealing with winter needn't be like skating on thin ice.
幸运的是，这变得不那么难了。技术、工程和设计的进步为我们提供了解决老问题的新办法。这意味着应对冬天不再需要如履薄冰了。
With a smart thermostat, our homes can be toasty when we need them to be. Many models feature smartphone apps that allow you to regulate temperature remotely, so we can warm up the house before we arrive home. According to techradar.com, the largest UK-based consumer technology news and reviews website, Tado's model features voice control, while the Nest 'learns' your habits and automatically heats the home for you.
有了智能恒温器，家里就能在我们需要的时候变得温暖。许多机型都配备了智能手机应用程序，可以让你远程调节温度，这样我们就可以在到家之前把房子暖起来。据英国最大的消费科技新闻和评论网站techradar.com称，Tado的模式以语音控制为特色，而Nest则能“学习”人类的习惯，并自动为你加热家里的温度。
Clothes have been given an upgrade, too. Electronic thermal jackets, hoodies and parkas heat up when you turn them on. What better way to keep snug in the dead of winter? At the touch of a button, or through an app on our phones, the clothing generates heat from elements placed inside. Many models offer three levels of heating which stay warm for over 12 hours.
衣服也升级了。一穿上电子保暖夹克、连帽衫和派克大衣，就能感受到温暖。还有什么更好的方法在隆冬保持舒适呢？只要按下按钮，或者通过手机上的应用程序，内置在衣服里的成分就会产生热量。许多型号的衣服都能提供三种加热级别，可保温12小时以上。
Finally, there is the headgear - Beanies and earmuffs that feature speakers included in the fabric using Bluetooth technology so we can listen to our favourite music or, in some cases, have a phone call using the in-built microphone. All while keeping the head warm and avoiding a chill.
最后，还有头戴式耳机——Beanies和earmuffs，特点是使用蓝牙技术将扬声器包含在面料中，这样我们就可以听到最喜欢的音乐，在某些情况下，还可以用内置麦克风打电话。与此同时，还能保持头部温暖，避免受凉。
For many, the thought of winter used to be enough to make their blood run cold. But using technology, life needn't freeze up. With the right solutions, there's no reason why winter can't be really, really cool.
对许多人来说，一想到冬天就不寒而栗。但科技让冬天不再那么寒冷。有了合适的应对方案，冬天再冷也不怕了。
词汇表
bundle up
穿暖和，多穿衣服
sodden
湿漉漉的
black ice
（路面上的）薄冰
slide
滑倒
chilled to the bone
寒冷刺骨的
skating on thin ice
如履薄冰
thermostat
温度自动调节器
toasty
暖烘烘的，暖意绵绵的
regulate
调节、控制
thermal
（衣物）有保暖功能的
snug
暖和舒适的
in the dead of winter
隆冬时节
element
电热元件
beanie
（无檐的）毛线便帽
earmuff
耳套
chill
受凉
make someone's blood run cold
使人不寒而栗
freeze up
冻滞不前，失去生机
cool
很棒的（又指 “凉爽的”，这里是双关语）