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elocution – речь
synthesiser – синтезатор
sci-fi=science fiction – научная фантастика
verbal – устный
handicap – помеха, препятствие
to alienate – отчуждать
demi-syllable – полуслог
cluster – группа
emphasis – выразительность
fluid – плавный
Text 5
Computers Take Elocution Lessons.
A research team from the University of Nottingham is developing a speech
synthesiser that should give computers personalised voices.
Mervyn Curtis, a lecturer in the department of electrical and electronic
engineering, is leading the team’s efforts to end the sci-fi robotic intonations that
accompany most speech-enabled computers – made familiar in the United Kingdom
by physicist Stephen Hawking’s BT advertisement.
The team has been working for the past eight years on the project with the aim
of creating high-quality natural sounding speech synthesisers to be used as
communication aids for the disabled.
In the UK 800,000 people have moderate to severe communication problems
who could be aided by such a device. There are more than 250 different conditions
that may result in the need for an aid of some sort.
The problem at present is the highly artificial sound of all speech synthesisers
used with computers. Dr Curtis said that despite the huge need for communication
aids the range of choice was also fairly limited.
“Language is the highest skill possessed by mankind and it is vital when verbal
language is restricted by handicap to provide an alternative means of
communication”, he said.
It was essential, Dr Curtis said, that technology should not alienate or distance
people from their society yet the majority of speech synthesisers sound robotic and
unnatural. Many have an American accent. The system works by recording the 800
neutral demi-syllables in English and adding intonation. The computer would be able
to recognise vowel clusters and sentence structure to incorporate emphasis and
feeling. Dr Curtis said: “The voice sounds much more fluid, not monotone, and far
more representative of human speech.”
5.5 Answer the questions
1) What is the aim of the research team developing a speech synthesiser?
2) Who is leading the team’s efforts?
29
elocution – речь
synthesiser – синтезатор
sci-fi=science fiction – научная фантастика
verbal – устный
handicap – помеха, препятствие
to alienate – отчуждать
demi-syllable – полуслог
cluster – группа
emphasis – выразительность
fluid – плавный
Text 5
Computers Take Elocution Lessons.
A research team from the University of Nottingham is developing a speech
synthesiser that should give computers personalised voices.
Mervyn Curtis, a lecturer in the department of electrical and electronic
engineering, is leading the team’s efforts to end the sci-fi robotic intonations that
accompany most speech-enabled computers – made familiar in the United Kingdom
by physicist Stephen Hawking’s BT advertisement.
The team has been working for the past eight years on the project with the aim
of creating high-quality natural sounding speech synthesisers to be used as
communication aids for the disabled.
In the UK 800,000 people have moderate to severe communication problems
who could be aided by such a device. There are more than 250 different conditions
that may result in the need for an aid of some sort.
The problem at present is the highly artificial sound of all speech synthesisers
used with computers. Dr Curtis said that despite the huge need for communication
aids the range of choice was also fairly limited.
“Language is the highest skill possessed by mankind and it is vital when verbal
language is restricted by handicap to provide an alternative means of
communication”, he said.
It was essential, Dr Curtis said, that technology should not alienate or distance
people from their society yet the majority of speech synthesisers sound robotic and
unnatural. Many have an American accent. The system works by recording the 800
neutral demi-syllables in English and adding intonation. The computer would be able
to recognise vowel clusters and sentence structure to incorporate emphasis and
feeling. Dr Curtis said: “The voice sounds much more fluid, not monotone, and far
more representative of human speech.”
5.5 Answer the questions
1) What is the aim of the research team developing a speech synthesiser?
2) Who is leading the team’s efforts?
29
