文◎Sarah Frier 译◎Dlacus

Facebook Inc.'s research unit Building 8 is working to make it possible for people to type using signals①from their brains.

Regina Dugan, hired from Alphabet Inc. last year to oversee②the lab, said that within "a few years' time" Facebook aims to develop a system that can type at 100 words per minute, just from monitoring the brain, without using any kind of implant③. The company is working with outside academics on the issue now.

This would give "the ability to text a friend without taking out your phone," Dugan said at the social network operator's F8 developer conference④.The lab also is working on a way for people to hear through their skin.

"One day, not so far away, it may be possible for me to think in Mandarin and for you to feel it instantly in Spanish," Dugan said.

Far-fetched⑤as it may sound, Dugan said researchers have already found it possible to use brain waves for typing at eight words per minute⑥.

For Facebook, the research connects to its overall⑦goals because it relates to improving people's social experiences. It could also make it possible for those who are deaf or otherwise⑧disabled to communicate more easily.

脸书公司的研究机构Building 8正努力使人们用脑电波就能打字。

去年脸书公司从Alphabet公司（谷歌重组后的“伞形公司”）聘请了雷吉娜·杜根来管理该实验室，杜根表示，脸书打算在“几年内”开发一个系统，该系统不需要任何植入，只通过监测大脑（信号）就能在每分钟内打100个字。目前该公司正与外部院校合作解决这个问题。

这将会赋予你“不用拿出手机就能给朋友发短信的能力”，杜根在社交媒体经营者参与的F8开发者大会上说道。该实验室也在研究一种使人们通过皮肤来接收信息的方式。

“有朝一日，我也许可以用中文思考，而你可以用西班牙语即刻了解到（我的想法），而这一天不会太远。”杜根说道。

这听上去也许牵强附会，但杜根表示研究人员已经发现，用脑电波每分钟打八个字是有可能的。

对脸书公司而言，这项研究结合了其综合目标，因为它与提高人们的社交体验有关。而对那些失聪或残疾的人来说，这项技术也可以使他们更方便地与人沟通成为可能。

① signal 英 ['sɪgn(ə)l] 美 ['sɪgnl] n. 信号；暗号；导火线vt. 标志；用信号通知adj. 显著的；作为信号的vi. 发信号

② oversee 英 [əʊvə'siː] 美 ['ovɚ'si] vt. 监督；审查；俯瞰；偷看到，无意中看到

③ implant 英 [ɪm'plɑːnt] 美 [ɪm'plænt] vt. 种植；灌输；嵌入n. [医] 植入物；植入管vi. 被移植

④ conference 英 ['kɒnf(ə)r(ə)ns] 美 ['kɑnfərəns] n. 会

议；讨论；协商；联盟；讨论会；大会vi. 举行或参加（系列）会议 ⑤ far-fetched ['fɑ:'fetʃt] adj. 牵强附会的

⑥per minute 每分钟

⑦overall 英 ['əʊvərɔːl] 美 [,ovə'rɔl] adj. 全部的；全体的；一切在内的adv. 全部地；总的说来n. 工装裤；罩衫

⑧ otherwise 英 ['ʌðəwaɪz] 美 ['ʌðɚwaɪz] adv. 否则；另外；在其他方面adj. 另外的；原本，本来conj. 其他；如果不；然后