Have you ever run out of coffee powder and had to settle for tea? Found no eggs in the tray1? No salami2 for the sandwich and the nearest shop is too far away? Settled for less? Made do with leftovers? Ranted3 and raved4? Well all that can change in the future.
If all goes well, intelligent5 futuristic kitchens will soon help solve all your problems. The kitchen of the future will give wise advice on planning your menu for the day. Conscious6 of your weight?— It will tell you the right diet and what is good for your health. It will even keep in mind your likes and dislikes!
Under design by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, this smart futuristic kitchen promises to keep a weather eye open for all your needs plus some. Radio transmitters7 are fitted on minute8 tags9 attached10 to each edible11 food item12. The kitchen's computer system is linked to these tags. And will help keep an 'eye' on the larder13!
If you are all thumbs14 in the kitchen, the kitchen-mate15 computer system will spell out16 the ingredients17 needed for each dish and indicate18 how to mix them! The recipe19 is downloaded20 by the 'smart' kitchen from the Internet after checking the ingredients in the larder. Want to bake the rich, scrumptious21, creamy chocolate cake? The kind that mother or grandmother makes22? You have it. But beware of nightly raids23 on the fridge for it will scold you and make you feel guilty24 for overindulgence25!
So what happens if the larder is empty like old Mother Hubbard's26? The kitchen will automatically27 call and place an order at the local supermarket.
你是否有过这样的经历：咖啡粉用光了，你不得不去喝茶？用餐时，托盘中却没有发现鸡蛋？吃三明治时没有香肠而最近的商店又离得太远？不得不将就着吃少一点？不得不拿残羹剩饭来对付一下？为此烦躁地大喊大叫？唔，所有这一切都会在未来改变。
要是一切顺利，智能未来型厨房将会很快解决你所有烦恼。未来厨房能对你的日常饮食提供合理的建议。你担心会长胖吗？未来厨房会给你提供正确的保健食谱和对健康有益的食物。它甚至能记住你喜欢或厌恶的食物。
麻省理工学院正在设计当中的智能未来厨房有望全天候关注你所有的需要，并锦上添花。无线电传送器扫描每项食品上挂着的小标签，而厨房计算机系统与这些小标签相连，因此能够监测食物贮藏的状况。
如果你在厨房感到手忙脚乱，厨房伴侣计算机系统会清楚说明每道菜的所需配料以及烹饪方法。在检查贮藏室里的原料后，食谱便由智能厨房从网上下载。想烤制香浓、美味的奶油巧克力蛋糕吗？类似你的母亲和祖母所制作的最最美味的蛋糕？一下子就搞掂。但是，小心：晚上不要从冰箱里偷吃，因为智能厨房会斥责你，让你因贪吃而产生内疚感。
当你的贮藏室像哈巴德老太太的那样空空如也时，怎么办呢？厨房会自动向当地超市打电话，订购食物！
1. tray [trei] n． 盘, 碟, 盘子
2． salami n． 意大利腊肠
3． rant v． 咆哮, 激昂地说
4． rave [reiv] v． 咆哮
5． intelligent adj． 聪明的, 伶俐的
6． conscious adj． 有意识的, 有知觉的
7． transmitter n． 转送者, 传达人, 传导物
8． minute adj． 微小的, 详细的
9． tag n． 标签
10． attach v． 缚上, 系上
11． edible adj． 可食用的
12． item n． (可分类或列举的)项目, 条款
13． larder n． 肉贮藏处, 食品库
14． all thumbs 手忙脚乱
15． mate [meit] n． 配偶, 助手
16． spell out 清楚说明
17． ingredient n． 配料
18． indicate v． 指出, 显示
19． recipe n． 食谱
20． download v． 下载, 下传
21． scrumptious adj． 极为愉快的, 绝妙的
22． mother or grandmother makes 在国外，妈妈和祖母通常能做最美味的食品
23． raid [reid] n． 袭击, 搜捕
24． guilty adj． 犯罪的, 有罪的
25． overindulgence n． 过分放纵, 过分任性
26． Old Mother Hubbard (典故)来源于一首儿童诗歌：一位贫穷的老妇人去为她的小狗领取救济品——骨头，但她去晚了，什么也没有得到。
27． automatically adv． 自动地, 机械地