IBM(n.國際商業機器)'s supercomputer (n.超級電腦) Watson (n.“華森”) has trounced (v.徹底擊敗) its two competitors (n.競爭對手) in a televised (adj.電視播送的) show pitting (v.使較量) human brains against computer bytes (n.位元組).
      After a three night marathon (n.馬拉松式的活動) on the quiz show Jeopardy! (n.《危險邊緣》), Watson emerged (v.結果是) victorious (adj.勝利的) to win a $1million prize.
      The computer's competitors were two of the most successful players ever (adv.歷來) to have taken part (v.參加) in Jeopardy!. But in the end their skill at the game was no match (n.敵手) for Watson.
      Ken Jennings (n.詹寧斯) had previously notched up (v.贏得) 74 consecutive (adj.連續的) wins on the show - the most ever - while Brad Rutter (n.拉持) had won the most amount of money, $3million.
      The victory for Watson and IBM was about more than money. It was about ushering in (v.開創) a new era (n.紀元) in computing (n.電腦技術) where machines will increasingly be able to learn and understand what humans are really asking them for.
      Jeopardy! is seen as a significant (adj.重大的) challenge (n.考驗) for Watson because of the show's rapid fire (adj.連珠發砲的) format (n.形式) and clues (n.提示) that rely on subtle (adj.隱隱的) meanings, puns (n.雙關語), and riddles (n.謎語); something humans excel (v.擅長) at and computers do not.
(BBC, February 17)

      一個電視播送的節目，把人類的大腦與電腦位元組較量。結果，國際商業機器的超級電腦“華森”徹底擊敗了兩名競爭對手。
      經過問答遊戲節目《危險邊緣》三個晚上的馬拉松式比賽後，結果“華森”勝出，贏取了100萬美元獎金。
      這部電腦的兩名對手，是《危險邊緣》歷來兩位最成功的參加者。但最終，他們在比賽中的表現無法媲美“沃森”。
      詹寧斯曾連續74次在節目中勝出——這是歷來最多的，而拉特則贏得最多錢——達300萬美元。
      “華森”與國際商業機器今次勝出，重要性不只在於金錢。它們也開創了電腦技術新紀元，證明了機器越來越有能力學習和理解人類對它們的真正要求。
      《危險邊緣》被視為“華森”的重大考驗，原因在於節目的節奏連珠發砲，而提示涉及隱喻、雙關語、謎語等——這些都是人類擅長而電腦遜色的。（英國廣播公司，2月17日）

      閱讀指引
      1. trivia (n)　/'tr?笈vi?瑆/，TRI-via　百科知識、問答節目的知識
      解讀：trivia本指瑣碎的事、無關痛癢的細節，例如the trivia of everyday life是日常生活中的瑣事，而domestic / household trivia則是家居瑣事；此字也指百科知識，在標題中便是這個意思，而trivia quiz則是問答遊戲（節目）。
      2. trounce (v)　/'tra?痸ns/，tr-OUNCE　徹底擊敗、大勝
      解讀：trounce不只是defeat，而是defeat by a large amount、defeat completely，例如在Brazil defeated England by one goal to zero（巴西以一比零擊敗英格蘭）一句中，defeat(ed)不能用trounce(d)一字替代。
      3. excel (v)　/?笈k'sel/，ick-SELL　擅長、善於
      解讀：擅長某方面，可如文中用介系詞at，但用in也可，例如excel at / in science是精於科學；但若用-ing動詞，則只可用at，例如excel at making artwork是擅長製作藝術品；形容詞和名詞便是excellent和excellence。