Would you like to get chipped?

by Olivia Messer

Three weeks ago, robotics-obsessed Evan Bryer stumbled upon the website of the biohacking（生物黑客技术） company Dangerous Things. Along with advertisements for microchips, the Seattle-based company's site proclaims: "Human, upgrade yourself." And so he has.

robotics /rəʊˈbɒtɪks/ n. 机器人学
obsessed /əbˈsest/ adj. 沉迷的、痴迷的
stumble /ˈstʌmb(ə)l/ upon 偶然发现、偶然碰到
along with 伴随、跟…一起
microchip /ˈmaɪkrəʊtʃɪp/ n. 芯片
Seattle /sɪˈæt(ə)l/ n. 西雅图（美国西北部城市）
-based 后缀，意思是“总部在某地的”
proclaim /prəˈkleɪm/ v. 宣告
upgrade /ʌpˈɡreɪd/ v. 升级

Now the mild-mannered freshman computer-science student at the University of South Carolina has four microchips in his hands, which he installed himself. "They have made things a bit easier when meeting new people because it lets me give them my contact information instantly," the 18-year-old student said. "The biggest difference is definitely it as a conversation piece, though. It's a great conversation starter, if nothing else."

mild-mannered 温和的
freshman /ˈfreʃmən/ n. 大一学生
instantly /ˈɪnstəntli/ adv. 立刻、马上（由instant加后缀-ly变成副词）

In his left hand, Bryer has embedded a radio-frequency identification chip the size of a grain of rice with his USC student ID and phone contact information. In his right hand, he's got a password manager and links to his social media accounts. He also put LED lights in each hand that blink from beneath his skin when a keypad or phone has been connected.

embed /ɪmˈbed/ v. 镶嵌、嵌入
frequency /ˈfriːkwənsi/ n. 频率
identification /aɪˌdentɪfɪˈkeɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 识别
chip /tʃɪp/ n. 芯片
grain /ɡreɪn/ n. 谷粒
student ID 学号
manager /ˈmænɪdʒə(r)/ n. 管理器
link /lɪŋk/ n. 链接
LED 发光二极管（是一种节能的光源）
blink /blɪŋk/ v. 闪烁
beneath /bɪˈniːθ/ prep. 在…下面
keypad /ˈkiːpæd/ n. 小键盘

The chips implement the same technology used for everyday office access cards and contactless payment in stores. "I can rewrite them as many times as I want," said Bryer. "Maybe my workplace will have me scan in with a badge, or I could hook these up to my door lock at home or use it to get into my car."

implement /ˈɪmplɪment/ v. 实施
everyday /ˈevrideɪ/ adj. 日常的
access /ˈækses/ n. 进入
contactless /ˈkɒntæktləs/ adj. 非接触式的（由contact加上表示否定的后缀-less并变成形容词）
payment /ˈpeɪmənt/ n. 支付（由pay加后缀-ment变成名词）
rewrite /ˌriːˈraɪt/ v. 重写、改写（由write加上表示重复的前缀re-）
workplace /ˈwɜːkpleɪs/ n. 工作场所（由work和place组成）
scan /skæn/ v. 扫描（scan in指刷门禁卡进入）
badge /bædʒ/ n. 工牌
hook up 连接上（电脑系统等）

The site, Bryer said, recommends that people get the implantation（植入体内） done by a piercing shop, but sends customers "everything you would need to do it yourself." He did it at his desk with a pre-sterilized syringe（针筒）.

piercing /ˈpɪəsɪŋ/ n. （为了佩戴首饰）在身体上打孔（比如打耳洞）
pre- 前缀，意思是“预先”
sterilize /ˈsterɪlaɪz/ v. 消毒

"You are putting a needle into your skin so of course it's going to hurt a bit," said Bryer. But in the end, he said, it was no worse than giving blood, and he was guided by members of the forum on the Dangerous Things site.

needle /ˈniːd(ə)l/ n. 针
guide /ɡaɪd/ v. 指导、指引
forum /ˈfɔːrəm/ n. 论坛

A company in River Falls, Wisconsin, made headlines in August 2017 when it embedded 40 employees with microchips and gave them "I Got Chipped" T-shirts. The company said that employees would use the device to bypass company badges and computer log-ins.

Wisconsin /wɪˈskɒnsɪn/ n. 威斯康辛（美国北部的州）
headline /ˈhedlaɪn/ n. （报纸的）大字标题
get chipped 指被植入芯片
device /dɪˈvaɪs/ n. 设备、装置
bypass /ˈbaɪpɑːs/ v. 绕过（这里指无需使用）
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Those headlines were met with mixed responses from some concerned about surveillance – to be clear, the embeds did not have GPS – but Patrick McMullan, President of Three Square Market, said anyone that worried about privacy should probably just take their cellphone "and throw it away."

response /rɪˈspɒns/ n. 回应、反响
concern /kənˈsɜːn/ v. 担心、担忧
surveillance /səˈveɪləns/ n. 监视
embed /ɪmˈbed/ n. 嵌入的东西
president /ˈprezɪd(ə)nt/ n. 总裁
privacy /ˈprɪvəsi/ n. 隐私
cellphone /ˈselfəʊn/ n. 手机

Back at the South Carolina campus, Bryer said he was taken aback by the overwhelmingly positive response from friends and fellow students – especially over the LED lights. But his parents were less excited.

campus /ˈkæmpəs/ n. 校园
take someone aback 使某人大吃一惊
overwhelmingly /ˌəʊvəˈwelmɪŋli/ adv. 压倒性的
positive /ˈpɒzətɪv/ adj. 正面的、积极的
fellow /ˈfeləʊ/ adj. 同类的、相同情况的

"I told them about it once I had gotten written up by the school newspaper; it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission," said Bryer. "They weren't that surprised that I would do something like this, but they were surprised that it was possible."

write up 报道
forgiveness /fəˈɡɪvnəs/ n. 原谅（由forgive加后缀-ness变成名词）
permission /pəˈmɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 允许、准许

英文原文节选自The Daily Beast
https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-a-university-of-south-carolina-biohacker-embedded-his-college-id-in-his-hand