◎鄭寺音

shadows are being used by japanese researchers as an non-intrusive way for friends to stay in touch.

日本研究員拿影子作為朋友保持聯繫又不打擾人的方法。

called teleshadow the system pipes video of what people are doing at home via the net to their friends’ houses.

這種稱為影電話的系統，將人們在家裡做什麼的影像，透過網路傳送到他們朋友的家中。

but instead of showing images in full motion and colour, teleshadow turns them into shadow outlines projected on the inside of a small decorative lamp.

但影電話並不會完整顯示影像的動作與色彩，而是將影像轉成影子輪廓，投射到一個小型裝飾燈內部。

creator shunpei yasuda said the shadow presence system aims to fill the gap between live video and static images.

發明者安田俊平說，這種影子顯示系統，目的在填補實況影像與靜態影像之間的差距。

mr yasuda, a post-graduate student in media design at japan’s keio university, said the inspiration for the system came from japanese history.

安田先生是日本慶應大學媒體設計系的研究生。他說，這種系統的靈感來自日本歷史。

for many years, he said, japanese homes have had shoji or paper walls that divide some rooms. the thin walls preserve some privacy but the shadows cast on the paper as people move about also act as a reminder of that person’s presence.

他說，長久以來，日式住家有分隔房間的紙牆。薄牆保留一些隱私，但房裡的人走動時，投射在紙門上的影像，也提醒人有人在屋內。

新聞辭典

pipe︰名詞，油（天然氣）管線；動詞，用管道輸送。例句：gas is piped into all the houses.（瓦斯由管線輸送到各家各戶。）

fill the gap︰填補鴻溝、差距。

move about︰四處走動。about 副詞，用法類似 around，在四周、四處。例句：she likes to walk about／around.（她喜歡四處走走。）