On the heels of Apple's ballyhooed iPad launch, it was rival Hewlett-Packard's turn to try generating interest in a nontraditional portablecomputer. H-P earlier this week posted a video of its forthcoming Slate device.

在苹果公司(Apple)声势浩大地推出iPad后不久，紧跟着的该是其竞争对手惠普(Hewlett-Packard)试图引起消费者对一款非传统笔记本电脑的兴趣了。惠普本周早些时候公布了一段即将推出的Slate笔记本电脑的视频。

The gadget, which looks a lot like an iPad, has received a share of the tablet buzz since Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer brandished a prototype during a keynote address at the Consumer Electronics Show in January.

惠普这款笔记本电脑看起来很像iPad，它也赢得了一份平板笔记本电脑引发的关注。自微软(Microsoft)首席执行长鲍尔默(Steve Ballmer)在一月份的消费电子展上发表主旨演讲期间展示了一款样机之后，平板笔记本电脑就受到了公众的广泛关注。

One key difference between H-P's slate and the iPad, of course, is that the iPad is available in stores around the country, while the Slate still isn't for sale.

当然，惠普平板笔记本电脑与iPad之间的一个关键区别是，iPad已经在全美各大商店有售，而Slate仍未上市。

H-P says the Slate will be available later this year, but a spokesman said Monday that the company isn't ready to reveal the price, technical features or sale date of the product.

惠普说，Slate将于今年晚些时候上市。不过公司发言人周一说，惠普尚未准备好公布价格、技术特性或销售日期。

In the meantime, consumers will have to satisfy themselves with the 30-second video. It indicates, among other things, numerous similarities with the iPad, including a touch screen and software that allows users to flip through pages of electronic books, move pictures and other images around and play videos.

与此同时，消费者只好用那段30秒钟的视频聊以自慰了。视频显示了与iPad的很多相似点，包括触摸屏和那些让用户可以翻看电子书、移动照片和其他图片、播放视频的软件。

Justin Scheck

• computer [kəm´pju:tə] n.计算机；电子计算器 (初中词汇)
• available [ə´veiləbəl] a.可用的；有效的 (初中词汇)
• meantime [´mi:ntaim] n.&ad.其间；同时 (初中词汇)
• screen [skri:n] n.银幕 vt.遮蔽 (初中词汇)
• launch [lɔ:ntʃ] vt.发动 n.发射；汽艇 (高中词汇)
• tablet [´tæblit] n.碑；牌；匾额 (高中词汇)
• consumer [kən´sju:mə] n.消费者；用户 (高中词汇)
• technical [´teknikəl] a.技术的；专门性的 (高中词汇)
• portable [´pɔ:təbəl] a.轻便的 n.手提打字机 (六级词汇)
• forthcoming [,fɔ:θ´kʌmiŋ] a.即将到来的 (六级词汇)
• spokesman [´spəuksmən] n.发言人 (六级词汇)