未来餐厅里的服务员都将是机器人？

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You may have already seen them in some restaurants around the world: robots.你可能已经在世界各地的一些餐馆里看到过机器人了。

They are about the size of a child.它们个头和小孩差不多大。

They can welcome people and lead them to their tables.他们可以迎接客人，并把他们带到餐位上。

They can deliver food and drinks and bring dirty dishes back to the kitchen.他们可以送食物和饮料，还能把脏盘子送回厨房。

Some have cat-like faces and even make noises when you scratch their heads.有些长着猫一样的脸，当你摸它们的头时，它们甚至会发出声音。

But are robot waiters the future?但未来餐厅里的服务员都将是机器人吗？

It is a question the restaurant industry is trying to answer.这是餐饮业试图回答的一个问题。

Many people think robot waiters are the answer to worker shortages.许多人认为机器人服务员是解决服务员短缺的办法。

Sales of robots have been growing in recent years.近年来，机器人的销量一直在增长。

There are tens of thousands of them now moving through eating places worldwide.现在有成千上万的机器人在世界各地的餐饮场所穿梭。

"There's no doubt in my mind that this is where the world is going," said Dennis Reynolds, head of the Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership at the University of Houston.休斯顿大学希尔顿全球酒店管理学院院长丹尼斯·雷诺兹说:“毫无疑问，这是世界的发展方向。”

The school's restaurant began using a robot in December.去年12月，该校的餐厅开始使用机器人。

Reynolds said it has eased the workload for humans and improved service.雷诺兹表示，这减轻了员工的工作量，改善了服务质量。

But others say robot waiters still have a long way to go before they can replace humans.但也有人表示，机器人服务员要取代人类还有很长的路要走。

They cannot take orders.他们不能接受命令。

And they cannot walk up steps to different areas of a restaurant.他们不能走上台阶到餐厅的不同区域。

"Restaurants are pretty chaotic places, so it's very hard to insert automation in a way that is really productive," said Craig Le Clair from the advising company Forrester.咨询公司Forrester的克雷格·勒克莱尔说:“餐厅是一个非常混乱的地方，所以很难以一种真正高效的方式引入自动化。”