Technology company Microsoft is working with the Roman Catholic Church to create a detailed, digital version of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. 

科技公司微软正在与罗马天主教会合作，创建梵蒂冈城圣彼得大教堂的详细数字版本。 

The project aims to give people a new way to experience the famous building, which sits in the Catholic Church’s spiritual and administrative center in Rome. 

该项目旨在为人们提供一种新的方式来体验这座位于罗马天主教堂精神和行政中心的著名建筑。 

Roman Catholic leaders recently joined Microsoft’s President Brad Smith to present the new digital creation to the public. The official launch of the system has been set for December 1. It will permit individuals to explore St. Peter’s Basilica online and provide interactive experiences for all visitors to the Vatican. 

罗马天主教领袖最近与微软总裁布拉德·史密斯一起向公众展示了新的数字创作。 该系统定于 12 月 1 日正式启动。它将允许个人在线探索圣彼得大教堂，并为所有梵蒂冈游客提供互动体验。 

The effort involved drones flying around the empty basilica for four weeks to capture images of all parts of the building. The drones – equipped with many cameras and lasers – took more than 400,000 high-quality pictures.

这项工作涉及无人机在空荡荡的大教堂周围飞行四个星期，以捕获建筑物所有部分的图像。 这些无人机配备了许多相机和激光器，拍摄了超过 400,000 张高质量照片。

The process used artificial intelligence (AI) methods to create a complete 3D copy of the basilica. One goal of the project was to provide a way for anyone in the world to have the chance to “visit” the church and learn about its history. 

该过程使用人工智能 (AI) 方法创建大教堂的完整 3D 副本。 该项目的一个目标是为世界上的任何人提供一种方式，让他们有机会“参观”教堂并了解其历史。 

Microsoft chief Smith told a press conference at Vatican City the project represented “one of the most technologically advanced and sophisticated projects of its kind” ever carried out. 

微软首席执行官史密斯在梵蒂冈城举行的新闻发布会上表示，该项目是“同类项目中技术最先进、最复杂的项目之一”。 

Cardinal Mauro Gambetti is the Archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica. He praised the new technology at the press conference. Gambetti compared the highly detailed digital experience to looking up at a “starry sky on a summer night.” He added, “The new tools act like a telescope or spaceship for better viewing.” 

毛罗·甘贝蒂枢机主教是圣彼得大教堂的大祭司。 他在新闻发布会上赞扬了这项新技术。 甘贝蒂将高度详细的数字体验比作仰望“夏夜的星空”。 他补充说：“新工具就像望远镜或宇宙飞船一样，可以更好地观察。”

The project was launched ahead of the Vatican's 2025 Jubilee celebration. This marks a holy year at the Vatican when more than 30 million worshippers are expected to visit the basilica. This will be in addition to the 50,000 people who visit on a normal day. The basilica will celebrate its 400th anniversary in 2026. 

该项目是在梵蒂冈 2025 年周年庆典之前启动的。 今年标志着梵蒂冈的圣年，预计将有超过 3000 万信徒参观大教堂。 这还不包括平日参观的 50,000 人。 大教堂将于 2026 年庆祝其成立 400 周年。 

The Associated Press reported Pope Francis visited Smith and the project’s development teams at the Vatican. He said the effort should help everyone “feel welcome in this great house.” 

据美联社报道，教皇弗朗西斯在梵蒂冈拜访了史密斯和该项目的开发团队。 他说，这一努力应该有助于每个人“在这座伟大的房子里感到受欢迎”。 

The pope added that the project was a way to recognize and continue to celebrate the Vatican’s rich spiritual history. “…It is a gift and a task to care for it, in both a spiritual and material sense, even through the latest technologies,” he said. 

教皇补充说，该项目是认识并继续庆祝梵蒂冈丰富的精神历史的一种方式。 “……从精神和物质意义上来说，即使是通过最新的技术来照顾它，也是一份礼物和一项任务，”他说。 

Pope Francis has warned that AI should only be used in ethical ways. In his World Message of Peace this year, he proposed an international treaty to control, or regulate, the technology. He argued that AI systems lack human values and could cause great harm. 

教皇弗朗西斯警告说，人工智能只能以合乎道德的方式使用。 在今年的《世界和平讯息》中，他提出了一项控制或规范该技术的国际条约。 他认为人工智能系统缺乏人类价值，可能会造成巨大伤害。

The digital system permits visitors to request entry times to the basilica. This could be a welcome change for visitors used to waiting in lines for hours to get into the basilica, which is one of the world’s most visited buildings. 

数字系统允许游客询问进入大教堂的时间。 对于习惯了排队几个小时才能进入大教堂的游客来说，这可能是一个可喜的变化，大教堂是世界上参观人数最多的建筑之一。 

The collected images have already identified structural damage and signs of deterioration. Experts said the technology can find such problems much faster and more effectively than human workers. Vatican officials plan to use the images to continually identify areas needing repairs. 

收集到的图像已经发现了结构损坏和恶化的迹象。 专家表示，该技术可以比人类更快、更有效地发现此类问题。 梵蒂冈官员计划使用这些图像来不断识别需要维修的区域。 

Smith did not say how much Microsoft had invested in the project. But he said the idea came after Pope Francis urged technology companies in 2018 to come together to use AI for cultural purposes. 

史密斯没有透露微软在该项目上投资了多少。 但他表示，这个想法是在教皇弗朗西斯于 2018 年敦促科技公司联合起来将人工智能用于文化目的之后产生的。 

Smith noted his company had also completed similar AI projects at Mont Saint-