靓丽的外形、甜美的歌喉以及大批的粉丝，初音未来符合了很多美少女偶像的特征。在粉丝圈子里，要是不认识初音未来，你都不好意思和人家打招呼。然而，这位明星却并非是“真”的。

Hatsune Miku, a digital avatar created with the help of hologram technology, has become popular all over the world. She held her concert in Shanghai on June 27 and 28 this summer.

初音未来，由全息摄影技术打造的数字化身，现已风靡全球。6月27-28日，她在上海举办了演唱会。

Thousands flocked to Shanghai last month to watch their favorite blue-haired songstress perform live. Looks, however, can be deceiving.

上个月，上千名歌迷涌入上海，只为一睹这位蓝发女歌手现场表演的风采。然而，眼见可不一定为实哦。

The singer, Hatsune Miku, was what some call a digital avatar. Wearing her hair in two long ponytails, Miku appears onstage as a 3-D projection with the help of hologram technology. She sings and dances according to the directions of programmers who choreograph the concerts weeks or months in advance. Developed by Japanese company Crypton Future Media in 2007, this 16-year-old star’s voice is produced by synthesizing software.

初音未来是数字化身的歌手。她扎着两个长长的马尾辫，在全息摄影技术的支持下，以3D形象现身舞台。她根据程序员在演唱会几周甚至几个月前设计的舞蹈动作指令，进行歌唱和舞蹈表演。初音未来由日本Crypton Future Media公司于2007年开发而成。这位明星芳龄二八，声音则是由合成软件制作的。

Holograms, a photographic recording of a light field, can display a three-dimensional image of a subject. Experts take the likenesses and voice of an artist and digitally recreate it through the technology.

全息摄影技术，是对于光场（light field）的摄影记录，可以呈现出物体的三维图像。专业人士先获取某位艺术家的肖像以及声音，然后再通过全息技术手段进行数字化再创造。

Holograms have been used to bring dead celebrities back to life on more than one occasion. In 2012, US hip-hop icon Tupac Shakur reappeared onstage at the Coachella Valley music festival and performed alongside rappers Snoop Dogg and Dr Dre. The audience was shocked and went dead silent. After all, 15 years have passed since Shakur’s death.

全息摄影技术不止一次地被用于呈现过世名人的音容相貌。2012年，美国嘻哈界的偶像人物Tupac（Tupac Shakur，1996年身亡）在科契拉谷音乐节上再次亮相，和说唱巨星Snoop Dogg以及Dr Dre同台演出。观众十分震惊，一片死寂。毕竟当时距Tupac过世已经有15年了。

Since then, the technology has increasingly been applied to performances. In 2013, a holographic image of deceased pop singer Teresa Teng appeared alongside Taiwanese pop star Jay Chou in concert. Last year, the likeness of Michael Jackson performed at the Billboard Music Awards.

之后，演出中使用全息摄影技术的次数越来越多。2013年，周杰伦演唱会上使用了全息图像，实现了与邓丽君的同台对唱。去年，Billboard Music Awards颁奖礼上迈克尔·杰克逊也“登台表演”了。

The performance touched many fans and Michael Jackson’s family. According to Billboard, one of Jackson’s brothers, Jackie Jackson, teared up while watching Michael’s image perform the song “Slave to Rhythm”. “I’m telling you it’s amazing,” he told Billboard. In this way, holography seemingly offers an opportunity to cherish the memories of passed stars.

表演打动了杰克逊的家人和粉丝。Billboard方面表示，迈克尔·杰克逊的兄弟杰基·杰克逊在观看迈克尔全息图像表演“Slave to Rhythm”时，热泪盈眶。 “我跟你说，这太神奇了，”他对Billboard表示。通过这样的方法，全息摄影似乎为大家提供了一个缅怀过世明星的机会。

Hatsune Miku may never have been a real person, but it seems she still gives fans a thrill. James Verini, a contributor to US technology magazine Wired, noted Miku is portrayed on her fan site as being better than human. “She’s rather more like a goddess: She has human parts, but she transcends human limitations. She’s the great post-human pop star,” wrote Verini on Wired.

初音未来可能永远不会变成真人，但是她依然让粉丝们欢欣不已。美国科技杂志Wired的撰稿人James Verini指出，在初音未来的粉丝网站上，她的形象比人类还要好。“她更像是一个女神：她有人类的特点，但是却超越了人类的局限性。她是后人类时代的流行歌星。”Verini在Wired中写道。

In fact, Mallika Rao, a staff writer at The Huffington Post, points out fans are not just cheering for Miku, but for what she represents.

事实上，《赫芬顿邮报》的特约撰稿人Mallika Rao指出，粉丝们不仅仅喜爱初音未来本身，他们更喜爱的是她所代表的东西。