>>Not a quibble at all. Even a small child could easily understand the spoken question. If the computer cannot, it is obviously limited in its abilities even when compared to a child.<<
You are conflating the ability to “hear” versus the ability to “read.”
All Jeopardy contestants get to read (via sight) the answers before they ring in. It is thus a quibble whether Watson reads the clue by text input as opposed to hearing Trebek speak it — Watson is on an even footing with the human contestants.
The human contestants, while demonstrating certain memory functions, are also demonstrating higher levels of brain function including seeing and hearing. Watson is deaf and blind and is basically demonstrating data base search algorithms. Interesting, but primitive when it comes to brain function.