美國歷史《我們的故事》第十二集黄金時代193:史蒂夫·賈柏斯

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At first, computers don't seem like a revolution.

最初電腦看起來一點不像技術革命

In the 1940s,a single computer with the power of a basic PC today

20世紀40年代一台擁有如今個人電腦基本功能的電腦

could be the size of a Greyhound bus,

要佔用一輛灰狗長途巴士那麼大的空間

and needs the same amount of power as a small town.

且需要的電力足以支援一座小鎮

Many people believe that only a few computers will ever be sold.

許多人認為這些電腦能賣出幾台就不錯了

But then they start to reveal their power.

但隨後它們開始顯示自己強大的功能

In the '60s computers are used by universities to achieve previously unthinkable calculations.

60年代大學利用電腦完成此前難以想像的大量運算

unthinkable /ʌnˋθɪŋkəb! /

難以想像的, 不可思議的; 難以置信的

It seemed unthinkable that he should have done such a wicked thing.他竟幹出這樣的壞事, 真令人難以置信。
不可能的

Defeat is unthinkable.戰敗是不可能的。

And from the 1970s onwards,

從70年代起

onward /ˋɑnwɚd/

ad. 副詞

向前; 在前面

The world is moving onward.世界正向前發展。

Miss Weller hurried onward.韋勒小姐匆匆向前走去。

a. 形容詞

向前的, 前進的[B]

The plane's onward movement was slowed by adverse winds.飛機前進的速度因逆風而減慢。

corporations use them to replace thousands of manual clerks.

公司用電腦替代了數以千計的文職人員

Cold War superspending helps fund computer development,

冷戰期間無度的揮霍為電腦發展提供了資金

helping companies like IBM to become massive corporations.

幫助很多像IBM這樣的公司發展壯大

But it's not corporations or the government

但發起下一波電腦革命的

that create the next computer revolution.

既不是公司也不是政府

1976, a garage in Northern California.

1976年在加利福尼亞北部的一間車庫

Two computer hobbyists,

兩名電腦愛好者

Steve Jobs and Steve Wosneak

史蒂夫·約伯斯和史蒂夫·沃茲涅克

create the world's first practical personal computer.

發明了世界上首台實用的個人電腦

The original kind of pioneers of the digital revolution.

數字革命的先驅

In a sense, they were building computers

某種意義上他們是在

in a sense 就某種意義來說

You are right in a sense.就某種意義來說你是對的。

for themselves, for ordinary people like them.

為自己為像他們一樣的普通人設計電腦

They weren't particularly wealthy.

這些普通人並不特別富裕

They weren't working for large organizations

也不在大公司工作

They just were tinkers.

他們不過是普通的工人

tinker /ˋtɪŋkɚ/ n.

能做各種小修小補的人; 什麼事情都會幹一手的人[C]
笨拙的工人, 不熟練的工人[C]

Soon competitors bring out their own machines.

很快競爭者的機器也競相面世

When IBM launched their PC,

當IBM發佈他們的個人電腦時

it ups the game.

競爭愈發激烈了

Computers are changing fast.

電腦技術日新月異

Along came the mouse and along came pictures on the screen.

滑鼠隨即出現了螢幕上也有了圖像

That kind of competition is really where innovation comes from.

那種競爭正是創新的源泉

The apple II of 1980 has more computing power than was used in the entire Apollo moon landing program.

1980年出品的蘋果II 其計算能力甚至超過了整個阿波羅登月計畫使用的電腦

Personal computers become more powerful,more popular.

個人電腦功能越來越強大越來越風靡

There are just 300,000 PCs in 1980.

1980年只有30萬台個人電腦

By 1990, there are over 67 million.

到了1990年卻超過了6700萬台

That year, Microsoft sales alone topped $1 billion.

那一年微軟一家營業額就超過10億美元

But the true power of computers is yet to be realized.

不過電腦真正的力量還有待發掘

Only when they start to talk to each other,

只有當電腦之間彼此連通之時

will the computing revolution be complete.

電腦革命才算真正完成了

語文通

2013年4月24日星期三