評(píng)論
打印
Computer facts
電腦的真相
Smaller and smaller
越來越小
The first computers were built in the 1940s.
第一臺(tái)電腦出現(xiàn)于20世紀(jì)40年代。
They were bigger than cars!
它們比小汽車還龐大。
Since then computers have become smaller and smaller.
自此以后，電腦變得越來越小。
Desktop computers are the size of televisions.
臺(tái)式電腦和電視大小一樣。
Laptops are the size of big books.
筆記本電腦只有一本大書的大小。
Now we have palmtop computers.
我們現(xiàn)在還有了掌上電腦。
They are small enough to put in your pocket like a bar of chocolate.
它們很小，就像巧克力棒一樣能放進(jìn)口袋里。
Other kinds of computers are so tiny that you may be unaware of them.
其他一些電腦更小以至于你可能都沒注意到它們。
There is probably one inside your TV, telephone, or washing machine
或許就有那么一臺(tái)就在你的電視、電話或者洗衣機(jī)里。
So you probably depend on computers more than you realize.
所以，對(duì)電腦的依賴度比你意識(shí)到的要大得多。
What kind of jobs can a computer do?
電腦能做些什么工作呢？
It is common knowledge that computers are super calculators.
通常認(rèn)為電腦是個(gè)超級(jí)計(jì)算器。
They can calculate very fast and rarely give wrong answers.
它們計(jì)算之快并且很少出錯(cuò)。
They can also type, print and draw things.
它們還能打字、打印乃至畫畫。
They can teach you and play games with you.
它們能教你，并和你玩游戲。
More importantly, they can operate railways and fly aeroplanes and spaceships.
更重要的是，它們能駕駛火車、飛機(jī)乃至宇宙飛船。
For these reasons, we often call them electronic brains.
這樣一來，我們經(jīng)常稱他們?yōu)殡娔X。
Is a computer cleverer than I am?
電腦要比我聰明嗎？
The answer to this question is, for the time being, 'No'.
這個(gè)問題的答案，一直以來都是“不”！
Your brain can understand the meaning of things better and create new ideas.
你的大腦能更好的理解事物并創(chuàng)造新觀點(diǎn)。
However, one day computers may be able to do most things that a human brain can do and even do them better.
然而，可能有一天計(jì)算機(jī)能比人腦做更多的事情甚至做得更好。
For example, they may be better than doctors at doing their job.
比方說，它們將比教授們做得更好。
If this is true, it raises some interesting questions.
如果成真，將引發(fā)一些有趣的問題。
What will happen to us if computers can do our jobs?
如果電腦能做我們的工作了，我們將會(huì)怎樣？
How will we spend our lives?
我們將會(huì)怎樣生活？
Will we have nothing to do?
我們將無(wú)事可做嗎？
Computers may change our lives, but will they make them better?
電腦將改變我們的生活，但將會(huì)更好嗎？
Talk to your computer
與電腦交談
Now you do not even need to know how to type.
現(xiàn)在你甚至于不需要知道如何打字。
You can buy a program which helps the computer recognize your voice.
你能購(gòu)買一個(gè)識(shí)別你的聲音的程序。
You can talk to the computer and it will obey your commands, and write your letters!
你就能和電腦對(duì)話，它將遵守你的命令，并寫出句子。
CD-ROMs/DVD-ROMs
CD光盤/DVD光盤
Many of today's computers have CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drives.
現(xiàn)在，許多電腦都帶有CD光盤驅(qū)動(dòng)器或者DVD光盤驅(qū)動(dòng)器。
A DVD-ROM can hold millions of pages of writing, and can also contain pictures, videos and sounds.
一張DVD光盤能存儲(chǔ)百萬(wàn)頁(yè)文字，也能存儲(chǔ)圖片，音頻和視頻。
For example, you can use your computer to read about a famous person from history and you can see a photograph or video of him or her, and even listen to them speaking.
例如，你可以從電腦上了解歷史人物，你可以看到他或她的照片、視頻或者聽到他們的講演。
Some people think that DVD-ROMs will soon be more popular than books.
有人認(rèn)為DVD光盤將比書本更流行。
