Notes on the text
課文注釋
1 in the mid 1970s，在20世紀(jì)70年代中葉。
2 so-called，號稱，所謂的。
3 Mainframe computers were very large indeed…software. 在這句話中，現(xiàn)在分詞短語occupying和employing以及過去分詞短語run均作主語mainframe computers的修飾成分。
4 take over，接收，接管。
5 home computer，家用電腦。
6 a then small company，那時(shí)候規(guī)模尚小的一個(gè)公司。
7 dismiss the idea that…，個(gè)考慮……這個(gè)想法。
8 the Internet, the worldwide system that…，后面的這個(gè)短語用來進(jìn)一步說明名詞the Internet，是它的同位語，這種用法在科技類的文章中很常見。
參考譯文
眾所周知，預(yù)測未來是非常困難的。舉個(gè)例子吧，在20世紀(jì)70年代中葉又有誰能想像得到在20世紀(jì)末的時(shí)候，家庭用的計(jì)算機(jī)會(huì)像電視機(jī)一樣普遍？在70年代，計(jì)算機(jī)已經(jīng)相當(dāng)普及了，但只用在大的公司、政府部門和大的組織之中，它們被稱為主機(jī)。計(jì)算機(jī)主機(jī)確實(shí)很大，常常占據(jù)了裝有空調(diào)的多間房間，雇用專職的技師，而且得用專門編寫的軟件才能運(yùn)行。雖然這種大計(jì)算機(jī)仍然存在，但是它們的許多功能已被體積小但功能齊全的個(gè)人電腦——即我們常說的PC機(jī)——所代替了。
1975年，美國推出了一臺被稱為“牛郎星”的原始機(jī)型。嚴(yán)格地說起來，它可以被稱為第一臺“家用電腦”，而且它也指出了今后的方向。70年代末，在牛郎星之后又出現(xiàn)了一種被稱為“蘋果”的機(jī)型。80年代初，計(jì)算機(jī)行業(yè)的王牌公司美國國際商用機(jī)器公司（IBM）生產(chǎn)出了世界上第一臺個(gè)人電腦。這種電腦采用了一種被稱為磁盤操作系統(tǒng)（DOS）的工作程序，而這種程序是由當(dāng)時(shí)規(guī)模不大的微軟公司生產(chǎn)的。IBM的個(gè)人電腦被大規(guī)模地模仿。從那些簡陋的初級階段，我們看到了現(xiàn)在都已普及的、使用簡便的家用電腦和多媒體的微機(jī)的發(fā)展。
想一想這些發(fā)展的時(shí)間多么短，就更覺得英國人萊昂·巴格瑞特有著非凡的能力。他在60年代就能預(yù)言我們今天知道的計(jì)算機(jī)的一些用途。巴格瑞特根本不接受計(jì)算機(jī)可以學(xué)會(huì)自己去“思考”和計(jì)算機(jī)可以“統(tǒng)治世界”這種想法，而這種想法是當(dāng)時(shí)的人們都愿意相信的。巴格瑞特預(yù)示有一天計(jì)算機(jī)可以小到拿在手上，計(jì)算機(jī)可以提供有關(guān)交通阻塞的信息，并建議可供選擇的其他路線，計(jì)算機(jī)在醫(yī)院里可以幫助醫(yī)生診斷病情，計(jì)算機(jī)可以使辦公室人員和會(huì)計(jì)免除那些枯燥、重復(fù)的勞動(dòng)。計(jì)算機(jī)的所有這些功能現(xiàn)在都變得很平常。當(dāng)然了，萊昂·巴格瑞特根本沒有可能預(yù)測到國際交互網(wǎng)——就是把計(jì)算機(jī)連結(jié)到電話線路上，以便和世界上任何一個(gè)地方的人立即進(jìn)行聯(lián)系的一個(gè)世界范圍的通訊系統(tǒng)——的發(fā)展。他也無法預(yù)測到我們可以利用國際交互網(wǎng)獲取有關(guān)任何已知專題的信息，以便在家里的屏幕上閱讀，如果愿意的話甚至可以將其打印出來。計(jì)算機(jī)已經(jīng)變得體積越來越小、功能越來越多、價(jià)格越來越低，這就是萊昂·巴格瑞特的預(yù)測非凡的地方。如果他或是像他的什么人今天還活著的話，他大概可以告訴我們下一個(gè)50年后會(huì)發(fā)生什么事情。
Multiple choice questions
多項(xiàng)選譯題
Choose the correct answers to the following questions.
Comprehension
理解
1 In the mid 1970s, computers were ______ .
a．notoriously unreliable
b．rather rare
c．in widespread use
d．not at all common
2 The importance of the Altair was that it ______ .
a．did not need specially-written software to run it
b．put computing power within the reach of ordinary people
c．helped to establish Microsoft DOS as the standard system
d．was widely copied by IBM and other big manufacturers
3 Leon Bagrit foresaw that before long ______ .
a．we would be able to teach computers to think like human beings
b．computers would bring about the development of the Internet
c．computers in hospitals would diagnose illnesses and prescribe treatments
d．computers in commerce would take over many repetitive tasks
4 Leon Bagrit's most important insight into the future development of computers was in terms of their ______ .
a．a(chǎn)bility to relieve people of boring tasks
b．size, power and cost
c．use in traffic management
d．commonplace use in offices and hospitals
Structure 結(jié)構(gòu)
5 It is notoriously difficult ______ the future. (1. 1)
a．when predicting
b．the prediction of
c．to predict
d．that we predict
6 Who could have imagined that ______ as many computers as TV sets? (11. 1-4)
a．there would be
b．there to be
c．their being
d．there were
7 People in those days liked to believe in computers ______ the world. (11. 18-19)
a．taking over and ruling
b．that took over and ruled
c．take over and rule
d．to take over and rule
8 ______ Bagrit's predictions so remarkable is their accuracy. (1. 28)
a．What makes
b．Why are
c．How many are
d．They make
Vocabulary 詞匯
9 Bagrit ______ the idea that computers would rule the world. (11. 18-19)
a．refuted
b．refused
c．rejected
d．discharged
10 Bagrit foresaw that computers would become ______ small to hold in the hand. (11. 19-20)
a．a(chǎn)dequately
b．sufficiently
c．capably
d．possibly
11 All these computer uses have become ______ . (11. 22-23)
a．relatively normal
b．more or less frequent
c．taken for granted
d．unexceptionable
12 The Internet enables us to ______ instantly with anyone in any part of the world. (11. 24-25)
a．get in touch
b．contact
c．send a message
d．convey an idea
課文注釋
1 in the mid 1970s，在20世紀(jì)70年代中葉。
2 so-called，號稱，所謂的。
3 Mainframe computers were very large indeed…software. 在這句話中，現(xiàn)在分詞短語occupying和employing以及過去分詞短語run均作主語mainframe computers的修飾成分。
4 take over，接收，接管。
5 home computer，家用電腦。
6 a then small company，那時(shí)候規(guī)模尚小的一個(gè)公司。
7 dismiss the idea that…，個(gè)考慮……這個(gè)想法。
8 the Internet, the worldwide system that…，后面的這個(gè)短語用來進(jìn)一步說明名詞the Internet，是它的同位語，這種用法在科技類的文章中很常見。
參考譯文
眾所周知，預(yù)測未來是非常困難的。舉個(gè)例子吧，在20世紀(jì)70年代中葉又有誰能想像得到在20世紀(jì)末的時(shí)候，家庭用的計(jì)算機(jī)會(huì)像電視機(jī)一樣普遍？在70年代，計(jì)算機(jī)已經(jīng)相當(dāng)普及了，但只用在大的公司、政府部門和大的組織之中，它們被稱為主機(jī)。計(jì)算機(jī)主機(jī)確實(shí)很大，常常占據(jù)了裝有空調(diào)的多間房間，雇用專職的技師，而且得用專門編寫的軟件才能運(yùn)行。雖然這種大計(jì)算機(jī)仍然存在，但是它們的許多功能已被體積小但功能齊全的個(gè)人電腦——即我們常說的PC機(jī)——所代替了。
1975年，美國推出了一臺被稱為“牛郎星”的原始機(jī)型。嚴(yán)格地說起來，它可以被稱為第一臺“家用電腦”，而且它也指出了今后的方向。70年代末，在牛郎星之后又出現(xiàn)了一種被稱為“蘋果”的機(jī)型。80年代初，計(jì)算機(jī)行業(yè)的王牌公司美國國際商用機(jī)器公司（IBM）生產(chǎn)出了世界上第一臺個(gè)人電腦。這種電腦采用了一種被稱為磁盤操作系統(tǒng)（DOS）的工作程序，而這種程序是由當(dāng)時(shí)規(guī)模不大的微軟公司生產(chǎn)的。IBM的個(gè)人電腦被大規(guī)模地模仿。從那些簡陋的初級階段，我們看到了現(xiàn)在都已普及的、使用簡便的家用電腦和多媒體的微機(jī)的發(fā)展。
想一想這些發(fā)展的時(shí)間多么短，就更覺得英國人萊昂·巴格瑞特有著非凡的能力。他在60年代就能預(yù)言我們今天知道的計(jì)算機(jī)的一些用途。巴格瑞特根本不接受計(jì)算機(jī)可以學(xué)會(huì)自己去“思考”和計(jì)算機(jī)可以“統(tǒng)治世界”這種想法，而這種想法是當(dāng)時(shí)的人們都愿意相信的。巴格瑞特預(yù)示有一天計(jì)算機(jī)可以小到拿在手上，計(jì)算機(jī)可以提供有關(guān)交通阻塞的信息，并建議可供選擇的其他路線，計(jì)算機(jī)在醫(yī)院里可以幫助醫(yī)生診斷病情，計(jì)算機(jī)可以使辦公室人員和會(huì)計(jì)免除那些枯燥、重復(fù)的勞動(dòng)。計(jì)算機(jī)的所有這些功能現(xiàn)在都變得很平常。當(dāng)然了，萊昂·巴格瑞特根本沒有可能預(yù)測到國際交互網(wǎng)——就是把計(jì)算機(jī)連結(jié)到電話線路上，以便和世界上任何一個(gè)地方的人立即進(jìn)行聯(lián)系的一個(gè)世界范圍的通訊系統(tǒng)——的發(fā)展。他也無法預(yù)測到我們可以利用國際交互網(wǎng)獲取有關(guān)任何已知專題的信息，以便在家里的屏幕上閱讀，如果愿意的話甚至可以將其打印出來。計(jì)算機(jī)已經(jīng)變得體積越來越小、功能越來越多、價(jià)格越來越低，這就是萊昂·巴格瑞特的預(yù)測非凡的地方。如果他或是像他的什么人今天還活著的話，他大概可以告訴我們下一個(gè)50年后會(huì)發(fā)生什么事情。
Multiple choice questions
多項(xiàng)選譯題
Choose the correct answers to the following questions.
Comprehension
理解
1 In the mid 1970s, computers were ______ .
a．notoriously unreliable
b．rather rare
c．in widespread use
d．not at all common
2 The importance of the Altair was that it ______ .
a．did not need specially-written software to run it
b．put computing power within the reach of ordinary people
c．helped to establish Microsoft DOS as the standard system
d．was widely copied by IBM and other big manufacturers
3 Leon Bagrit foresaw that before long ______ .
a．we would be able to teach computers to think like human beings
b．computers would bring about the development of the Internet
c．computers in hospitals would diagnose illnesses and prescribe treatments
d．computers in commerce would take over many repetitive tasks
4 Leon Bagrit's most important insight into the future development of computers was in terms of their ______ .
a．a(chǎn)bility to relieve people of boring tasks
b．size, power and cost
c．use in traffic management
d．commonplace use in offices and hospitals
Structure 結(jié)構(gòu)
5 It is notoriously difficult ______ the future. (1. 1)
a．when predicting
b．the prediction of
c．to predict
d．that we predict
6 Who could have imagined that ______ as many computers as TV sets? (11. 1-4)
a．there would be
b．there to be
c．their being
d．there were
7 People in those days liked to believe in computers ______ the world. (11. 18-19)
a．taking over and ruling
b．that took over and ruled
c．take over and rule
d．to take over and rule
8 ______ Bagrit's predictions so remarkable is their accuracy. (1. 28)
a．What makes
b．Why are
c．How many are
d．They make
Vocabulary 詞匯
9 Bagrit ______ the idea that computers would rule the world. (11. 18-19)
a．refuted
b．refused
c．rejected
d．discharged
10 Bagrit foresaw that computers would become ______ small to hold in the hand. (11. 19-20)
a．a(chǎn)dequately
b．sufficiently
c．capably
d．possibly
11 All these computer uses have become ______ . (11. 22-23)
a．relatively normal
b．more or less frequent
c．taken for granted
d．unexceptionable
12 The Internet enables us to ______ instantly with anyone in any part of the world. (11. 24-25)
a．get in touch
b．contact
c．send a message
d．convey an idea