Computer facts
电脑的真相
Smaller and smaller
越来越小
The first computers were built in the 1940s.
第一台电脑出现于20世纪40年代。
They were bigger than cars!
它们比小汽车还庞大。
Since then computers have become smaller and smaller.
自此以后，电脑变得越来越小。
Desktop computers are the size of televisions.
台式电脑和电视大小一样。
Laptops are the size of big books.
笔记本电脑只有一本大书的大小。
Now we have palmtop computers.
我们现在还有了掌上电脑。
They are small enough to put in your pocket like a bar of chocolate.
它们很小，就像巧克力棒一样能放进口袋里。
Other kinds of computers are so tiny that you may be unaware of them.
其他一些电脑更小以至于你可能都没注意到它们。
There is probably one inside your TV, telephone, or washing machine
或许就有那么一台就在你的电视、电话或者洗衣机里。
So you probably depend on computers more than you realize.
所以，对电脑的依赖度比你意识到的要大得多。
What kind of jobs can a computer do?
电脑能做些什么工作呢？
It is common knowledge that computers are super calculators.
通常认为电脑是个超级计算器。
They can calculate very fast and rarely give wrong answers.
它们计算之快并且很少出错。
They can also type, print and draw things.
它们还能打字、打印乃至画画。
They can teach you and play games with you.
它们能教你，并和你玩游戏。
More importantly, they can operate railways and fly aeroplanes and spaceships.
更重要的是，它们能驾驶火车、飞机乃至宇宙飞船。
For these reasons, we often call them electronic brains.
这样一来，我们经常称他们为电脑。
Is a computer cleverer than I am?
电脑要比我聪明吗？
The answer to this question is, for the time being, 'No'.
这个问题的答案，一直以来都是“不”！
Your brain can understand the meaning of things better and create new ideas.
你的大脑能更好的理解事物并创造新观点。
However, one day computers may be able to do most things that a human brain can do and even do them better.
然而，可能有一天计算机能比人脑做更多的事情甚至做得更好。
For example, they may be better than doctors at doing their job.
比方说，它们将比教授们做得更好。
If this is true, it raises some interesting questions.
如果成真，将引发一些有趣的问题。
What will happen to us if computers can do our jobs?
如果电脑能做我们的工作了，我们将会怎样？
How will we spend our lives?
我们将会怎样生活？
Will we have nothing to do?
我们将无事可做吗？
Computers may change our lives, but will they make them better?
电脑将改变我们的生活，但将会更好吗？
Talk to your computer
与电脑交谈
Now you do not even need to know how to type.
现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.
你能购买一个识别你的声音的程序。
You can talk to the computer and it will obey your commands, and write your letters!
你就能和电脑对话，它将遵守你的命令，并写出句子。
CD-ROMs/DVD-ROMs
CD光盘/DVD光盘
Many of today's computers have CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drives.
现在，许多电脑都带有CD光盘驱动器或者DVD光盘驱动器。
A DVD-ROM can hold millions of pages of writing, and can also contain pictures, videos and sounds.
一张DVD光盘能存储百万页文字，也能存储图片，音频和视频。
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，你可以从电脑上了解历史人物，你可以看到他或她的照片、视频或者听到他们的讲演。
Some people think that DVD-ROMs will soon be more popular than books.
有人认为DVD光盘将比书本更流行。