People had thought about machines since the dawn of civilisation, but Computable Numbers had come up with a precise, mathematical definition of the concept of 'machine'.
自从进入文明时代，人类就开始思考关于机器的问题，但是直到《可计算数》的提出，机器才有了严格的数学定义。
People had thought equally long about communication, but here again it needed a modern mind, in this case Claude Shannon's, to provide a precise definition of the concepts involved.
人们在通信方面，也进行了很多思考，这个领域也需要现代化的思想，而正是克劳德·香农对此给出了精确的概念定义。
Shannon had completed his first paper in this direction in 1940, and by 1943 his fundamental ideas were beginning to be used in Bell Laboratories, in whose mathematical department he was now employed.
1940年，香农完成了他的第一份在该领域的论文，并且在1943年，他的基本思想在贝尔实验室开始得到应用。
He was consulted about the design of the X-system, which posed some of the questions answered by his work.
对于X系统的设计，有一部分问题，现在正需要由他来解答。
The transmitter, the ionosphere, and the receiver, were a communication channel, in his terms; a channel with a limited capacity, and a channel plagued by noise.
从发送端，到电离层，再到接收者，这个链条，用他的话来说，是一条通信频道。这是一条容量有限的、有噪音干扰的频道，
Into this channel had to be squeezed a signal.
发送信号即是进入该频道。
Shannon found ways to define channel capacity, noise, and signal, in terms of a precise measure of information.
香农提出了一套精确的方式，来定义这些频道容量、噪音和信号。
The problem of the communication engineer was that of encoding the signal in such a way as to make best use of the channel, and to prevent it being distorted by the noise;
通信工程的目标，就是更好地使用频道，避免编码信号因为噪音而失真。
Shannon found new precise theorems which placed limits upon what could be achieved.
香农精确地指出了其中的限制。
There was not only a parallel between his work and Alan Turing's; there was a sort of reciprocity.
香农的工作，与艾伦·图灵不是平行的，它们之间存在着交点。
On his side Alan, although his main strength was in the logic of machines, had dipped into the study of information.
在香农看来，虽然艾伦的主要优势是机器逻辑，但他对信息学也有研究。
Not only was this true in general terms of all his cryptological work, but there was an even more specific point of contact.
从广泛意义来说，艾伦的密码学工作与信息学有很大关系，在具体实践中，他们二人的思想还有更具体的联系。
Shannon's measure of information was essentially the same as the Turing 'decibans'.
香农对信息的度量方法，本质上与图灵的"分板"是一样的。
A ban of weight of evidence made something ten times as likely; a binary digit or bit of information made something twice as definite.
一板的证据权重，能使一个事件的概率变成10倍。一个二进制数，或者说一位信息，则能使一个事件的概率变成2倍。
There were fundamental connections between the theories, although they were not free to discuss them.
这两种理论有着本质的联系，但是他们不允许讨论这些。
Shannon only knew by implication why Alan was at Bell Labs at all.
香农只是通过一些暗示，知道了艾伦在贝尔实验室是干什么的。