Lesson13 Changes of Life Caused by Computers and Automobiles

计算机和汽车带来的生活变化
The computer and the automobile, the mainstays of modern life, share similar pasts. The computer, which has only recently become a common feature of most people's homes and offices, had its beginnings in the 1830's. At that time, the British mathematician, Charles Babbage, developed the mechanical computer. In the same way, the first type of automobile was a steam-powered vehicle invented in 1769. The gas-powered car was not mass-produced until Henry Ford's Model T in 1915, and did not become a common possession for Americans until several decades later.

计算机和汽车，这两个现代生活的支柱，有着相似的过去。计算机，近年来才成为多数人家和办公室的普通用品，发端于1830年。当时，英国数学家查尔斯•巴布吉制造出了机械式计算机。同样地，1769年发明的蒸汽驱动的汽车是最早的汽车。以汽油驱动的汽车直到1915年亨利•福特发明了T型车才开始大量生产，直到几十年后才开始为美国人普遍拥有。
Although both the computer and the automobile took a long time to become integral parts of most people's lives, once they did, they revolutionized the whole world. Today most people would rather drive their car to the office in the city than take public transportation, even though the latter may be cheaper, more convenient and safer. The reason for this is the sense of freedom, independence and privacy afforded by car travel.

尽管计算机和汽车都花了很长时间才成为大多数人生活中的必备品，但一旦成功，它们就彻底改变了整个世界。今天人们大多驾车到城市里上班，而不是乘坐公众交通工具，虽然后者可能更便宜、更便利、更安全。其原因是驾车出行能带来自由感、独立感和私密感。
In the same way, people will now spend a large amount of money to own a computer which allows them to communicate by e-mail instead of by post, and which allows them to obtain information from the Internet instead of the library.
同样，今天的人们会花一大笔钱买一台电脑，从而可以通过电子邮件而不是传统邮件和他人联系，从互联网上而不是从图书馆里获得信息。