In three years, they had caught up with half a century of technological progress.
三年内，他们追上了半个世纪以来的科技进步。
Dillwyn Knox died in February 1943, passing just before the Italian empire he had done a good deal to undermine, and with him the pre-industrial mind.
迪尔威·诺克斯逝世于1943年2月，他走在了毕生对抗的意大利帝国之前，随他而去的还有他陈旧的工业思想。
They had been forced into one scientific revolution by the Enigma, and already they were in the throes of a second.
布莱切利被谜机逼进了一次科技革命，现在他们要面对第二次。
The all-electronic machine proved to be much more reliable than the Robinsons, as well as faster.
新的电子机器比罗宾逊机更快更可靠，
They called it the Colossus, and it demonstrated that the colossal number of 1500 electronic valves, if correctly used, could work together for long periods without error.
他们称它为巨人机，只要正确地使用1500个电子管，它就可以不出错误地工作很长时间。
This was an astonishing fact for those trained in the conventional wisdom.
这使那些受传统教育的聪明人们感到震惊，
But in 1943 it was possible both to think and do the impossible before breakfast.
有很多不可能的事情都在1943年变成了可能。
Alan knew about all these developments, but declined the invitation to play a direct part.
艾伦知道所有这些发展，但他拒绝直接参与。
Newman built up an increasingly large and powerful group, drawing in the best talent from the other huts and from the mathematical world outside.
纽曼的队伍越来越强大，他从其他营房和外面的数学界吸引了最优秀的人才，
Alan moved in the opposite direction; he was not a Newman, skilled in overall direction, and still less was he a Blackett, moving in political circles.
但艾伦却走向了不同的方向。他不是纽曼，在所有方面都那么精通，他更不是布莱科特，懂得如何在政治圈里活动。
He had not fought to retain control of naval Enigma, but had retreated before Hugh Alexander's organising power.
他为控制海军谜机而勇猛奋战，但在休·亚历山大的领导力面前却退缩了，
If he had been a quite different person, he could now have made his position one of great influence, it being the time for sitting on coordinating committees, Anglo-American committees, future policy committees.
否则的话，他本来完全可以自己坐上那个有影响力的位置，坐上协调委员会、英美委员会、未来的政策委员会的位置。
But he had no concern for finding a place in anything but scientific research itself.
但是艾伦从没想过在任何这些地方找个位置，他只想做科学研究。