Everyone's language
每个人的语言
How many languages do you know?
你会多少种语言？
Everyone knows at least two-his or her own language and the international language of numbers.
每个人都至少知道两种（语言）；他（她）的母语和“数字”这一国际语言。
Ancient numbers
古代数字
In ancient times, people wrote numbers in many different ways, as these pictures of the number 6 show.
在古代，人们用很多不同的方式来书写数字，就如这些表示数字“6”的图片所示。
However, they nearly all counted in the same say - in tens.
不过，他们几乎都以十进制的方法计数。
Zero
零
Most of us use the system of numbers with numbers from 1 to 9 and 0 (zero).
当今几乎每个人都在使用的数字系统由数字1到9和零组成。
With these ten numbers, we can write any number from the biggest to the smallest.
用这十个数字，我们可以写出从最大到最小的任何一个数字。
The Indians first invented and developed the 1 to 9 system of numbers.
印度人最早发明并发展了1到9这个数字系统。
They then invented the zero.
他们接着又发明了零。
This was a very important invention because it made it easier to write big numbers and to calculate.
这是一项非常重要的发明，因为它使得大数字的书写和计算变得更为容易。
Calculating machines
计算工具
One of the first calculating machines was an abacus.
算盘是最早的计算器之一。
Abacuses are so fast and accurate that people still use them today.
（用）算盘（计算）是如此快速和精确，以至于人们至今还在使用它们。
A modern electronic calculator can add, subtract, multiply and divide.
一种现在的电子计算器能进行加、减、乘、除运算。
It can also calculate percentages and square roots.
它也能计算百分比和平方根。
Computers are very powerful calculating machines.
计算机是非常强大的计算机器。
In a flash, a computer can do a calculation that you could not do in your whole lifetime.
电脑能在瞬间完成你用一生的时间都未必能完成的计算。
Brain against computer
大脑对电脑
Some people call the brain a living computer.
有人把人脑称作“活电脑”。
Is a human brain a more powerful calculator than a computer?
人的大脑是比电脑还更强大的计算器吗？
The following story may give an answer.
下面的故事将给出一个答案。
Shakuntala Devi is a lady from India with an amazing brain.
夏琨塔拉·黛维是一位有惊人大脑的印度女士。
Shakuntala and a very powerful computer were given this problem to solve.
在美国，给夏琨塔拉·黛维和一台很强大的电脑出了一道题。
Shakuntala's brain took fifty seconds to find the answer, like lightning.
夏琨塔拉·黛维的大脑花了50秒算出了答案。
The computer took a minute.
电脑花了1分钟。
However, someone had to first program the computer with instructions, and that took many hours.
然而，首先得有人通过指令为电脑设计程序，而这要花很多时间。
No one had to program Shakuntala!
夏琨塔拉·黛维不需要人给她编程序！
Use your own living computer to solve the problem above.
用你自己的“活电脑”去解答上面的题目。
If it is not powerful enough, you will find the answer on page 67.
如果它不够强大，你可以在67页找到答案。
