(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
From VOA Learning English, this is the Technology Report.
China's Tianhe-2 supercomputer has just been rated No. 1 on the top 500 -- a respected list of the world's most powerful computers. Experts measured the supercomputer's performance at 33.86 petaflop or quadrillion of operations per second.
China's National University of Defense Technology developed the supercomputer, which runs twice as fast as the No. 2 rated Titan super computer. It belongs to the United States Government's Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. Both Tianhe-2 and Titan are part of an ongoing race to make supercomputers faster and more powerful.
So what is a supercomputer? A basic personal computer has one microchip at the center of its operations. This Central Processing Unit, or CPU, executes a set of commands contained in a predesigned program.
The first supercomputers had a few more CPUs. That number grew as microprocessors became cheaper and faster. Andrew Grimshaw, a computer science professor at the University of Virginia explains:
"Today, supercomputers are all what we call parallel machines. Instead of one CPU - central processing unit - they have thousands and thousands. And in the case of the Chinese machine, depending on how you count, millions of the central processing units."
These parallel machines are made up of many individual computers called nodes. They are all positioned in one block. They used a lot of power, create a lot of heat, and require huge cooling systems. They also use programs different from those used by ordinary computers.
Professor Grimshaw says anyone with enough resources can build a super computer to solve problems that require millions of mathematical calculations.
But that's not always necessary. A virtual supercomputer can be created by networking individual computers within a university campus or company. These machines then process data during down time, when no one is using them.
"Those are very easy to run on virtual supercomputers because each problem is independent of all the others and I can scatter these jobs out all around the place. We run these all the time at UVA."
Professor Grimshaw says that entire ten years ago, engineers worked on making computers faster. Since then, he says, they have worked to create more powerful parallel machines.
"It's transforming science and engineering, and it's going to continue to transform it in ways I think most people don't fully grasp - how well we can model and simulate the world now."
Professor Grimshaw says the increasing computing ability of supercomputers makes the future of research very bright.
And that is the Technology Report from Learning English.
译文属可可原创，仅供学习交流使用，未经许可请勿转载
词汇解释
1.quadrillion n. 百万之四次方；千的五次方
By January 1995, prices had increased a quadrillion percent in two years, and as a result the German Mark became the country’s Fiat currency.
到了1995年1月，两年内物价上涨了百分之千万亿，结果是德国马克成为了这个国家的法定货币。
2.predesigned [计] 预定的
Use simple website design software tools and predesigned templates provided by website hosting services.
利用简单的网页设计软件工具和预模板所提供的虚拟主机服务。
3.down time [电][劳经] 停机时间；故障时间；[劳经] 停工时间
But because the site is free, people accept a little down time.
但是因为网站服务是免费的, 所以用户能够容忍短时间的宕机.
4.parallel n. 平行线；对比 vt. 使…与…平行 adj. 平行的；类似的，相同的
The current from these parallel generators will add up to make a total flow of 500 amperes.
这些并联的发电机所产生的电流累计在一起， 总电流达到 500 安培。
内容解析
1.And in the case of the Chinese machine, depending on how you count, millions of the central processing units.
in the case of 至于，在…的情况下
The court decided against the plaintiff in the case of James vs . Smith.
在詹姆斯对史密斯一案中,法院判决原告败诉.
It's the kind of story we think of as myth. But in the case of Lincoln, the story is true.
我们把这类故事视为神话, 但就林肯来说, 这故事却是真实的.
2.These parallel machines are made up of many individual computers called nodes.
made up of 由…组成，由…构成
The Morse Code is made up of dots and dashes.
莫尔斯电码由点和画线组成。
Qualitative analysis shows that water is made up of hydrogen and oxygen.
定性分析表明水是由氢氧结合而成的。
参考译文
这里是美国之音慢速英语科技报道。
中国的天河2号超级计算机被列为全世界最强大计算机500强之首，专家预测这台计算机的性能为每秒钟运算33.86千万亿次。
中国国防科技大学研制了这台计算机，其速度是排名第二的泰坦超级计算机的两倍，后者属于美国政府在田纳西州的橡树岭国家实验室，天河2号和泰坦都在参加目前正在进行的使超级计算机更快更强大的竞赛。
那么，什么是超级计算机呢？一台基本的个人电脑的运行中心都有一个芯片。这种中央处理器(CPU)执行预先设计程序中的命令。
第一台超级计算机只有少量cpu，随着微处理器变得廉价和更快，这个数字也在增加。弗吉尼亚大学计算机科学教授安德鲁·格里姆肖解释道：
“如今的超级计算机都被称作平行机器，不是只有一个CPU，而是有成千上万个。而中国的这套机器却有数百万个中央处理器。”
这些平行机器由被称为节点的许多个体电脑组成，被放在同一个块上。使用大量的电力，制造大量热，需要巨大的制冷系统。它们使用程序也和一般电脑不同。
格里姆肖教授说，任何人有了足够的资源都可以建造超级计算机，用来解决需要数百万次数学运算的问题。
但这并不总是必要的，一台虚拟计算机可以由大学或公司里联网的个人电脑来创造，这些机器在无人使用时处理数据。
“这些处理对虚拟超级计算机来说很简单，因为每个问题都彼此独立。可以分散到各地进行，我们在弗吉尼亚大学就一直这么做。”
格里姆肖教授说十年前，工程师努力使计算机运行得更快。他说，自此他们开始制造更强大的平行机器。
“这是在彻底改变科学和工程学，并将以多数人无法理解的方式来改变，这种方式就是现在我们可以对世界进行建模和仿真。”
格里姆肖教授说，超级计算机日益强大的计算能力使得未来研究的前景非常光明。
这里是美国之音慢速英语科技报道。
