TED演讲：用前所未有的好方法诠释数字统计(9)

 　　And even more, policy makers¹ and the corporate² sectors³ would like to see how the world is changing. 此外，政策制定者，各企业部门，都会想知道世界的变化。

　　Now, why doesn't this take place? Why are we not using the data we have?  但为什么大家仍然不知道（世界的变化）？为什么我们无法使用已知的数据呢？

　　We have data in the United Nations, in the national statistical⁴ agencies and in universities and other non-governmental organizations. 我们的联合国，国家统计部门，学院还有非政府组织都拥有数据。

　　Because the data is hidden down in the databases. 数据被隐藏在底层的数据库里。

　　And the public is there, and the Internet is there, but we have still not used it effectively. 而公众在上面（太阳），互联网在这里（地平线），并未得到有效的使用。

　　All that information we saw changing in the world does not include publicly-funded statistics. 之前我们看到的关于世界变化的信息并不包括公众资助的统计数据。

　　There are some web pages like this, you know, but they take some nourishment⁵ down from the databases, 的确有一些网站依靠数据库的营养而存在着，

　　but people put prices on them, stupid passwords and boring statistics. And this won't work. 但这是要收费的，还有愚蠢的密码和讨厌的统计表格。这个是行不通的。

　　So what is needed? We have the databases. It's not the new database you need.  我们需要什么？数据库是现成的。不需要新的数据库。

　　We have wonderful design tools, and more and more are added up here.  我们有很好的视觉软件，还将有更多的问世。

　　So we started a nonprofit venture which, linking data to design, we called Gapminder,  于是我们成立了一个非营利机构，我们称之为“数据与图样的联结” - Gapminder，

　　from the London Underground, where they warn you, "mind the gap."  灵感来自伦敦地铁（他们提醒乘客“小心列车与站台间的缝隙”），

　　So we thought Gapminder was appropriate. And we started to write software which could link the data like this.  因此我们认为Gapminder很合适。而且我们制作了一个软件，把数据和图样联结起来。

　　And it wasn't that difficult. It took some person years, and we have produced animations⁶.  这个并不难。需要几个人花几年时间，我们制作了动画。

　　You can take a data set and put it there. We are liberating⁷ U.N. data, some few U.N. organization. 你可以建立数据库。我们正尝试解放联合国的数据库。

1 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

3 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 statistical   

adj.统计的，统计学的

参考例句：

• He showed the price fluctuations in a statistical table.他用统计表显示价格的波动。
• They're making detailed statistical analysis.他们正在做具体的统计分析。

5 nourishment   

n.食物，营养品；营养情况

参考例句：

• Lack of proper nourishment reduces their power to resist disease.营养不良降低了他们抵抗疾病的能力。
• He ventured that plants draw part of their nourishment from the air.他大胆提出植物从空气中吸收部分养分的观点。

6 animations   

n.生气( animation的名词复数 )；兴奋；动画片；（指电影、录像、电脑游戏的）动画制作

参考例句：

• You'll see your team cheerleaders and mascot performing new animations as well. 你会看到啦啦队队长跟吉祥物也都会有全新的动作。 来自互联网
• Ability to create simple movie and animations using graphic & multimedia software. 能够用平面和多媒体软件制作简单的电影及动画。 来自互联网

7 liberating   

解放，释放( liberate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Revolution means liberating the productive forces. 革命就是为了解放生产力。
• They had already taken on their shoulders the burden of reforming society and liberating mankind. 甚至在这些集会聚谈中，他们就已经夸大地把改革社会、解放人群的责任放在自己的肩头了。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）