乔布斯传 第99期:划时代的Mac

 Jef Raskin's Baby

杰夫·拉斯金的宝贝

Jef Raskin was the type of character who could enthrall¹ Steve Jobs—or annoy him. As it turned out, he did both.

杰夫·拉斯金是那种能让史蒂夫·乔布斯着迷--或者是厌烦的人。事实证明，两者他都做到了。

A philosophical² guy who could be both playful and ponderous³, Raskin had studied computer science, taught music and visual arts, conducted a chamber⁴ opera company, and organized guerrilla theater.

拉斯金是个很有哲学家范儿的人，有时幽默顽皮，有时又呆板沉闷，他学习过计算机科学，教过音乐和视觉艺术，管理过一家室内歌剧院，还组织过街头剧场。

His 1967 doctoral thesis at U.C. San Diego argued that computers should have graphical rather than text-based interfaces⁵.

他1967年在加州大学圣迭戈分校完成的博士论文中提出，计算机应该拥有图形界面，而不是基于文本的界面。

When he got fed up with teaching, he rented a hot air balloon, flew over the chancellor's house, and shouted down his decision to quit.

他在厌倦了教书之后，就租了一只热气球，飞到校长家上空，大声喊出了自己的辞职决定。

When Jobs was looking for someone to write a manual for the Apple II in 1976, he called Raskin, who had his own little consulting firm.

1976年，乔布斯找人为AppleII编写操作手册，他给当时已经拥有一家小型咨询公司的拉斯金打了电话。

Raskin went to the garage, saw Wozniak beavering away at a workbench, and was convinced by Jobs to write the manual for $50.

拉斯金来到乔布斯的车库，看到了在工作台上埋头苦干的沃兹尼亚克，并被乔布斯说服，接受了以50美元的报酬为他们编写操作手册。

Eventually he became the manager of Apple's publications department.

后来，拉斯金成为了苹果公司出版部门的全职经理。

One of Raskin's dreams was to build an inexpensive computer for the masses, and in 1979 he convinced Mike Markkula to put him in charge of a small development project code-named "Annie" to do just that.

他有一个梦想，就是为大众制造价格低廉的电脑。1979年，他说服了迈克·马库拉，成为了小规模项目“安妮”的负责人。

Since Raskin thought it was sexist to name computers after women, he redubbed the project in honor of his favorite type of apple, the McIntosh.

然而拉斯金认为，用女人的名字命名电脑是带有性别歧视成分的，所以他更换了项目代号，用的是自己最喜欢的一种苹果的名字：麦金托什。

But he changed the spelling in order not to conflict with the name of the audio equipment maker⁶ McIntosh Laboratory.

但为了避免与音频设备制造商麦金托什实验室的名字有冲突，他故意改变了字母的拼写。

The proposed computer became known as the Macintosh.

于是，新电脑的名字变成了麦金塔。

Raskin envisioned a machine that would sell for $1,000 and be a simple appliance, with screen and keyboard and computer all in one unit.

拉斯金预想中的电脑售价1000美元，像家用电器一样操作简单，并且将屏幕、键盘和电脑本身整合为一体。

To keep the cost down, he proposed a tiny five-inch screen and a very cheap (and underpowered) microprocessor⁷, the Motorola 6809.

为了降低成本，他计划使用5英寸的小屏幕，以及非常便宜（性能也很落后）的微处理器--摩托罗拉6809。

Raskin fancied himself a philosopher, and he wrote his thoughts in an ever-expanding notebook that he called "The Book of Macintosh."

拉斯金自诩为哲学家，他不断地把自己的想法记录在本子上，称之为“麦金塔之书”。

He also issued occasional manifestos. One of these was called "Computers by the Millions," and it began with an aspiration⁸:

他还会偶尔发表一些宣言，其中之一叫做“数以百万计的电脑”，开头就表达了他远大的志向：

"If personal computers are to be truly personal, it will have to be as likely as not that a family, picked at random⁹, will own one."

“如果个人电脑能真正走向每个人的话，那么任何一个家庭都应该拥有一台。”

1 enthrall   

vt.迷住，吸引住；使感到非常愉快

参考例句：

• She kept her audience enthralled throughout her twenty-minute performance.她的20分钟演出使观众目不转睛。
• They were enthralled with the play.他们被那个戏迷住了。

2 philosophical   

adj.哲学家的，哲学上的，达观的

参考例句：

• The teacher couldn't answer the philosophical problem.老师不能解答这个哲学问题。
• She is very philosophical about her bad luck.她对自己的不幸看得很开。

3 ponderous   

adj.沉重的，笨重的，(文章)冗长的

参考例句：

• His steps were heavy and ponderous.他的步伐沉重缓慢。
• It was easy to underestimate him because of his occasionally ponderous manner.由于他偶尔现出的沉闷的姿态，很容易使人小看了他。

4 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

5 interfaces   

界面( interface的名词复数 )； 接口（连接两装置的电路，可使数据从一种代码转换成另一种代码）； 交界； 联系

参考例句：

• If the class needs to be reprogrammed, new interfaces are created. 如果class需要重新程序设计，新的interfaces创建。
• Interfaces solve this problem of evolving code. Interfaces解决了代码升级的问题。

6 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

7 microprocessor   

n.微信息处理机

参考例句：

• I've got a typerwriter with a microprocessor.我有一台装有微处理机的打字机。
• I decided to write a program for a microprocessor.我决定为微处理机编制一套程序。

8 aspiration   

n.志向，志趣抱负；渴望；(语)送气音；吸出

参考例句：

• Man's aspiration should be as lofty as the stars.人的志气应当象天上的星星那么高。
• Young Addison had a strong aspiration to be an inventor.年幼的爱迪生渴望成为一名发明家。

9 random   

adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动

参考例句：

• The list is arranged in a random order.名单排列不分先后。
• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。