2016-05-27 US nuclear force ‘still uses floppy disks’ 美国核部队“仍使用软盘”

文字稿

一项政府报告透露，美国核武器部队仍在使用七十年代时兴的计算机系统及软盘。以下是 Gary O’Donoghue 的报道。

You may have thought the floppy disk was now an historical artefact. But it turns out it’s alive and well within the US Defence Department and used to store data in the system that communicates with the different parts of America’s nuclear deterrent.

The 1970s technology is so limited that you need about three million of them to approach the storage capacity of a $10 USB memory stick.

But the Pentagon isn’t alone. US social security systems are written in a computer language dating from the late 1950s which fewer and fewer people are familiar with.

On the floppy disks, the Pentagon says they’ll be gone by the end of next year, though the 40-year-old computers that use them may take a little longer to reach the museum.

词汇表

historical artefact 历史文物
data 数据
nuclear deterrent 核威慑力量
storage capacity （电子设备的）存储容量
USB memory stick 闪存盘，记忆棒
social security （美国的）社会保障（制度）
familiar 熟悉的，熟知的
Pentagon 五角大楼（美国国防部的代称）

测验

请听报道并回答下列问题。

1. When the floppy disk becomes a historical artefact, where should it be kept?

2. What can hold almost the same amount of data as a $10 USB memory stick?

3. True or false? US social security systems are written in a well-known computer language.

4. Why are there hyphens in the expression “40-year-old computers”?

答案

1. When the floppy disk becomes a historical artefact, where should it be kept?
In a museum.

2. What can hold almost the same amount of data as a $10 USB memory stick?
Three million 70s floppy disks.

3. True or false? US social security systems are written in a well-known computer language.False. The computer language dates from the 50s and fewer and fewer people are familiar with it.

4. Why are there hyphens in the expression “40-year-old computers”?
Because here age is an adjective and you use hyphens when you put ages and numbers before a noun.