计算机专业英语教程阅读(2) Software refers to puter programs. Programs are the instructions that _ the puterhow to pro _ss data into the form you want. There are two kinds of software: system softwareand application software. 软件指的是计算机程序。程序是告诉计算机如何将数据处理成你想要的形式的指令。有两种软件：系统软件和应用软件。 System software is a collection of programs that enables application software to run on aputer systems hardware devi _s, it is background software and includes programs that helpthe puter _nage its own internal resour _s. 系统软件是指能让应用软件在计算机系统硬件设备上运行的程序的 _，它是后台软件并且包括帮助计算机管理自己内部资源的程序。 Application software is a specialized programs that enables the user to aomplish specifictasks. 应用软件是让用户能够完成特定任务的专门程序。 In this text, we _inly discuss system software.System software consists of four kinds ofprograms: bootstrap loader, diagnostic routines, basic input-output system, and operatingsystem. Among these four parts, the operating system is we most con _rned with, whith helps _nage puter resour _s. Most important operating systems are: Windows, Windows NT,OS/2, Macintosh, and Unix. 在这一节中，我们主要讨论系统软件。系统软件由四种程序组成：引导装入程序、诊断例程、基本输入输出系统和。在这四种当中，操作系统是我们最为关心的，它帮助管理计算机资源。最重要的操作系统有Windows、Windows NT、OS/2、Macintosh和Unix。 Windows Windows gets its name because of its ability to run multiple applications at thesame time, each in its own window. Windows offers graphical user inte _ _ (GUI), presents theuser with graphic i _ges of puter functions and data. It provides a standard mechani _for copying or moving infor _tion from one program to another. This mechani _, called theClipboard, means that infor _tion created in one context is instantly reusable in another, youdont need to reenter infor _tion or work with clumsy data-transfer utilities. Windows alsohas DDE (dynamic data exchange) and OLE (object linking and embedding) functions. In DDEtwo or more applications can be linked. This way, data created in one application isauto _tically entered into the others. OLE, like DDE, links data between applications.Additionally, OLE allows the application re _iving the data to directly aess the applicationthat created the data. Windows之所以称为窗口是因为它具有能同时运行多个应用程序的能力，并且每一个程序有其自己的窗口。Windows提供图形用户界面，给用户提供计算机的功能和数据的图像。它提供标准的机制用于将信息从一个程序拷贝或 _到另一个程序。这个机制被称为剪贴板，意味着在一个文本中产生的信息可以被另外一个文本立即重新使用，而用户不需要重新输入信息或使用繁琐的数据传送实用程序。Windows还具有DDE(动态数据交换)和OLE (对象链接和嵌入)功能。在DEE中两个或更多的应用程序可以被链接。使用这种方法，在一个应用程序中产生的数据可以自动地进入其他的程序。OLE类似于DEE在应用程序之间链接数据。另外，OLE允许接收数据应用程序可以直接访问建立这个数据的 应用程序。 Windows NTWindows NT is an operating system designed to run on a wide range of powerfulputers and microputers. It is a very sophisticated and powerful operation system.Developed by Microsoft, Windows NT is not considered a repla _ment for Window. Rather, it isan advan _d alternative designed for very powerful microputers and works. WindowsNT has two _jor advantages when pare to Windows: Windows NT它是一种可以在很大泛围内的功能强大的计算机和微型计算机上运行的操作系统。它是非常复杂和功能强大的操作系统。Windows NT由微软公司 _，并不是为了替代确切地说，它是设计给功能非常强大的微型计算机和网络的另外一个可供选择的高级(操作系统)。Windows NT和Windows相比较具有两个主要的优点： Multipro _ssing It is similar to multitasking ex _pt that the applications are run independentlyat the same time. For instan _, you could be printing a word pro _ssing document and using adatabase _nagement program at the same time. With multitasking, the speed at which thedocument is printed is affected by the de _nds of the database _nagement program. Withmultipro _ssing, the de _nds of the database _nagement program do not affect the printingof the document. 多道处理除了应用程序是同时 _运行之外，它类似于多任务。比如，你可能正在打印字处理文档并且同时在使用数据库管理程序。在这种多任务操作情况下，文件打印的速度会受到使用数据库管理程序这一要求的影响。使用多道处理要求数据库管理程序并不影响打印文档。 Networking In _ny business enviro _ents, workers often use puter to municate withone another and to share software using a work. This is _de possible and controlled byspecial system software. Windows NT has work capabilities and security checks built intothe operating system. This _kes work installation and use relatively easy. 网络在许多商业环境中，工作人员经常使用计算机相互进行交流，并且通过网络共享软件。这是可以通过专门的系统软件来实现和控制的。Windows NT具有网络功能和嵌入到操作系统内的安全检测功，这使得网络 _和使用相对容易。 OS/2 OS/2 stands for Operating System/2. It was developed jointly by IBM and MicrosoftCorporation. OS/2 has _ny similarities with Windows NT. It is designed for very powerfulmicroputers and has several advan _d features. Some of its advantages over Windows NTinclude: OS/2代表操作系统/2。它是由IBM和微软公司联合 _的。OS/2和Windows NT具有许多相似之处。它是设计给功能强大的微型计算机的，并且具有几个先进特点。它优于Windows NT的一些优点包括： Minimum system configuration Like Windows NT, OS/2 requires significant memory and harddisk spa _. However, OS/2 requires slightly less. 最小的系统配置 像Windows NT一样, OS/2要大的内存和硬盘空间。然而，OS/2需要的较少。 Windows application Like Windows NT, OS/2 does not have a large number of applicationprograms written especially for it. OS/2 can also run Windows programs, but it runs theseprograms slightly faster than Windows NT.