導語：前言是指寫在書籍或文章前面的文字，下面是一篇講述作者正在寫一本“未來之路”的書的前言，歡迎大家閱讀!
Bill Gates
The past twenty years have been an incredible adventure for me. It started on a day when, as a college sophomore, l stood in Harvard Square with my friend Paul Allen and pored over the description of a kit computer in Popular Electronics magazine. As we read excitedly about the first truly personal computer, Paul and I didn't know exactly how it would be used, but we were sure it would change us and the world of computing. We were right. The personal computer revolution happened and it has affected millions of lives. It has led us to places we had barely imagined.
We are all beginning another great journey. We aren't sure where this one will lead us either, but again I am certain this revolution will touch even more lives and take us all farther. The major changes coming will be in the way people communicate with each other. The benefits and problems arising from this upcoming communications revolution will be much greater than those brought about by the PC revolution.
There is never a reliable map for unexplored territory, but we can learn important lessons from the creation and evolution of the $120-billion personal-computer industry. The PC — its evolving hardware, business applications, on-line systems. Internet connections, electronic mail, multimedia titles, authoring tools, and games — is the foundation for the next revolution.
During the PC industry's infancy, the mass media paid little attention to what was going on in the brand-new business. Those of us who were attracted by computers and the possibilities they promised were unnoticed outside our own circles.
But this next journey, to the so-called information highway, is the topic of endless newspaper and magazine articles, television and radio broadcasts, conferences, and widespread speculation. There has been an unbelievable amount of interest in this subject during the last few years, both inside and outside the computer industry. The interest is not confined only to developed countries, and it goes well beyond the large numbers of personal-computer users.
Thousands of informed and uninformed people are now speculating publicly about the information highway. The amount of misunderstanding about the technology and its possible dangers surprises me. Some people think the highway is simply today's Internet or the delivery of 500 simultaneous channels of television. Others hope or fear it will create computers as smart as human beings. Those developments will come, but they are not the highway.
The revolution in communications is just beginning. It will take place over several decades, and will be driven by new "applications" — new tools, often meeting currently unforeseen needs. During the next few years, major decisions will have to be made. It is crucial that a broad set of people — not just technologists or those who happen to be in the computer industry — participate in the debate about how this technology should be shaped. If that can be done, the highway will serve the purposes users want. Then it will gain broad acceptance and become a reality.
I'm writing this book The Road Ahead as part of my contribution to the debate and, although it's a tall order, I hope it can serve as a travel guide for the forthcoming journey. I do this with some misgivings. We've all smiled at predictions from the past that look silly today. History is full of now ironic examples — the Oxford professor who in 1878 dismissed the electric light as a gimmick; the commissioner of U.S. patents who in 1899 asked that his office be abolished because "everything that can be invented has been invented." This is meant to be a serious book, although ten years from now it may not appear that way. What I've said that turned out to be right will be considered obvious and what was wrong will be humorous.
Anyone expecting an autobiography or a treatise on what it's like to have been as lucky as I have been will be disappointed. Perhaps when I've retired I will get around to writing that book. This book looks primarily to the future.
Anyone hoping for a technological treatise will be disappointed, too. Everyone will be touched by the information highway, and everyone ought to be able to understand its implications. That's why my goal from the very beginning was to write a book that as many people as possible could understand.
The process of thinking about and writing the present book took longer than I expected. Indeed, estimating the time it would take proved to be as difficult as projecting the development schedule of a major software project. The only part that was easy was the cover photo which we finished well ahead of schedule. I enjoy writing speeches and had thought writing a book would be like writing them. I imagined writing a chapter would be the equivalent of writing a speech. The error in my thinking was similar to the one software developers often run into — a program ten times as long is about one hundred times more complicated to write. I should have known better.
And here it is. I hope it stimulates understanding, debate, and creative ideas about how we can take advantage of all that's sure to be happening in the decade ahead.
New Wordsforeword
n. a short introduction at the beginning of a book 序言，前言
incredible
a. unbelievable; extraordinary 難以置信的;了不起的
sophomore
n. a student in the second year of college or high school(中學、大學)二年級學生
pore
vi. (over) study with close attention 專心閱讀;鑽研
description
n. saying in words what sb. or sth. is like 描寫，描述
kit
n. a set of all the parts needed to assemble sth. 配套元件
*compute
v. calculate ( a result, answer, sum, etc.) esp. with a computer(尤指用計算機)計算
barely
ad. only just; hardly 僅僅;幾乎不
upcoming
a. about to happen 即將來臨的
PC (abbr.)
personal computer 個人計算機
reliable
a. that can be relied on; dependable 可靠的; 確實的
territory
n. (an area of) land, esp. ruled by one government 領土
*creation
n. the act or process of creating sth. 創造; 創作
evolution
n. 1. the gradual change and development 演變，發展
2. (the theory of) the development of the various types of plants, animals, etc., from earlier and simpler forms 進化(論)
evolve
vt. 演化，發展，逐步形成;進化
application
n. 1. (an instance of) putting to practical use 應用，運用
2. a computer software program 應用軟體程式
on-line
a. 聯機的，聯線的
Internet
n. 因特網，國際網際網路
connection
n. 連線，連結;聯絡，關係
electronic
a. 電子的
multimedia
n.& a. 多媒體(的)
title
n. (多媒體)題標;標題;題目
author
vt. 寫作;創造
n. 作者
foundation
n. 基礎
infancy
n. 嬰兒期;幼兒期;初期
attract
vt. cause to like, admire, notice, or turn towards; arouse (interest, etc.); prompt 引起…的注意(或興趣等)，吸引;引起(興趣等);激起
possibility
n. 1. (often pi.) power of developing, growing, or being used or useful in the future [常用複數] 發展前途，潛在價值
2. the state of being possible; likelihood 可能;可能性
so-called
a. called or named thus but perhaps wrongly or doubtfully 所謂的，號稱的
endless
a. without end, or seeming to be without end(似乎)無窮盡的;沒完沒了的
conference
n. a meeting for discussion 會議，討論會
confine
vt. (to) restrict or keep within certain limits 限制，使侷限
speculate
vi. 猜測;投機
amount
n. 量，數量;總數，總額
misunderstanding
n. 誤解，曲解
misunderstand
v. 誤解，誤會
delivery
n. 傳送;投遞;運載
*simultaneous
a. happening or being done at the same time 同時發生的，同時進行的
channel
n. 頻道;水道;海峽
create
vt. cause (sth. new) to exist; produce (sth. new) 創造;創作
unforeseen
a. not known in advance; unexpected 未預見到的;意料之外的
crucial
a. (to, for) of deciding importance 決定性的;至關重要的
technologist
n. an expert in technology 技術專家
contribution
n. 捐款;捐獻;貢獻
debate
n. a formal argument or discussion(就…)進行辯論
v. have a debate about; take part in a debate 辯論;討論
purpose
n. that which one means to do, get, be, etc.; intention 目的;意圖
acceptance
n. 接受
*forthcoming
a. happening or appearing in the near future 即將到來的，即將出現的
misgiving
n. [複數] 疑慮，擔憂
prediction
n. sth. that is said or described in advance 預言
gimmick
n. (騙人的)玩意兒
*commissioner
n. (政府廳、局、處等部門的)長官;委員;專員
*patent
n. 專利;專利權
*abolish
vt. put an end to, do away with 取消，廢除
humorous
a. funny and amusing; having or showing a sense of humour 幽默的;滑稽的`;富有幽默感的
autobiography
n. a book written by oneself about one's own life 自傳
treatise
n. 專著;(專題)論文
retire
vi. stop working at one's job, profession, etc., usu. because of age 退休，退職
primarily
ad. mainly; chiefly 主要地;首要地
technological
a. of or related to technology 技術的;工藝(學)的
implication
n. 含意，暗示
process
n. 過程;程序
estimate
vt. 估計，估量
n. 估計
project
vt. make plans for 設計，規劃
n. 規劃，計劃;(工程)專案
chapter
n. (書的)章，回
equivalent
n. sth. that is equal in meaning, amount, value 相等物;等值物;等量物
a. 相等的;等值的;等量的
complicated
a. very difficult to understand 複雜的;難解的;難懂的
stimulate
vt. excite (the body or mind), encourage 刺激;激發;促使
advantage
n. 有利條件，優勢;好處;利益
Phrases and Expressions
communicate with
share or exchange opinions, news, information, etc. with 與…交流
arise from
result from 由 … 產生，由 … 引起
bring about
cause to happen 帶來，造成
go on
take place or happen 發生
go beyond
exceed 超過;越過
tall order
a task difficult to perform 難以完成的任務，過高要求
get around to /get round to
find time for (sth. or doing sth.) 抽出時間去做
look to
give one's attention to 展望
ahead of schedule
before the planned or expected time 提前
run into
1. meet (difficulties, etc.) 遭遇(困難等)
2. meet by chance 偶然碰見，撞見
take advantage of
make use of 利用
Proper NamesBill Gates
比爾·蓋茨(人名)
Harvard Square
哈佛(大學)廣場
Paul Allen
保羅·艾倫(人名)
Popular Electronics
《大眾電子學》(雜誌名)
The Road Ahead
《未來之路》(書名)
Oxford
牛津(英格蘭中南部城市，牛津大學所在地);牛津大學
