What is the world wide web? - Twila Camp

万维网是什么？ - Twila Camp

翻译人员: Keke Gu 校对人员: Xiaoou Chen

The World Wide Web,

万维网，

where you're likely watching this video,

你可能正用它来观看此视频，

is used by millions of people every day

每天有数百万的人们使用它

for everything from

来做任何事。

checking the weather,

从查看天气，

ordering food,

订购食品，

and chatting with friends

和朋友聊天，

to raising funds,

到筹集基金，

sharing news,

分享信息，

or starting revolutions.

或者开始革命。

We use it from our computers, our phones, even our cars.

我们通过我们的电脑，手机，甚至汽车来使用它。

It's just there,

它就这么简单的存在着，

all around us, all the time.

时刻围绕我们。

But what is it exactly?

可它究竟是什么呢？

Well first of all, the World Wide Web is not the Internet,

首先，万维网不是互联网，

even though the terms are often used interchangeably.

尽管这两个名称时常被互换使用。

The Internet is simply the way computers connect to each other

互联网就由多个计算机网络相互连接而成一个大型网络，

in order to share information.

用来分享信息。

When the Internet first emerged,

在互联网诞生初期，

computers actually made direct calls to each other.

计算机实际上是直接互相通话的。

Today, networks are all around us,

而如今，网络无所不在，

so computers can communicate seamlessly.

所以计算机也可以沟通无碍了。

The communication enabled through the Internet

由互联网支撑的这个沟通

has many uses,

有很多的用处，

such as email, file transfer, and conferencing.

比如发邮件，传文件和开展会议。

But the most common use

但最常见的用途

is accessing the World Wide Web.

就是来访问万维网。

Think of the Web as a bunch of skyscrapers,

请把网络想象成一堆的高楼大厦，

each representing a web server,

每一个大厦代表一个网络服务器，

a computer always connected to the Internet,

一部计算机总是连接到互联网上，

specifically designed to store information and share it.

专门设计用来存储和分享信息。

When someone starts a website,

当某人建造一个网站时，

they are renting a room in this skyscraper,

他们就相当于在这个大厦里租了个房间，

filling it with information

来储存信息

and linking that information together

并井然有序地链接信息

in an organized way for others to access.

来方便他人的访问。

The people who own these skyscrapers

那些拥有高楼大厦

and rent space in them

和出租其空间的人，

are called web hosts,

被称为虚拟主机，

but anyone can set up a web server

但人人都可以创建网络服务器

with the right equipment a bit of know-how.

只要有适当的设备和一点窍门。

There's another part to having a website,

拥有一个网站还需要另一部分，

without which we would be lost in the city

没有它，我们就会在城市中迷路

with no way of finding what we need.

而无法找到我们需要的东西。

This is the website address,

那就是网址，

which consists of domain names.

它由域名组成。

Just like with a real life address,

就好像一个真实的地址，

a website address lets you get where you want to go.

一个网址可以带你去想去的地方。

The information stored in the websites

在网站上的信息

is in web languages,

是用网络语言来储存的。

such as HTML and JavaScript.

比如HTML（注：超文本标记语言）和JavaScript。

When we find the website we're looking for,

当我们找到目标网站时，

our web browser is able to take all the code on the site

我们的网络浏览器能够收集网站上的所有代码

and turn it into words, graphics, and videos.

将它们译成文字，图像和视频。

We don't need to know any special computer languages

我们不需要知道任何特别的计算机语言

because the web browser creates a graphic interface for us.

因为网络浏览器能为我们建立一个图形界面。

So, in a lot of ways,

所以说，从很多方面来说，

the World Wide Web is a big virtual city

万维网就是一个虚拟大城市，

where we communicate with each other

我们可以在其中，

in web languages,

用网络语言互相交流，

with browsers acting as our translators.

借助浏览器来做我们的翻译。

And just like no one owns a city,

就像没人拥有一个城市一样，

no one owns the Web;

也没人拥有网络

it belongs to all of us.

它属于我们大家。

Anyone can move in and set up shop.

任何人都可以搬进来和开商店。

We might have to pay an Internet service provider

我们可能需要支付一个网络服务供应商

to gain access,

来获取通路，

a hosting company to rent web space,

通过网页寄存公司来租用网络空间，

or a registrar to reserve our web address.

或者让域名注册商来保留我们的网址。

Like utility companies in a city,

像在城市里的能源公司，

these companies provide crucial services,

这些公司提供关键服务，

but in the end,

但最终，

not even they own the Web.

他们也并不拥有网络。

But what really makes the Web so special

真正让网络如此特别的

lies in its very name.

就在于它的名字。

Prior to the Web,

在网络出现之前，

we used to consume most information

我们获取信息的方式

in a linear fashion.

是线型的。

In a book or newspaper article,

在书本或者报纸文章上，

each sentence was read from beginning to end,

从头到尾读遍每一句话，

page by page,

一页又一页，

in a straight line until you reached the end.

直线进行直到读完。

But that isn't how our brains actually work.

但我们的大脑其实不是这样运行的。

Each of our thoughts is linked to other thoughts,

我们的每一个想法都与其他想法，

memories, and emotions

记忆，和情绪连接在一起

in a loose interconnected network, like a web.

构成一个疏松的互联的网状物，就像网络一样。

Tim Berners-Lee, the father of the World Wide Web,

蒂姆·伯纳斯-李，万维网的发明者，

understood that we needed a way to organize information

明白我们需要一种方式来组织信息

that mirrored this natural arrangement.

这个方式要对应这个自然的布局。

And the Web accomplishes this through hyperlinks.

而网络就是运用超链接来实现这个的。

By linking several pages within a website

通过链接网站上的一些页面

or even redirecting you to other websites

或者甚至将你重定位到其它网站

to expand on information or ideas immediately

来迅速扩展信息和想法

as you encounter them,

当你和它们相遇的时候，

hyperlinks allow the Web

超链接使网络能够

to operate along the same lines as our thought patterns.

像我们的思维模式一样运作。

The Web is so much a part of our lives

网络在我们的生命中是多么重要的一部分

because in content and structure,

因为它的内容和结构

it reflects both the wider society

同时反映了更广泛的社会

and our individual minds.

和我们个人的头脑。

And it connects those minds

将这些头脑联络起来，

across all boundaries,

穿越所有边界，

not only enthnicity, gender, and age

不仅是种族，性别，年龄

but even time and space.

甚至是时间和空间。