What Is a Computer System?
A combination of Five or Six Elements
The term computer is used to describe a device made up of a combination of electronic and electromechanical(part electronic and part mechanical )components. By itself, a computer has no intelligence and is referred to as hardware. A computer doesn't come to life until it is connected to other parts of a computer system. A computer system is a combination of five elements ( listed here in the order of how expensive it would be replace them in a system, from least to most expensive ):
- Hardware
- Software
- Data/Information
- Procedure
- People
combination n. 结合；组合；联合
electromechanical adj. 电机的；电机学的
五个或者六个元件的组合
计算机用来描述由电子部件和电机（部分是电子的部分是机械的）部件组成的装置。对计算机本身而言，计算机没有智能并被称为硬件。计算机直到它连接计算机系统的其他部分才能正常工作。计算机系统是一个由五个元件组成的联合体。（这里列举出这些元件的顺序以在一个系统中取代它们的成本，从最少到最贵）：
- 硬件
- 软件
- 数据/信息
- 程序
- 人
When one computer system is set up to communicate with another computer system, connectivity becomes a sixth system element. In other words, the manner in which the various individual systems are connected--for example, by phone lines, microware transmission or satellite--is an element of the total computer system.
connectivity n.连通性；结合性；接合性；连通图
microware n.微波
satellite n.卫星；人造卫星；卫星城；卫星国 v.通过通讯卫星播送[传播
当一个计算机系统设置来与其他计算机系统沟通时，连通性成为第六个元件。换句话来说，大多数独立的系统连接采用的方式，举个例子，通过电话线，微波传输或者卫星，是一种总的计算机系统的元件。
Software is the term used to describe the instructions that tell the hardware how to perform a task; without software instructions, the hardware doesn't know what to do. People operate the computer hardware; they create the computer software instructions and respond to the procedures that those instructions present. You will learn more about software and procedures later. Right now we want to discuss the importance of data and information.
软件这东西是用来描述告诉硬件怎样处理任务的指令的；没有软件指令，硬件不知道做什么。人们操作计算机硬件；他们创造了计算机软件指令并响应那些指令运作的程序。之后你将会学到更多关于软件和程序的知识。现在，我们想讨论数据和信息的重要性。
Conversion of Data into Information
The purpose of a computer system is to convert data into information. Data is raw, unevaluated facts and figures, concepts, or instructions. This raw material is processed into useful information. In other words, information is the product of data processing. This processing includes refining, summarizing, categorizing, and otherwise manipulating the data into a useful form for decision making. For example, the facts and figures contained in a stack of customer orders waiting to be entered into a computer-based order entry system are data; after the data is entered and processed, an output report about how that data affected product inventory would be information.
unevaluated v.无法预估；无法评价
refine v.精炼；提纯；澄清；改善
summarize v.总结；概述；概括；归纳
inventory n.库存；财产清单；（建筑物里的物品、家具等的）清单 v.开列清单
计算机系统的目的是为了将数据转化为信息。数据是未加工的，无法评估的事实和数字，概念或者指令。这个未加工的材料处理成有用的信息。换句话说，信息室数据处理后的产物。处理过程包括精炼，总结，分类，另外为决策将信息操作为有用的形式。举个例子，包含在等待输入到基于计算机的订单输入系统的一堆客户订单中的事实资料是数据；在数据进入被处理后，一个关于数据如何影响产品创新的输出报告会成为信息。
People "capture" data in a variety of ways--for example, by reading, listening, or seeing. Then they may record the data on a document. For instance, Roger Shu records his remaining letters in his name, is an element of data, as are the numbers 12/22 and 5, used to indicate the data and the number of overtime hours worked. By themselves, these data elements are useless; we must process them to make them something. The report produced when Roger's data is run through a computer-based employee records system gives us information--for example, the amount of money due Roger for his overtime work.
record n.记录；唱片；记载；经历 v.记录；录制；记载；录（音）
人们用多种方式采集信息--举个例子，通过读，听，或是看。之后他们也许会用文件记录数据。事实上，Roger Shu用他的名字的形式记录他的剩余的字母就像数字12/22和5，他的名字也是一种信息，常意指数据和加班的数字。就数据本身而言是无用的；我们必须处理它们来使它们成为一些东西。Roger的数据通过基于计算机的员工记录系统运行时生成的报告为我们提供了信息，例如Roger为他的加班工作支付的金额。