9 Inventions That Changed How We Communicate改變人們交流方式的九項發明

郝保偉

Human illustration

The capacity of human beings to create images allows us to convey thoughts and experiences in an efficient and elegant manner. The earliest known instances of such expression are found in 40，000 year old cave paintings from Spain and France.

Paper

Paper， the thin material produced by pressing together moist fibers and then pressing them together into sheets， is significant for an obvious reason. With a writing system one needs a platform to write on. Before there were clay tablets， stone， and papyrus1， but such things were cumbersome and economically unviable to mass produce. Therefore， paper served a huge function which would later be amplified with the printing press. It democratized2 and further diffused the reaches of human communication.

The printing press

The printing press is a device used for uniformly pressing ink onto a printable medium （usually paper）. The invention of the printing press in Europe by Gutenberg displaced earlier， more expensive methods of printing and led to the first assembly line method of manufacturing books. The printing press， because it was such an economically viable means of printing communication， led to the vast proliferation3 of written communication.

The electrical telegraph

The telegraph is a piece of technology which uses electronic signals to relay coded messages over long distances without the physical exchange of the object bearing the message. The telegraph is so consequential to communication because it radically reduces the amount of time needed to relay a message. For example， after the transatlantic telegraph cable was laid， a message could be sent from America to Europe within a matter of seconds as opposed to a week.

The telephone

The telephone， perhaps the most conspicuous4 communicative device in our lives， is the piece of telecommunication technology which allows two or more users to hold a verbal conversation even though they are not in the same area. First developed by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876， the telephone was the first piece of technology that allowed people to speak with each other over vast distances.

The radio

The radio specifically works through the radiation of electromagnetic signals through the atmosphere. Information， in this instance sound， is carried by changing or modulating5 the property of the electromagnetic waves. The radio did more than just inform and entertain the majority of the worlds population in the early twentieth century. It also was the earliest， and until television， the most conspicuous demonstration of electronic mass medias propensity6 to diffuse ideas and homogenize7 culture.

The computer

A computer is a device that can be programed to carry out a variety of operations automatically. A computer at least consists of a central processing unit， which carries out arithmetic or logical operation， and a form of memory to store the operations. Computers are so ubiquitous8 in our lives we sometimes forget the key promise of computing. Computers are not a tool which are meant to supplant human ingenuity9. Rather they are here to augment human capabilities and allow us to further expand our horizons.

The internet

The internet is the global system of interconnected computer networks that link billions of devices worldwide. Although a young technology， this system of interconnectedness has permeated virtually every aspect of our lives. The internet is also significant because， as perhaps the largest information technology breakthrough in human history， it has allowed for entirely new methods for social interaction， activities， and organization.

Social media

Social media， can generally be understood as a virtual network or community through which people create， share， and exchange information and ideas. Social media， though a recent phenomenon， is a breakthrough which differs from all kinds of previous media because of the increased reach， usability， immediacy， and interconnectedness of consumers. In many ways， social media is a culmination10 of all the kinds of previous inventions in human communications. That is to say， not only does social media use the power of computing and the reach of the internet， but also it uses time-old breakthroughs such as written symbolic and visual representation of stories and ideas.

圖繪

得益于繪制圖像的能力，人類能夠以簡明高效的方式傳遞想法和傳授經驗。目前已知最早使用這種方式的案例來源于西班牙和法國，在那里發現了具有四萬年歷史的洞穴壁畫。

紙

將濕潤的纖維壓到一起，再將其壓制成薄片，即造出了紙這一輕薄的材料。紙的重要性顯而易見。在書寫體系中，可供書寫的載體不可或缺。以前作為載體的有泥板、石頭、莎草紙，然而它們攜帶不便，并且制造成本高，不適宜大規模生產。因而，紙便發揮了巨大的作用，后來的印刷機使其作用更加凸顯。人類交流得以大眾化，并且其范圍也進一步擴大。

印刷機

印刷機是一種將油墨均勻地印在可印介質（通常是紙）上的設備。在歐洲，古騰堡發明的印刷機取代了先前更加昂貴的印刷方式，首次實現流水線生產書籍。由于具備經濟上的可行性，印刷機這一印刷傳播手段促進了書面交流的極大發展。

電報

電報是一種利用電信號對加密信息進行遠距離傳輸的技術，無需對信息載體進行實物交換。電報對人類交流具有深遠的影響，因為它極大縮短了傳播信息所需的時間。例如，跨大西洋海底電纜鋪設完成后，一條信息在幾秒內即可從美國到達歐洲，而不再耗時一周。

電話

電話或許是生活中最出色的交流工具，它是一種電信技術。通過電話，即使身處異地，兩個或以上的人也能進行口頭交談。亞歷山大·格雷厄姆·貝爾在1876年發明了電話，這一技術首次實現了人們的遠距離對話。

無線廣播

確切來說，無線廣播通過電磁信號在大氣中的輻射而運行。通過改變（或者說調制）電磁波的屬性實現信息（此處指聲音）的傳遞。無線廣播不僅在20世紀初為全球大部分人口提供了資訊和娛樂，而且還最早且最為顯著地（電視出現前）體現出電子大眾傳媒傳播思想和使文化同質化的傾向。

計算機

計算機是一種通過編程可自動執行各種運算的機器。計算機至少包括一個中央處理器和一種存儲器，前者執行算術或邏輯運算，后者保存運算數據。計算機在生活中隨處可見，我們有時會忘記它的核心使命。計算機并非意在取代人類智慧，它只是幫助我們提高自身能力、進一步拓展視野的工具。

互聯網

互聯網是由相互連接的電腦網絡形成的全球系統，這些網絡連接了世界范圍內的數十億臺電子設備。互聯網雖是新生科技，但事實上，這種互聯系統幾乎已經滲入到生活的方方面面。互聯網可能是人類歷史上最重大的信息技術突破，它之所以重要，還因為它為社會交流、活動和組織工作提供了全新的方式。

社交媒體

社交媒體通常可以理解為一種虛擬的關系網或社區，用戶可借以創建、分享、交流信息和想法。盡管是一股新熱潮，但因其影響范圍更廣，可用性、即時性和用戶間關聯性更強，所以社交媒體是一種不同于以往各個媒介的新突破。在很多方面，社交媒體可謂人類在交流方面過往所做發明之集大成者。也就是說，社交媒體不僅借助了計算機的運算能力和互聯網的覆蓋能力，還利用了先時的創舉，比如用書面文字及圖像來展現故事和想法。

（譯者為“《英語世界》杯”翻譯大賽獲獎者）