The basic computer mouse is an amazingly clever invention with a relatively simple design that allows us to point at things on the computer and it is very productive. Think of all the things you can do with a mouse like selecting text for copying and pasting1，drawing，and even scrolling on the page with the newer mice with the wheel. Most of us use the computer mouse daily without stopping to think2 how it works until it gets dirty and we have to learn how to clean it. We learn to point at things before we learn to speak，so the mouse is a very natural pointing device. Qther computer pointing devices include light pens，graphics tablets and touch screens，but the mouse is still our workhorse.

　　計算機鼠標是—個驚人的巧妙發明，它設計簡單，但卻能夠使我們對計算機屏幕上的東西進 行非常有效的指揮。想想你可以用鼠標做的那些事情，比如復制和粘貼，以及繪畫，甚至用新式 鼠標上的滾輪使網頁上下滾動。大多數訐算機使用者天天用計算機，卻沒有想要了解一下鼠標的 i作原理，直到有一天它變臟了，而我們又必須學會如何對它進行清潔。我們會說話之前就已經 學會用手指東西，所以鼠標是一個很自然的指針設備。其他計算機指針設備還包括光筆、圖形輸 入板和觸摸屏等，但鼠標仍然是我們的主要工具。

　　The computer mouse was invented in 1964 by Douglas Englehart of Stanford University. As computer screens became more popular and arrow keys were used to move around a body of text，it became clear that a pointing device that allowed easier motion through the text and even selection of text would be very useful. The introduction of the mouse，with the Apple Lisa computer in 1983，really started the computer public on the road to relying on the mouse for routine computer tasks.3

　　計算機鼠標由斯坦福大學的道格拉斯.?恩格爾哈特在1964年發明。隨著計算機屏幕越來越受 歡迎，而且箭頭鍵可以在一個文本上隨意移動，人們認識到一個能自由移動甚至能夠選擇文本的 游標裝置將是非常有用的。19_83年鼠標的引進和蘋果計算機麗莎的開始使用，使廣大計算機用戶 開始踏上一條依賴鼠標完成常規計算機工作的道路。

　　How does the mouse work? We have to start at the bottom，so think upside down for now. It all starts with the mouse ball. As the mouse ball in the bottom of the mouse rolls over the mouse pad，it presses against and turns two shafts. The shafts are connected to wheels with several small holes in them. The wheels have a pair of small electronic light-emitting devices called light-emitting diodes (LED) mounted on either side4. One LED sends a light beam to the LED on the other side. As the wheels spin and a hole rotates by，the light beam gets through to the LED on the other side. But a moment later the light beam is blocked until the next hole is in place. The LED detects a changing pattern of light，converts the pattern into an electronic signal，and sends the signal to the computer through wires in a cable that goes out of the mouse body. This cable is the tail that helps give the mouse its name. The computer interprets the signal to tell it where to position the cursor on the computer screen.

　　鼠標是怎樣工作的?我們得從底部幵始，所以現在把鼠標倒過來看。一切都開始于鼠標球。 當鼠標底部的球在鼠標墊上滾動的時候，它壓迫到兩個滾軸并使其轉動。這兩個軸上有一些小孔, 并與滾輪相連。滾輪兩邊各有—個叫做發光二極管的小型電子發光器件。其中一個發光二極管向 另一個發出一個光束。當滾輪轉過一個小孔時，光束通過小孔到達另一邊的發光二極管。但稍后 該光束被阻塞，直到下一個孔轉動到這個位置。發光二極管檢測出光束的變化模式，將該模式轉 換成電子信號，并通過一條延伸出鼠標的電纜將信號傳輸給計算機，這條像尾巴一樣的電纜正是 鼠標得名的原因。計算機通過解讀信號確定光標在計算機屏幕上的位置。

　　So far we have only discussed the basic computer mouse that most of you probably have or have used.5One problem with this design is that the mouse gets dirty as the ball rolls over the surface and picks up dirt. Eventually you have to clean your mouse. The newer optical mice avoid this problem by having no moving parts.

　　到目前為止，我們只限于討論大多數人應該擁有或用過的基本型的計算機鼠標。這樣的設計 帶來的一個問題是，滾球滾動時表面吸附的灰塵會使鼠標變臟，所以最終你必須對它進行清潔。較新的光電鼠標由于沒有可移動的部件就避免了這一問題的產生。