Another interesting application for Internet is the electronic bulletin board which is also called bulletin board service，BBS for short.It allows users to post and retrieve messages that are not directed to a specific user，much like announcements are posted on an office bulletin board.BBS has been used for everything from dating service and want ads to highly specialized applications such as the exchange of research data in a narrow scientific field.
因特网的另一个有趣的应用是电子公告板，又称公告服务，简称BBS。它允许用户的投递或回收消息，这些消息不是针对某一个具体的用户发送的，它就像在办公室的公告牌上发布通知一样。BBS被广泛应用在从日常服务、招聘广告到非常专业的领域中，例如在一个非常狭窄的科学领域中交换调查数据。
LANs
局域网
There are two categories of networks：local area networks （LANs）and wide area networks （WANs）.Here I’d like to mainly talk about LAN．
网络有两类：局域网（LAN）和广域网（WAN）。在这里主要谈一下局域网。
A LAN is a system of computers and associated peripherals such as printers that are physically connected by cable within a limited geographical area—typically in an office building or on a college campus．The topology of the network may be ring，star or bus．局域网就是在一个有限的地域范围内，典型的如在办公大楼或校园中，将计算机及相关外设（如打印机）用电缆进行物理联结而组成的一个系统。网络的拓扑结构可以是环形的、星形的或总线形的。LANs use fiber optics or coaxial cable to connect computers，and each computer must have special communications software installed on its hard disk．Software has been developed that allows computers with different platforms to coexist and exchange data on the same LAN．
在局域网中，可用光纤或同轴电缆联结多台计算机，且每台计算机的硬盘上必须装有专门的通信软件。允许具有不同平台的计算机共存于同一局域网中，且能进行数据交换的软件早已开发出来了。
A File Server
文件服务器
Many networks are managed by a computer called a file server．A file server has a large-capacity hard disk and special software that manages access to flies on the network．许多网络由一称为文件服务器的计算机来管理。文件服务器具有大容量的硬盘和一些用来管理对网上文件访问的专门软件。It controls how data and database are shared among users on the network and how users access master copies of data and application software on the centralized hard disk.It is the file server’s job to make sure that users don’t accidentally try to update a file at the same time and scramble the data．The file server may also manage the access to an expensive piece of hardware such as a laser printer．
它控制着网上用户如何共享数据和数据库，以及用户如何存取中央硬盘上的数据和应用软件的主拷贝。确保两个用户不能偶然地在同一时刻对同一文件进行更新或争夺数据也是文件服务器的工作。文件服务器还可以管理对昂贵硬件（如激光打印机）的访问。
When a file server is used on a LAN，large databases are stored on the server and users may store all of their work flies there as well．This operation is analogous to someone’s manually collecting all the data each day placing them in a file drawer，and then redistributing these data to the workers as needed．
当文件服务器用于局域网时，大型数据库就被存储在服务器上，而且用户也可以将其所有的工作文件存放在上面。这就像是一个人每天手工收集所有的数据，放到一文件抽屉中，然后等需要时，再将这些数据发到工作人员手中。
The LAN Operating System—Net Ware
局域网络操作系统——Net ware
Novell’s Net ware has become the strongest competitor to IBM’s own network operating environment and predates IBM in its support for LANs．In fact，IBM now markets Net ware for both the PC Network and for Token Ring in addition to its own software．Novell公司的Net ware操作系统已经成为IBM公司特有的网络操作环境最强有力的竞争对手，它在对局域网络的支持方面也早于IBM公司。事实上，除了自己的一部分软件外，IBM公司也为所有的PC网和令牌环网购买了Net ware操作系统。The key to Net ware is the file server software and directories on the server are mapped to network drives，thus operating like virtual diskettes from a user’s perspective．Net ware 操作系统的最主要部分是文件服务器软件，服务器上的目录被映射到网络驱动器，这样在用户看来，它运行起来就如同是虚拟磁盘。The server software is a multitasking operating system with a file structure consistent with DOS 2.x and DOS 3.x．The Net ware shell in each workstation intercepts 21H DOS calls and redirects appropriate calls to the server．
它的服务器软件是一个多任务的操作系统，文件结构也与DOS 2．x和DOS 3．x的文件结构一致。工作站上的Net ware外壳程序拦截了DOS的21H中断，并重新定向为对服务器的调用。
The primary advantage of Net ware is that it runs on a wide variety of networking hardware．Regardless of whether you choose an IBM network，Corvus OMNINET，AT＆T Star LAN，etc.，you can obtain Net ware as the operating environment．
Net ware操作系统的主要优点是能够运行在多种网络硬件上。不论是选择IBM网络，Corvus公司的OMNINET网络，还是AT＆T公司的星形局域网络等，都可获得Net ware的操作环境。
首富风采
The Young Bill Gates比尔·盖茨孩童时代
As a child—and as an adult as well—Bill was untidy.It has been said that in order to counteract this，Mary drew up weekly clothing plans for him.On Mondays he might go to school in blue，on Tuesdays in green，on Wednesdays in brown，on Thursdays in black，and so on。Weekend meal schedules might also be planned in detail.Everything time，at work or during his leisure time.
童年时期——即使成了了大人——比尔也不修边幅。据说为了改此习惯，玛丽为他制定了一周着装计划。周一上学他穿蓝色装，周二绿色，周三棕色，周四黑色，等等。周末用餐时间也布置得细致入微。每件事都要井井有条。比尔·盖茨讨厌浪费时间，无论是在工作中或闲暇时。
Dinner table discussions in the Gate’s family home were always lively and educational.“It was a rich environment in which to learn，”Bill remembered.
在比尔家中的餐桌上讨论总是既生动又富有教育意义。“那是个内容丰富的学习环境。”比尔回忆道。
Bill’s contemporaries，even at the age，recognized that he was exceptional.Every year，he and his friends would go to summer camp.Bill especially liked swimming and other sports.One of his summer camp friends recalled，“He was never a nerd or a goof or the kind of kid you didn’t want your team.We all knew Bill was smarter than us.Even back then，when he was nine or ten years old，he talked like an adult and could express himself in ways that none of us understood.”
比尔的同代人，即使是在那个年龄，都能看出他的与众不同。每年，他和朋友们都要去夏令营。比尔特别喜爱游泳运动等。他的一位在夏令营的朋友回忆道，“他绝不会是个不足挂齿或无足轻重之人。我们都晓得比尔比我们聪颖。甚至在更早的时候，当他九岁或十岁时，言谈就如同成人一般，说的话有时我们感到高深莫测。”
Bill was also well ahead of his classmates in mathematics and science.He needed to go to a school that challenged him to Lakeside—an all-boys’school for exceptional students.It was Seattle’s most exclusive school and was noted for its rigorous academic demands，a place where “even the dumb kids were smart”.
在数学和自然方面比尔比同班同学也更胜一筹。他需要上一所对他充满挑战的学校。随即父母决定送他去湖畔中学——一所专门招收超常男生的学校。这是西雅图一所限制最严的学校，它以严格的课程要求而著称，是个“连哑童都聪明的”地方。
Lakeside allowed students to pursue their own interests，to whatever extent they wished.The school prided itself on making conditions and facilities available that would enable all its students to reach their full potential.It was the ideal environment for someone like Bill Gates.