KeyWords and Expressions

interactive[intər'æktiv]  ad.  交互

combine[kəm'bain]  vi.  结合，联合，化合

integrate['intigreit]  vt.  综合，使结合，使成整体

exemplify[ig'zemplifai]  vt.  例证

typeset[‘taipset]  vt.  排版

facsimile[fæk‘simili]  n.  传真，复写

transmission[trænz'miʃən]  n.  传输，发送，传播

integration[inti'greiʃən] n.  集成，综合，集合

office automation  办公自动化

data processing  数据处理

word processing  字处理

text processing   文本处理

near-typeset-quality  接近排版质量

desktop publishing  桌面出版

video conferencing  电视会议技术

teleconference  电视会议

Office Automation

Office automation is the application of computer and communications technology to improve the productivity of clerical and managerial office workers. [1]In the mid-1950s, the term was used as a synonym for almost any form of data processing (数据处理),referring to the ways in which book keeping tasks were automated. After some years of disuse, the term was revived in the mid-1970s to describe the interactive (交互)use of word and text processing (文本处理) systems, which would later be combined (结合)with powerful computer tools, thereby leading to a so-called “ integrated (综合) electronic office of the future”.

The major functional components of an office automation system include text processing, electronic mail, information storage and retrieval (检索),personal assistance features, and task management.[2]

1. Desktop Publishing

One important application thatexemplifies (例证)the relationship of personal computing to office automation is desktop publishing, a term that was coined in 1985 by Paul Brainard,founder of Aldus Corporation.[3]

In its simplest form, desktop publishing entails the use of personal computers to prepare and print a wide variety of typeset(排版) or near-typeset-quality(接近排版质量) documents. The process involves composing the text, manipulating graphics,making up or composing the document, and publishing the finished product on alaser printer or typesetter.

2. Video Conferencing

Video conferencing involves the linking of remote sites by one-way or two-way television. Ifmeeting rooms or conference rooms in offices can be equipped with the necessaryaudiovisual facilities, travel time and money can be saved by holding ateleconference (电视会议)instead of a face-to-face conference. Many businesses are experimenting withsales and board meetings through video conferencing. The cost is still high,especially if the video conference involves a direct two-way satellite channelconnection.

3. Facsimile Transmission

Facsimile transmission (发送), or “fax”, is essentially long-distancephotocopying. Like telex terminals, fax machines communicate directly with each other—the sending fax machine converts any image into astream of electrical impulses that are transmitted over the telephone system,to be reassembled by the receiving fax machine. [4]

A document can be “faxed” to anotherpart of the country, or another part of the world, with each transmission beingidentified with the time, the date and the sender’s or receiver’s identifier. Areceiving fax machine can collect documents from other units by calling themup, identifying itself, and asking them to transmit.

4. Summary

Today’s organizations have a widevariety of office automation hardware and software components at theirdisposal. The list includes telephone and computer systems, electronic mail,word processing, desktop publishing, database management systems, two-way cableTV, office-to-office satellite broadcasting, online database services, andspeech recognition and synthesis. Each of these components is intended toautomate a task or function that is presently performed manually.

But experts agree that the key toattaining office automation lies in integration (集成)—incorporating all the components into awhole system such that information can be processed an

communicated with maximum technical assistance and minimum human intervention.[5] Then it will be possible to change substantially the way people work in an office.

Notes

translation

摘要：注释

[1] Office automation is the application of computer and communications technologyto improve the productivity of clerical and managerial office workers.

办公自动化是应用计算机和通信技术的应用软件程序，用来提高职员和办公室管理人员的工作效率。

[2] The major functional components of an office automation system include textprocessing, electronic mail, information storage and retrieval, personalassistance features, and task management.

办公自动化系统的主要功能部件包括文本处理、电子邮件、信息存储和检索、个人助理和任务管理。

[3] One important application that exemplifies the relationship of personalcomputing to office automation is desktop publishing, a term that was coined in1985 by Paul Brainerd, founder of Aldus Corporation.

桌面出版是一种重要应用，它为个人计算与办公自动化之间的关系提供了例证。该术语是1985年由Aldus公司创始人保罗 • 布赖纳德提出的。

[4] Like telex terminals, fax machines communicate directly with each other—thesending fax machine converts any image into a stream of electrical impulsesthat are transmitted over the telephone system, to be reassembled by thereceiving fax machine.

像电传终端一样，传真机相互之间直接通信——发送方的传真机将图像转换成能在电话系统上传送的电脉冲流，由接收方的传真机再重新还原成为图像。

[5] But experts agree that the key to attaining office automation lies inintegration—incorporating all the components into a whole system such thatinformation can be processed and communicated with maximum technical assistanceand minimum human intervention.

但是，专家们认为实现办公自动化的关键在于集成——将所有部件结合成一个完整的系统，使得信息处理和通信获得最大的技术支持且人的干预最少。