Sending Messages

Sending Messages. Written by Julie Harding. Illustrated by Maria Voris.

传递信息。 作者：朱莉·哈丁。 绘者：玛丽亚·沃里斯。

Introduction. Have you ever written someone a note? Have you ever sent an email? If so, you were sending a message. People have always found ways to send messages to each other. The way we send messages has changed over time. Each change has allowed people to send messages farther and faster.

引言。 你有没有给别人写过便条？ 有没有发过电子邮件？ 如果有的话，你就是在传递信息。 人类一直都在想方设法给彼此传递信息。 我们传递信息的方式随着时间推移不断变化。 每一次改变都能让人们把信息传得更远、更快。

Messages from long ago. Beating on a drum was one of the earliest ways to send a message. Some of the earliest drums were hollow logs. People beat on the logs with large sticks. This sent signals a long distance. Sometimes drumbeats could be heard several miles away. Different drumbeats meant different things. One might send a warning of danger. Another might announce that a meeting was going to take place.

很久以前的信息传递方式。 击鼓是最早的信息传递方式之一。 最早的鼓有些是空心的圆木。 人们用粗大的木棍敲击这些圆木。 这样就能把信号传到很远的地方。 有时候几英里外都能听到鼓声。 不同的鼓声代表不同的含义。 有的鼓声可能是发出危险警报。 有的鼓声可能是通知大家即将召开会议。

Smoke was also used to send messages. A blanket was placed over a smoking fire. When the blanket was removed, a puff of smoke rose into the air. Each pattern of puffs meant something different.

人们也会用烟雾传递信息。 人们把毯子盖在冒烟的火堆上。 把毯子拿开的时候， 就会有一团烟升到空中。 每一种烟雾团的图案都代表不同的含义。

Mail. Over time, people developed written language. This meant that messages could be written and then sent. Written messages became the first mail.

邮件。 随着时间推移，人类发明了书面语言。 这意味着信息可以被写下来再传送。 这些写下来的信息就成了最早的邮件。

The first mail carriers carried mail by foot. These runners ran long distances to carry mail. Sometimes a group of runners carried a piece of mail. Each runner ran a part of the total distance.

最早的邮递员靠步行送邮件。 这些跑步送信的人要跑很远的路送邮件。 有时候会有一组跑步送信的人共同递送一封邮件。 每个人跑总路程的其中一段。