雙語暢銷書《艾倫圖靈傳》第7章:運轉起來(66)
The zeta-function machine depended on measuring the moment of a collection of rotating wheels.
This physical quantity was to be the 'analogue' of the mathematical quantity being calculated.
這個物理量，是需要計算的數學量的模擬。On the other hand, the binary multiplier had depended upon nothing but observations of 'on' and 'off'.
而二進制乘法機則是通過觀察開和關，
It was a machine not for measuring quantities, but for organising symbols.
這個機器不進行測量，而是組織符號。In practice, there might be both analogue and digital aspects to a machine. There was not a hard-and-fast distinction.
實際上，機器還是模擬和數字的混合，這兩者沒有明顯的界線。The Bombe, for instance, certainly operated on symbols, and so was essentially 'digital', but its mode of operation depended upon the accurate physical motion of the rotors, and their analogy with the enciphering Enigma.
比如說炸彈機，它當然是操作符號的，本質上是數字的，但是它同時需要依靠轉盤的精確運動，來模擬謎機的加密。Even counting on one's fingers, by definition 'digital', would have an aspect of physical analogy with the objects being counted.
甚至比如說，用手指來計數，這是數字化的概念，但同時也是對物體的物理量的一種模擬。However, there was a practical consideration which provided the effective distinction between an analogue and a digital approach.
然而，有一個界定模擬和數字的標準，It was the question of what happened when increased accuracy was sought.
那就是考查當提高精度的時候，會發生什麼。
