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来源morse code & the telegraph — historycom articles, video, pictures and facts
http://www.history.com/topics/telegraph译者van c
morse code & the telegraph
摩尔斯电码和电报
developed in the 1830s and 1840s by samuel morse (1791-1872) and other inventors, the telegraph revolutionized long-distance communication. it worked by transmitting electrical signals over a wire laid between stations. in addition to helping invent the telegraph, samuel morse developed a code (bearing his name) that assigned a set of dots and dashes to each letter of the english alphabet and allowed for the simple transmission of complex messages across telegraph lines. in 1844, morse sent his first telegraph message, from washington, d.c., to baltimore, maryland; by 1866, a telegraph line had been laid across the atlantic ocean from the u.s. to europe. although the telegraph had fallen out of widespread use by the start of the 21st century, replaced by the telephone, fax machine and internet, it laid the groundwork for the communications revolution that led to those later innovations.
萨缪尔•摩尔斯（samuel morse ，1791-1872）等人在19世纪三四十年代发明的电报使长距离通信发生了革命性变化。它通过铺设在电报站之间的电线传送电信号工作。萨缪尔•摩尔斯不仅促成了电报的发明，他还开发了一套以他名字命名的电码。电码用一套点和破折号代表26个英文字母，使得复杂的信息可以通过电报线方便地传送。1884 年，摩尔斯从华盛顿向马里兰的巴尔的摩发送了第一条电报；1866年，在大西洋底架起了一条美国到欧洲的电报线。虽然电报在21世纪初走向没落，被电话、传真、因特网取代，但正是电报奠定了通信领域创新的基础。
early forms of long-distance communication
早期长距离通信的形式：
before the development of the electric telegraph in the 19th century revolutionized how information was transmitted across long distances, ancient civilizations such as those in china, egypt and greece used drumbeats or smoke signals to exchange information between far-flung points. however, such methods were limited by the weather and the need for an uninterrupted line of sight between receptor points. these limitations also lessened the effectiveness of the semaphore, a modern precursor to the electric telegraph. developed in the early 1790s, the semaphore consisted of a series of hilltop stations that each had large movable arms to signal letters and numbers and two telescopes with which to see the other stations. like ancient smoke signals, the semaphore was susceptible to weather and other factors that hindered visibility. a different method of transmitting information was needed to make regular and reliable long-distance communication workable.
在 19世纪发明电报（引起了长距离通信的革命性变化）之前，古代文明（比如中国、埃及和希腊）在远距离两地之间利用打鼓声或者烟雾做信号来交换信息。然而，这些方式受天气条件所限，并且需要接收两地之间视线不受影响。这些限制也削弱了旗语（电报的先驱）的作用。18世纪九十年代发明的旗语由一系列烽火台（不够正确，烽火台应该是传递烟雾信号的。更好的译法请眉批）组成，每个烽火台都有巨大的移动臂（用以发送字母和数字信号）和两个望远镜（用以看到相邻的烽火台）。和狼烟一样，旗语也受天气和其他影响视线的因素影响，这就需要另一个行之有效的方式来传送信息。
the electric telegraph
电报
in the early 19th century, two developments in the field of electricity opened the door to the production of the electric telegraph. first, in 1800, the italian physicist alessandro volta (1745-1827) invented the battery, which reliably stored an electric current and allowed the current to be used in a controlled environment. second, in 1820, the danish physicist hans christian oersted (1777-1851) demonstrated the connection between electricity and magnetism by deflecting a magnetic needle with an electric current. while scientists and inventors across the world began experimenting with batteries and the principles of electromagnetism to develop some kind of communication system, the credit for inventing the telegraph generally falls to two sets of researchers: sir william cooke (1806-79) and sir charles wheatstone (1802-75) in england, and samuel morse, leonard gale (1800-83) and alfred vail (1807-59) in the u.s.
19 世纪初电子领域的两项发明为电报的发明提供了机会。第一项是在1800年，意大利物理学家亚历山德罗•沃尔特（alessandro volta，1745-1827）发明了电池，可以储存电流并能使电流在控制的环境中使用。第二项是在1820年，丹麦物理学家汉斯•克里斯蒂安•奥斯特（hans christian oersted，1777-1851）用电流使小磁针偏转证明了电流的磁效应。全世界的科学家都开始用电池进行实验并利用电磁原理研究新的通信系统，而这份功劳最终记在两组研究人员身上：英国的威廉•库克爵士（sir william cooke，1806-1879）和查尔斯•惠斯通爵士（sir charles wheatsone，1802-1875）；以及美国的萨缪尔•摩尔斯（samuel morse）和阿尔弗雷德•威尔（alfred vail，1807-1859）。
in the 1830s, the british team of cooke and wheatstone developed a telegraph system with five magnetic needles that could be pointed around a panel of letters and numbers by using an electric current. their system was soon being used for railroad signaling in britain. during this time period, the massachusetts-born, yale-educated morse (who began his career as a painter), worked to develop an electric telegraph of his own. he reportedly had become intrigued with the idea after hearing a conversation about electromagnetism while sailing from europe to america in the early 1830s, and later learned more about the topic from american physicist joseph henry (1797-1878). in collaboration with gale and vail, morse eventually produced a single-circuit telegraph that worked by pushing the operator key down to complete the electric circuit of the battery. this action sent the electric signal across a wire to a receiver at the other end. all the system needed was a key, a battery, wire and a line of poles between stations for the wire and a receiver.
19 世纪三十年代，英国的库克和惠斯通开发了电报系统。该系统有五个磁针，通电后，可以指出一组字母和数字。他们的系统很快英国铁路用来发送信号。在这个时期，出生于马萨诸塞州，毕业于耶鲁大学的摩尔斯（最初是一名画家）正致力于开发一套他自己的电报系统。据说是在19世纪三十年代一次由欧洲到美国的航海途中，他听到了一段人们关于电磁学的谈话后产生了这个想法。之后，他又从美国物理学家约瑟夫•亨利（joseph henry，1797-1878）那里了解了更多这方面的知识。通过与加尔（gale）和威尔的合作，摩尔斯最终研制出一种单回路的电报。这种电报只需按下操作键形成电池的完整回路即可工作（将电信号通过电线传送给另一段的接收者）。整个电报系统只需一个键、一个电池、若干电线和电线杆（架在两个站之间）即可。
morse code
摩尔斯电码
to transmit messages across telegraph wires, in the 1930s morse and vail created what came to be known as morse code. the code assigned letters in the alphabet and numbers a set of dots (short marks) and dashes (long marks) based on the frequency of use; letters used often (such as "e") got a simple code, while those used infrequently (such as "q") got a longer and more complex code. initially, the code, when transmitted over the telegraph system, was rendered as marks on a piece of paper that the telegraph operator would then translate back into english. rather quickly, however, it became apparent that the operators were able to hear and understand the code just by listening to the clicking of the receiver, so the paper was replaced by a receiver that created more pronounced beeping sounds.
为了在电报线之间传送信息，在20世纪三十年代摩尔斯和威尔创造了摩尔斯电码。这套电码将字母表中的字母和数字根据使用频率用一套点（短标记）和破折号（长标记）表示，使用频繁的（比如e）用简单的电码表示，使用较少的（比如q）用比较复杂的电码表示。最初通过电报系统传送信息是将电码抄在纸上，然后由电报员将其翻译成英语来完成。然而，电报员很快发现只要能够听懂电报接收器的敲击声，就可以不用写在纸上而只需要接收器发出各种哔哔声即可。
rise and decline of the telegraph system.
电报的兴衰
in 1843, morse and vail received funding from the u.s. congress to set up and test their telegraph system between washington, d.c., and baltimore, maryland. on may 24, 1844, morse sent vail the historic first message: "what hath god wrought!" the telegraph system subsequently spread across america and the world, aided by further innovations. among these improvements was the invention of good insulation for telegraph wires. the man behind this innovation was ezra cornell (1807-74), one of the founders of the university in new york that bears his name. another improvement, by the famed inventor thomas alva edison (1847-1931) in 1874, was the quadruplex system, which allowed for four messages to be transmitted simultaneously using the same wire.
在 1843年，摩尔斯和威尔受美国国会资助，在华盛顿和马里兰州的巴尔的摩之间建立电报系统并进行了测试。在1844年5月24日，史上第一条电报由摩尔斯成功地发送给威尔：上帝做了什么！在这之后电报系统通过不断创新迅速传遍美国和全世界。由以斯拉•康奈尔（ezra cornell，1807-1874，坐落在纽约的一所以其名字命名的大学的创始人之一）发明的绝缘电线便是众多技术创新中的一个。另一项技术进步——四路系统，由著名发明家托马斯•阿尔瓦•爱迪生（thomas alva edison，1847-1931）于1874年发明，它可以使四条信息在同一条电报线上同时传送。
rise and decline of the telegraph system
电报的兴衰
use of the telegraph was quickly accepted by people eager for a faster and easier way of sending and receiving information. however, widespread and successful use of the device required a unified system of telegraph stations among which information could be transmitted. the western union telegraphy company, founded in part by cornell, was at first only one of many such companies that developed around the new medium during the 1850s. by 1861, however, western union had laid the first transcontinental telegraph line, making it the first nationwide telegraph company. telegraph systems spread across the world, as well. extensive systems appeared across europe by the later part of the 19th century, and by 1866 the first permanent telegraph cable had been successfully laid across the atlantic ocean; there were 40 such telegraph lines across the atlantic by 1940.
电报的使用很快被渴望更快更便捷地发送接收信息的人们接受。然而，电报设备要想广泛、成功的使用，这就要求电报站有统一的系统以保证信息的传送。由康奈尔参与建立的西联电讯公司最初在19世纪五十年代只是众多发展这种新媒体的电报公司之一，然而，在1861年，西联电讯公司架设了第一条跨洲电报线，使其成为全国第一大电报公司。电报系统也随之风靡全世界：19世纪后半段欧洲出现众多电报系统；到1866年第一条永久的电报电缆在大西洋底成功完成铺设；到 1940年共有40条这样的电报线穿越大西洋。
the electric telegraph transformed how wars were fought and won and how journalists and newspapers conducted business. rather than taking weeks to be delivered by horse-and-carriage mail carts, pieces of news could be exchanged between telegraph stations almost instantly. the telegraph also had a profound economic effect, allowing money to be "wired" across great distances.
电报极大地改变了战争的形式以及新闻记者的工作方式和报纸的发行模式。相比于由马车送信需要数星期，一条条信息通过电报站几乎立即就能发送出去。电报也具有深远的经济效益，虽身在远方却也能通过电报（传达信息和决策）赚钱。
even by the end of the 19th century, however, new technologies began to emerge, many of them based on the same principles first developed for the telegraph system. in time, these new technologies would overshadow the telegraph, which would fall out of regular widespread usage. although the telegraph has since been replaced by the even more convenient telephone, fax machine and internet, its invention stands as a turning point in world history.
虽然到了19世纪末新的科学技术开始崛起，但是许多技术都是基于与最初发明电报同样的原理。新技术终将取代电报，电报将不再被日常使用。虽然电报已经被更为方便的电话、传真和因特网代替，但电报的发明成为了世界历史的一个转折点。
samuel morse died in new york city at the age of 80 on april 2, 1872.
萨缪尔•摩尔斯于1872年4月2日在纽约逝世，享年80岁。
