雙語暢銷書《艾倫圖靈傳》第7章:運轉起來(85)
The official research programme for the new Division in October 1944 included 'Investigation of the possible adaptation of automatic telephone equipment to scientific computing' and 'Development of electronic counting device suitable for rapid computing'.
Behind these words there were more definite intentions to imitate the American developments.
這裏面透露了明顯的意圖，就是要追趕美國的發展。Hartree, with his differential analyser at Manchester University, already had an interest in computing machinery, and had a finger in many wartime scientific projects.
哈特里在曼徹斯特大學做過差分機，他對計算機很感興趣，並且也參與了很多戰時的科研項目。
In the high levels where he moved, some details of the secret Aiken and ENIAC machines filtered through.
在他參與的一些高層交流中，有時會泄漏出一些關於艾肯機和ENIAC的細節，Such knowledge was reflected in Womersley's report in December 1944, which, though it placed emphasis upon building a large differential analyser, remarked on the speed of electronics,
這些都反映在沃默斯利1944年12月的報告中。他的報告強調要建造一個大型差分機，他看到了電子技術的高速性，and suggested that 'a machine can be made to perform certain cycles of operations mechanically instructions to the machine (could) depend on the result of previous operations problem is already being tackled in the USA.'
並建議"建造一個機器，來機械化地執行特定範圍的運算……該機器可以根據之前的操作結果，來對後面的指令做出決策……美國已經在研究這個課題了"。The press release in April 1945, when the new Division was officially inaugurated,
1945年4月，他們召開了新聞發佈會，新部門正式成立，only made mention of 'analytical engines, including the differential analyser and other machines both existing and awaiting invention is certain that this field is capable of great developments, but it is more difficult to predict in what directions they will lie.'
並且談到了"分析引擎，差分機，以及其它現有的或今後將會發明的機器，必將有偉大的前景，但目前還無法預測它明確的發展方向"。But it seemed that the direction in which to look was westwards,
不過，他們的方向似乎很明確，那就是向西方學習。and in February 1945, Womersley had been packed off on a two-month tour of the computing installations of the United States, where on 12 March he was the first non-American to be allowed access to the ENIAC, and to be informed of the EDVAC report.
1945年2月，沃默斯利收拾好行李，準備去美國待兩個月，學習他們的計算設施。3月12日，他成爲第一個直接接觸到ENIAC，並知道EDVAC報告的非美國人。
