谷歌宣布解决量子计算领域一大难题
📖 逐句对照翻译
Google recently said that it had solved a major problem in supercomputing with a new generation of processor called Willow.
谷歌最近表示，它通过名为Willow的新一代处理器解决了超级计算领域的一个重大问题。
Along with other technology companies such as Microsoft and International Business Machines (IBM), Google, whose parent company is Alphabet, is working on quantum computing.
与微软、国际商业机器公司（IBM）等其他科技公司一样，母公司为Alphabet的谷歌也在研究量子计算。
The new development promises to increase computing speeds while limiting mistakes, or errors, which are a problem with quantum computing systems.
这项新进展有望提高计算速度，同时减少错误——而错误正是量子计算系统面临的一个难题。
Scientists at the company's Santa Barbara, California quantum laboratory announced they had at least partly solved the error problem on December 9.
12月9日，该公司位于加利福尼亚州圣巴巴拉的量子实验室的科学家宣布，他们至少部分解决了误差问题。
On the same day, the scientific publication Nature published their paper on error correction.
同日，科学期刊《自然》发表了他们关于纠错的论文。
Google said that the Willow processor carried out a computation in under five minutes that would have taken a fast supercomputer longer than the current age of the universe to complete.
谷歌表示，Willow处理器在不到五分钟内完成的一项计算，若用一台快速超级计算机来完成，所需时间将超过宇宙当前的年龄。
The work of the Google researchers, however, does not have any commercial uses yet.
然而，谷歌研究人员的这项工作目前尚无任何商业用途。
But Google hopes quantum computers will one day solve problems in medicine, battery chemistry and artificial intelligence (AI) that today's computers cannot solve.
但谷歌希望量子计算机有朝一日能解决当今计算机无法解决的医学、电池化学和人工智能领域的难题。
The Willow chip
Willow芯片
The Willow processor, or chip, runs on units of data called “quantum bits” or “qubits” for short.
Willow处理器（即芯片）以称为“量子位”（简称“qubit”）的数据单元运行。
Qubits permit fast computing but can easily create errors.
量子比特能实现快速计算，但容易产生错误。
Google researchers have a theory that qubits might be affected by subatomic particles from events in space.
谷歌研究人员提出一种理论，认为量子比特可能会受到太空中事件产生的亚原子粒子的影响。
As more qubits are placed onto a chip, however, the errors can increase to make the chip no better than today’s usual computer chips.
然而，随着越来越多的量子比特被放置到芯片上，错误可能会增加，使得这种芯片并不比当今普通计算机芯片更好。
As a result, scientists have been working on quantum error-correction since the 1990s.
因此，科学家们自20世纪90年代以来一直在研究量子纠错。
Hartmut Neven, who leads Google’s Quantum AI group, said that Willow has 105 qubits.
谷歌量子人工智能团队负责人哈特穆特·内文表示，Willow拥有105个量子比特。
In the paper recently published in Nature, Google researchers said they have found a way to connect the Willow chip's qubits so that error rates go down as the number of qubits goes up.
在近期发表于《自然》杂志的论文中，谷歌研究人员表示，他们找到了一种连接Willow芯片量子比特的方法，使得量子比特数量增加时错误率反而下降。
Neven also said Willow can correct errors in “real time.”
内文还表示，Willow能够“实时”纠正错误。
That is an important step toward making quantum computers useful.
这是使量子计算机变得有用的一项重要进展。
"We are past the break even point," Neven told Reuters.
内文对路透社表示：“我们已经过了盈亏平衡点。”
In a blog post, he said it was an unmistakable sign that “error correction is improving overall.”
在一篇博客文章中，他表示这是一个明确的迹象，表明“纠错能力正在整体提升”。
In 2019, IBM challenged the claim that Google's quantum chip solved a problem that would take a normal computer 10,000 years to complete.
2019年，IBM对谷歌量子芯片解决了一个普通计算机需要1万年才能完成的问题这一说法提出了质疑。
IBM said the problem could be solved in two-and-a-half days using different assumptions about computer system design.
IBM表示，如果对计算机系统设计采用不同的假设，这个问题可以在两天半内解决。
Google said in its blog post that it considered some of those concerns in its newest estimates.
谷歌在其博客文章中表示，在最新估算中已考虑了其中一些担忧。
Even under the best conditions, Google said a computer of today would still take a billion years to get the same results as its latest chip.
谷歌表示，即使在最佳条件下，当今的计算机仍需十亿年才能获得与其最新芯片相同的结果。
Some of Google's competitors are producing chips with more qubits than Willow.
谷歌的一些竞争对手正在生产比Willow拥有更多量子比特的芯片。
But Anthony Megrant, who is also with Google Quantum AI, told Reuters that Google is trying to make the most dependable qubits possible.
但同样就职于谷歌量子人工智能部门的安东尼·梅格兰特向路透社表示，谷歌正努力制造出尽可能最可靠的量子比特。
Google produced its earlier chips in a shared building at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
谷歌在加州大学圣巴巴拉分校的一栋共享建筑中生产了早期的芯片。
But for the Willow chips, Google built its own special laboratory.
但为了Willow芯片，谷歌建造了自己的专用实验室。
Megrant said that the new lab will speed up the process of making future chips.
Megrant表示，新实验室将加速未来芯片的制造进程。
One major problem is that quantum chips must be kept at low temperatures in machines that can produce extremely low temperatures called cryostats.
一个主要问题是，量子芯片必须保存在能够产生极低温度的机器中，这种机器被称为低温恒温器。
The new laboratory permits the researchers to work more quickly.
新实验室使研究人员能够更快地工作。
"If we have a good idea, we want somebody on the team to be able to...get into that clean room and into one of these cryostats as fast as possible, so we can get lots of cycles of learning," Megrant said.
Megrant说：“如果我们有了一个好想法，我们希望团队里有人能尽快进入那间洁净室，进入其中一台低温恒温器，这样我们就能进行大量循环学习。”
I’m Jill Robbins.
我是吉尔·罗宾斯。
Stephen Nellis reported this story for Reuters news agency.
斯蒂芬·内利斯为路透社报道了这则新闻。
Jill Robbins adapted it for Learning English with additional information from Google and Nature.
吉尔·罗宾斯为《学习英语》改编了该内容，并补充了来自谷歌和《自然》杂志的信息。
