VOA慢速英语:Microsoft Helps People Learn Computer Coding

Computer coding was once an activity for computer programmers and software engineers.
电脑编程曾是计算机程序设计员和软件工程师的专属活动。

Now, thanks to Microsoft Corporation, anyone around the world has the chance to learn coding skills.
多亏了微软公司，目前世界上任何一个人都有机会学习编程技能。

Microsoft has partnered with Code.org, a non-profit group, to offer free in-store classes and online training on coding.The programs are being offered in the United States and overseas.
微软公司与一家非盈利编码机构合作，提供有关编码的免费实体课程和在线培训。美国和海外其它国家提供该项目。

Every online website and mobile application program is coded with a programming “language,” such as Java or C++.The step-by-step directions for each language are not hard to understand.They can be taught to someone as young as 4 years old.
所有在线网站和手机应用程序都编有程序设计的“语言”，比如Java或C++。理解每种语言的步骤指示并不难。甚至四岁的孩子都可以教会。

Dona Sarkar serves as a principal programs manager at Microsoft.
多纳·萨卡尔是微软公司的主要项目经理。

“Coding is a universal language,” she notes.“Coding is the language of solving problems.It’s very rare that a new literacy comes along in our lifetime.It absolutely can be democratized.”
她指出，“编程是通用语言。”“编程是解决问题的语言。能够陪伴我们一生的这种新的学问是非常稀有的。这种语言绝对可以大众化。”

On a recent day, a handful of students attended a class at a Microsoft store in New York City. They studied the “Minecraft” video game to learn about coding.They learned to put together virtual blocks of code for simple commands like “move forward” and “turn left.”These commands direct the movement of the images in the game.
最近某天，少数学生参加了纽约微软商店的课程。他们研究了“我的世界”视频游戏来学习编程。他们学会了如何通过把虚拟的代码块组合起来，做一些类似“前进”或“向左”的简单指令。这些指令指挥着游戏中图像的移动。

Microsoft is also expanding coding programs overseas.The company has given computer hardware to 25 entrepreneurs in Lagos, Nigeria to help get their business startup ideas up and running.It also provided technical and business training to them.
目前，微软还向海外市场展开编程项目。公司将计算机硬件给了尼日利亚拉各斯的25位企业家，旨在促成他们创业的想法，并将其得到真正落实。微软还向他们提供技术和商业培训。

“Many of our entrepreneurs are not technical”, Sarkar said.“But that does not mean they don’t know what problems exist in Nigeria and they don’t have a solution to fix it.”
萨卡尔称，“我们许多企业家都不是很懂技术。”“但这不意味着他们不知道尼日利亚存在什么问题，不意味着他们没有解决方法。”

One of the Nigerian startup businesses is called OneTrack.It is creating mobile-tracking technology to fight against child kidnapping.
尼日利亚的一家创业公司是OneTrack。该公司创造手机追踪技术，打击儿童诱拐行为。

Yet coding students in different countries face different problems.
然而，不同国家学习编程的学生会面临不同的问题。

“We were coding one night,” Sarkar remembered.“We were working on prototypes.The lights go out.No one notices.They (the coders) just keep typing.To them it’s a way of life.”
萨卡尔记得，“有一天晚上，我们在编程。我们在做原型。灯灭了。没有人注意到。这些编码员还是在继续打字。这对于他们来说是一种生活方式。”

The incident served as an example of the day-to-day problems that can affect some Microsoft users.It provided information for Microsoft officials on the ways in which they can improve their products.
这种突发事件是影响一些微软用户日常问题的例子。它也提供了微软官员改善他们产品方式的信息。

I’m Phil Dierking.
菲尔·迪尔金为您报道。