计算机英语会话(MP3+中英字幕) 第12期:计算机软件(4)

Professional Terms专业术语budget n.预算calculate v.计算，推测poultry n.爱禽，鸡类temperature vt.温度update vt.适时修改，更新Application software应用软件Any instructions or collection of related programs designed to be carried out by a computer to satisfy a user's specific needs are applications software.为了满足某一用户具体需要而设计的，由计算机执行的任何一些指令或一些相互关联的软件的总合，均称为应用软件。A group of programs written to perform payroll processing is one type of applications softwre.为完成工资单的数据处理而编写的一套程序就属于应用软件的一种。as are programs written to maintain personnel records, update an inventory system, help you calculate a budge.还有那些专为保管个人档案资料、用来不断更新库存系统、协助你做预算，or monitor the incubation temperatures at your poultry farm.或者监控家禽养殖孵化温度等而编写的程序，也都是应用软件。Applications software can be purchased "off the shelf". or written.应用软件可以购买市场上现成的，or it can be written to order by qualified programmers.也可预先约请合格的程序编写人员编写。If for example, a company's payroll processing requirements are fairly routine.例如，如果某一个公司工资单的数据处理要求相当平常，it can probably purchase one or more payroll applications software programs off the shelf to handle the job.那就可以买一个或多个市场上流行的工资单应用软件程序，来完成这项工作。However, if a company has unique payroll requirements,但是，如果某个公司有独特的工资单要求，such as a need to handle the records of hourly employees, salaried employees, and commissioned employees,例如它需要计算小时工的、一般工薪人员的和委任的官员们的工资单，the off-the-shelf software may not be satisfactory.那么，市场上流行的软件就不能满足这些要求。It may be more cost-effective to have the payroll programs written to exact specifictions.这时，约请专人编写合乎确切要求的工资单程序所花的费用，than to try to modify off-the-shelf programs to do something they were never intended to do.,就可能会比通过现行程序，而使它能胜任过去从未做过的事，要更便宜一些。