特别广播英语第 237 课：Time to Call the Doctor “爱你”爱到毒死你！-1

In today's world, we rely on computers as never before. 在当今世界，我们前所未有地依赖电脑。

They are used for everything from ordering a pizza to running hospitals and military defense systems. 从订购比萨饼到管理医院及军事防御系统，计算机的使用范围广及各个层面。

Banking and credit card information is stored and accessed by computers. 银行业务及信用卡的资料都要靠计算机储存和支取。

So what happens when a computer gets infected with a virus? 假如计算机染上病毒会怎样呢？

One effect is that people's access to their e-mail accounts is cut off. A more serious possible consequence is that billions of dollars could be lost. 一个影响是电子邮件帐户的通路被切断，另一个更严重的后果则是数十亿的美元有可能丢失。

A virus is a computer program that copies itself onto other programs and infects them. Similar to an easily spread disease, a computer virus goes from computer to computer, either adding to or changing the tasks a program is designed to do. 计算机病毒是一种计算机程序，它把自己的程序拷贝到其它程序上，从而传染病毒。和容易蔓延的疾病一样，电脑病毒由一个计算机传到另一个计算机，增加或改变原程序所执行的任务。

The first computer viruses were created in the mid '80s and had varying effects. 计算机病毒首先在80年代中期被创造出来，造成不同程度的影响。

Some caused files to be deleted, or made the letters on the screen appear to fall off. 有些使文件被删除，或使屏幕上的字看起来往下掉。

Others displayed a specific message once the computer was turned on.其它的则在电脑一开机就显示特定的信息。