Next they had to decide on a “natural” length. They chose one ten-millionth of the distance from the Equator to the North Pole.接下来他们必须决定一种“自然的”长度。他们选择了从赤道到北极距离的一千万分之一。
They called this one meter. Then they chose one gram for weighing water in a cubic centimetre. 他们将它称作一米。然后他们将一立方厘米的水的重量定为一克。
Mathematicians and scientists worked on these problems for twenty years until they finally finished the complete system.数学家和科学家共同研究了二十年最终完成了这个度量衡制。
The metric system was a wonderful gift to the world. There are only a few countries that don't use it. The United States is one.公制是献给世界的一份很好的礼物。只有很少的几个国家不使用它。美国是其中之一。
The metric system is truly an international system. 公制的确是一个国际性的度量衡制。