Quantum computing is not just better computing, faster computing. It is a different kind of computing -量子计算，不是更强更快，而是完全不同的计算模式。
从研发新药、新材料到建立更精确的气候模型，按照预测，量子计算技术可能解决很多类似的基础性问题。量子技术可能在几秒内计算出现行超级计算机需要花费几千年才能搞定的问题。该技术还处在早期阶段，但其发展势头十分迅猛。
So how will quantum computing change the world?量子技术会给世界带来什么？
Jason (Palmer Host, The Intelligence podcast The Economist):
A standard computer might have billions of bits.each one can be a one or a zero and they’re all completely separate from each other.Quantum bits, or Qubits, work differently for a couple of reasons that come from quantum mechanics.标准计算机具有几十亿比特。每个比特位可以设置为0和1两种状态，同时，这些比特互不影响。量子计算机中的量子比特(也叫Qubits)的工作方式有几点不同。
Thanks Jason, but let’s not go down that rabbit hole. All you need to know is this.感谢Jason.我们还是不要进入理论的无底洞吧。我们只需要知道的是:
The theory shows that certain kinds of problems, not all, just some particularly thorny ones, are made much easier when you’ve got quantum computers. One of those problems is in encryption --- the kinds of codes that protect your credit-card details online or your messages in Whatsapp or Signal . What got people really interested in making quantum computers was the realisation that they could break encryption that was supposed to be too hard to crack, because regular computers couldn’t crack them.量子理论显示:对于某些特定领域的棘手问题，量子计算机可以轻松应对。这些问题之一是加密算法，就是那些用来保护在线信用卡信息以及Whatsapp、Signal等应用中发送的信息的程序代码。但让人们研发量子计算机的动力是其可以破解以往那些常规的计算机无法破解加密算法。
That’s the kind of thing that gets the attention of national governments: the ability to crack other countries’ encrypted networks. As in the case of artificial intelligence, China says it intends to lead the world in quantum science and has announced plans to open its own national quantum laboratory to open in 2020.America is getting involved too, it intends to create a national quantum initiative.>这一点引起了政府部门的兴趣，因为量子计算使破解别国加密网络成为可能。与人工智能领域情况类似，中国宣称将致力于成为世界量子计算技术领头羊，并于2020年完成国家量子实验室建设。美国同样不甘落后，也计划建设国家量子研究院。
That’s because the prize that quantum computing offers: The potential strategic or commercial advantage is huge. Imagine if you could make minute-to-minute, real-time stock predictions based on data from every trade ever made or if you could simply compute the formula for a new fuel or a drug that beats a horrible disease.That’s the kind of promise that quantum computing may offer.其原因是量子计算将带来巨大的战略和商业价值。设想一下，你可以基于以往所有交易信息做到分钟级实时股票预测，或者可以轻松的得到新型燃料或治愈重大疾病的新药配方。这正是量子计算技术的优势所在。
There are already quantum computers out there. But it’s a bit like the situation with regular computers in the 1950s: big basement-sized things that required a pile of PhDs to operate and they still weren’t very powerful现在已经出现了量子计算机，但是它们仅相当于上世纪50年代的初级计算机---需要一堆博士操作的庞然大物，而且处理能力也不够强。
A typewriter-like keyboard is the master control, sending out data and instructions on a punched tape which in turn feeds the electronic computer .(视频声音)一个打字机样的键盘作为控制器，把存放于磁带上的数据和指令按顺序送入电子计算机中执行。
There’s a huge effort to make more powerful quantum computers. This used to be the stuff of university physics departments，But you can see the potential when you see who’s in the business now. It’s big names like Google Microsoft IBM.制造能力更强大的量子计算机还有海量工作要做。这以前是大学物理系的事。但当你发现谷歌、微软、IBM等大公司的名字出现名单之中时，你应该能够感受到这项技术的巨大潜力了。
But it’s not just about when one day one company or one lab invents this one computer. It’s going to be a bunch of small advances towards the kind that’s commercially available、reliable and can really solve some of these big problems但这不是说一家公司或者实验室会在未来搞出这样的量子计算机。它将来自商业可靠性和解决现实问题的实践积累。
Problems that once took the human mind seven years to solve.(视频声音)那些以前需要人类7年时间才能解决的问题，
Here’s the thing when we talk about quantum computing，people tend to think of all-singing, all-powerful machines that can run any kind of program what’s called a universal computer . That’s still a distant prospect. But in the meantime there will be smaller machines more specific-purpose, less general-purpose .These things are incredibly hard to run. They’re held at temperatures lower than that of deep space ,in very very controlled laboratory environments .在提及量子计算机时，人们往往想象出那种能够处理各种问题的先进的通用计算机。但这只是未来设想，在这之前，会出现一些专用的小型机器，而不是通用计算机。这种计算机很难实现，它们只能比外太空温度还低的实验室环境下运行。
Even if you could just pick one up off the shelf, you wouldn’t, yes, they’re incredibly powerful for some kinds of problems, but they’re not going to replace the kind of computer on your desk or in your phone .You don’t need quantum powers to edit photos or send emails .即使可能在市场上买到(当然，不可能)，量子计算机只是在某些问题上特别擅长，它们并不能替代你的办公电脑或者手机。你没有必要使用量子计算技术来编辑照片，或收发电子邮件。
In fact，what will probably happen is that a few companies have the best computers and you can use them on a kind of time-share basis in the cloud or you send off your gnarly quantum problem and just get an answer back .事实上，最有可能的情况是，一些公司拥有最好的计算机，用户采用云的方式计时租用，或者你发送相关量子问题，然后等着答案就好了。
But the kinds of problems that we’ll be able to pose，the kinds of answers we’ll be able to get are absolutely unthinkable now . That’s what has governments, industry giants and plucky startups in on the race.但是给出问题，得到答案的模式现在还完全无法想象。这也是政府、企业和那些勇于创新的新公司正在努力实现的目标。
