Quantum ( 量子 ) computers have been on my mind a lot lately. A friend has been sending me articles on how quantum computers might help solve some of the biggest challenges we face as humans. I’ve also had exchanges with two quantum-computing experts. One is computer scientist Chris Johnson who I see as someone who helps keep the field honest. The other is physicist Philip Taylor.
最近我经常在想量子计算机。 一个朋友一直在给我寄关于量子计算机如何帮助解决我们作为人类面临的一些最大挑战的文章。 我还与两位量子计算专家进行了交流。 一位是计算机科学家克里斯·约翰逊，我认为他是一个有助于保持该领域诚实的人。 另一位是物理学家菲利普·泰勒。

For decades, quantum computing has been little more than a laboratory curiosity. Now, big tech companies have invested in quantum computing, as have many smaller ones. According to Business Weekly, quantum machines could help us “cure cancer, and even take steps to turn climate change in the opposite direction.” This is the sort of hype ( 炒作 ) that annoys Johnson. He worries that researchers are making promises they can’t keep. “What’s new,” Johnson wrote, “is that millions of dollars are now potentially available to quantum computing researchers.”
几十年来，量子计算一直只是实验室的一种好奇。现在，大型科技公司和许多小公司都投资于量子计算。根据《商业周刊》的报道，量子计算机可能有助于我们“治愈癌症，甚至采取措施逆转气候变化”。这种炒作使约翰逊感到恼火。他担心研究人员在做出无法实现的承诺。“新的情况是，量子计算研究人员现在可能获得数百万美元。”

As quantum computing attracts more attention and funding, researchers may mislead investors, journalists, the public and, worst of all, themselves about their work’s potential. If researchers can’t keep their promises, excitement might give way to doubt, disappointment and anger, Johnson warns. Lots of other technologies have gone through stages of excitement. But something about quantum computing makes it especially prone to hype, Johnson suggests, perhaps because “‘quantum’ stands for something cool you shouldn’t be able to understand.” And that brings me back to Taylor, who suggested that I read his book Q for Quantum.
随着量子计算吸引更多关注和资金，研究人员可能会误导投资者、记者、公众，甚至更糟糕的是误导自己关于他们工作的潜力。如果研究人员无法实现他们的承诺，兴奋可能会变为怀疑、失望和愤怒，约翰逊警告说。许多其他技术都经历过兴奋的阶段。但约翰逊暗示，量子计算尤其容易被夸大，也许是因为“’量子’代表一些酷炫的东西，你不应该能够理解”。这就让我想起了泰勒，他建议我阅读他的《Q量子》一书。

After I read the book, Taylor patiently answered my questions about it. He also answered my questions about PyQuantum, the firm he co-founded in 2016. Taylor shares Johnson’s concerns about hype, but he says those concerns do not apply to PyQuantum.
阅读完这本书后，泰勒耐心地回答了我对书的问题。他还回答了我对他于2016年共同创立的PyQuantum公司的问题。泰勒和约翰逊分享对夸大宣传的担忧，但他表示这些担忧并不适用于PyQuantum。

The company, he says, is closer than any other firm “by a very large margin ( 幅度 )” to building a “useful” quantum computer, one that “solves an impactful problem that we would not have been able to solve otherwise.” He adds, “People will naturally discount my opinions, but I have spent a lot of time quantitatively comparing what we are doing with others.”
泰勒说，该公司比任何其他公司都更接近建立一台“有用”的量子计算机，“解决一个具有影响力的问题，否则我们将无法解决。” 他补充说，“人们自然会质疑我的观点，但我已花了很多时间用数量化的方法比较我们正在做的事情和其他公司。”

Could PyQuantum really be leading all the competition “by a wide margin”, as Taylor claims? I don’t know. I’m certainly not going to advise my friend or anyone else to invest in quantum computers. But I trust Taylor, just as I trust Johnson.
泰勒声称，PyQuantum是否真的领先所有竞争对手“遥不可及”？我不知道。我肯定不会建议我的朋友或任何人投资量子计算技术。但我信任泰勒，就像我信任约翰逊一样。

31．Regarding Johnson’s concerns, the author feels __.
A．sympathetic B．unconcerned C．doubtful D．excited
答案：A

32．What leads to Taylor’s optimism about quantum computing?
A．His dominance in physics. B．The competition in the field.
C．His confidence in PyQuantum. D．The investment of tech companies.
答案：C

33．What does the underlined word “prone” in Paragraph 3 most probably mean?
A．Open. B．Cool. C．Useful. D．Resistant.
答案：A

34．Which would be the best title for the passage?
A．Is Johnson More Competent Than Taylor?
B．Is Quantum Computing Redefining Technology?
C．Will Quantum Computers Ever Come into Being?
D．Will Quantum Computing Ever Live Up to Its Hype?
答案：D