【翻譯原文】

　　算盤 (abacus) 是一種手動操作計算輔助工具形式。它起源于中國，迄今已有2600多年的歷史，是中國古代的一項重要發(fā)明。在阿拉伯數(shù)字 (Arabic numerals)出現(xiàn)前，算盤是世界廣為使用的計算工具。現(xiàn)在，算盤在亞洲和中東的部分地區(qū)繼續(xù)使用，尤其見于商店之中，可以從供應中國商品和日本商品的商店里買到。在西方，它有時候被用來幫助小孩子們理解數(shù)字，而一些數(shù)學家喜歡體驗一下使用算盤計算出簡單算術 (arithmetical)問題的感覺。

　　【參考譯文】

　　An abacus is a form of manually operated counting aid. It has originated in China over 2600 years ago. It is one of the most important inventions of ancient China. The abacus used to be the most widely used calculation tool before the appearance of Arabic numerals. At present, abacuses continue to be used in part of Asia and the Middle East, especially in the shops, and they are available in stores which stock Chinese or Japanese goods. In the west, it is sometimes used to help young children grasp numbers, and some mathematicians enjoy experimenting with the abacus to work out simple arithmetical problems.