The Social Network That Changed the World社群网路改变全世界


By now, nearly everybody knows the back story of Facebook. Mark Zuckerberg and some friends hacked into the computer system at Harvard University and started a website to compare pairs of incoming freshmen. Then, he created a social network that was only for college students, and it took off like wildfire. Now, everyone can use Facebook, and it has become one of the biggest websites in the world, with the company being worth billions of dollars. For many people, Zuckerberg is a shining example of ingenuity. He came up with an idea that he still keeps improving to meet consumer demands.
Facebook has only been around for 10 years, but in that time, it has had more than one billion people sign up for its service. To show how huge it is, if Facebook were a country, it would be the third largest in the world behind China and India in terms of population.
Think about it. Are any of your friends not on Facebook? Wouldn't it be weird if they weren't? Nowadays, nearly everyone spends a few hours each day using its various functions. These include users checking their mail, writing status updates, sharing pictures, and looking through their newsfeeds on Facebook.


至今，几乎大家都晓得脸书背後的故事。马克．

祖克柏与几位朋友非法入侵哈佛大学的电脑系统，然後架设一个网站，对入学新生作出成对评比。接著他创造了一个专属於大学生的社群网路，而这个网路很快地大受欢迎。现在，大家都能使用脸书，脸书也变成全世界最大的网站之一，以及拥有价值数十亿美元的公司。对许多人来说，祖克柏是个具有独创性的好榜样。他想出了个主意，且仍然不断在改善这个主意以达到顾客的需求。
脸书成立只有十年左右，但在这段时间里，它有十亿多个用户注册申请脸书服务。要说明它有多庞大，如果脸书是一个国家，就人口来说，它会是世界上第三大国，仅次於中国和印度。
想想看。你有什麽朋友还不上脸书的吗？如果他们不上脸书，不是很奇怪吗？现今，几乎每个人每天都会花几小时来使用脸书的各种功能。包括查看信件、更新状态、分享照片和浏览脸书上的动态更新。

1. hack into...（非法）入侵（某系统）
   Someone may have hacked into our computer system.
   可能已经有人入侵我们的电脑系统了。
2. compare vt. 比较；比喻
   compare A with / to B拿 A 和 B 相比
   My parents have a tendency to compare me with my older brother.
   我爸妈往往拿我跟我哥哥作比较。
3. take off开始大受欢迎　成功
   Jill felt relieved when her business finally took off.
   吉儿的生意终於有起色，让她松了一口气。
4. come up with...想出　提出（主意、点子）
   Mark came up with a creative way to solve the problem.
   马克想出一个很有创意的方法来解决这个问题。
5. sign up for...注册……；报名参加……
   Beth signed up for a yoga class at the YWCA.
   贝丝报名参加基督教女青年会的瑜珈课程。
6. population n. 人口（集合名词，通常与冠词 a 并用）
   a large / small population人口众多　稀少
   There is a fairly large population of foreigners living in Taiwan.
   台湾住著相当多的外国人。
7. various a. 各式各样的
   This vacuum cleaner comes with various cleaning attachments.
   这个吸尘器附有许多不同的清洁配件。
8. look through sth浏览某物
   Joe looked through his notes before the exam.
   小乔在考试前浏览他的笔记。

1. wildfire n. 野火
2. ingenuity n. 独创性；巧妙（皆不可数）