When I stepped onto campus my freshman year of college with my one semester of C programming beneath my belt1， I had no clue that I would be appointed my floor's computer genius.

　　Maybe it was my willingness to help my floor mates hook up2 their computers， but suddenly everyone on my floor was turning to me for their computer problems. Rarely a day passed by without someone asking me to install some new piece of software， to get their printer up and running again， or teach them how to use some new program.

　　At first， I didn't have a clue why they would turn to me. It wasn't like I was a true computer guru3 who programmed for fun and could read binary4. I was just your average computer user who sometimes knew the right combination of buttons to help retrieve5 a " lost" paper. Then， one day after helping a friend squeeze6 far more programs than we probably should have onto her computer， the answer hit me： I understand the three fundamental rules for dealing with computers. Understand these rules and you too can have dozens of people convinced that you are THE source of computer knowledge.

　　Rule 1. Save7 It！ When computers， or computer programs decide to shut down8 or otherwise fail you， it is almost always when you're on page 29 of your 30-page research9 paper. If you've been saving all along， you've

　　lost half a page， maybe a page， both of which are a lot easier to recreate10 from memory than the 29 pages you would have lost if you hadn't been saving at all.

　　Yes， some programs have an auto-save feature11， and some programs can even recover material you never saved. But often， these features fail. Saving often will save you a lot of headache. The general rule is to hit12 save every half-page or so.

　　Never have the only copy of your work saved on a single floppy disk13. Floppy disks are sensitive to everything from magnets14. They can and do fail. Save copies of your work on two separate floppies.

　　Rule 2. Help！！ Almost every computer program has a help button designed to provide information about how to use the program. Many also come with a tutorial15 step-by-step guide that walks you through the basic use of the programs. Hardly anyone uses them. Using the help feature is not like asking for your directions. There's no stigma16 attached to using it， and no one but you and the computer even have to know that you used it. So use it， and embrace17 it， you'll be better off for it. Granted， sometimes the help feature won't be able to answer your question， but that's when you turn to other sources of help e.g.， online tutorials， tech support lines， or that tech kid down the hall who hasn't left his room in a week.

　　Rule 3. Practice. If the only time you approach a computer is to type up a paper or check your e-mail， you won't ever get comfortable with them. To get comfortable use them a lot. Play with programs you've never tried before，learn a programming language， build your own web page. You'll find out that computers almost follow a pattern.

　　As colleges and businesses in general becomes more and more computer based， it's becoming mandatory18 to have a great working knowledge of computers. And while there are software packages （like Microsoft Office） that everyone should know how to use， being comfortable using computers isn't about memorizing how to use every computer program out there.

　　Anyone can teach you to use a program， but unless you get the gist19 of what you're doing when the technology changes， you'll be left computer illiterate20. Learn the fundamental rules， and use them， and you won't be left in the technological dust21.

　　在大學一年級踏進校園時，我只學過一學期的計算機編程語言。我一點兒也沒想到我會被封為我們樓層的計算機天才。

　　或許是由于我愿意幫助我的樓層同伴安裝計算機，但很快這層樓的所有人都來找我幫忙解決他們的計算機問題。幾乎每天都有人請我幫忙安裝新軟件，將他們的打印機弄好，或者教他們如何使用新程序。

　　開始時，我一點兒也不知道他們為何會求助于我。我不像是個既會游戲編程又懂二進制的真正的計算機高手。我只是個一般水平的計算機用戶，有時知道通過正確的鍵盤組合幫助恢復"丟失的"文件而已。后來有一天，在幫助一個朋友把本不該裝那么多的程序勉強裝進計算機之后，我頓時恍然大悟：原來我懂得使用計算機的三個基本規則。懂得這些規則，你也能讓許多人相信你是個計算機萬事通。

　　規則一：保存！計算機或計算機程序突然關閉或出故障，幾乎總是在你30頁長的研究論文做到第29頁的時候。如果你一直隨時保存，你可能會丟失半頁或一頁；如果不隨時保存，你會將29頁都丟掉。從記憶中恢復丟失的半頁、一頁要比恢復29頁容易得多。

　　不錯，有些程序是有自動保存功能，有些程序甚至還能恢復你沒保存過的材料。但這些功能會經常失靈。經常保存會免去許多使你頭痛的問題。一般規則是每打半頁左右就存盤。

　　別把你的文件只保存在一張軟盤上。軟盤對所有磁性物體都很敏感，它們有可能并且肯定會出故障。把你的文件分別保存在兩張軟盤上。

　　規則二：幫助！！幾乎每個計算機程序都設有一個提供如何使用程序信息的幫助鍵。許多程序還提供輔導性的漸進指南，引導你掌握程序的基本用法。幾乎沒有人使用這些幫助。使用幫助功能不像你問路。使用它沒有恥辱感，除了你和計算機外甚至沒有人知道你用過它。使用它并接受它，你會更好地掌握它。當然，幫助功能有時也解決不了你的問題，但這時你可以求助于其他幫助途徑，如在線指導、技術支持電話，或者宿舍里那位一個星期都沒離屋的技術內行。

　　規則三：實踐。如果你與計算機打交道的時間只是打印你的文件或查看你的電子郵件，那么你永遠也不會輕松地使用計算機。多使用就會輕松。玩一些你從沒試過的程序，學一種編程語言，建立自己的網頁。你會發現計算機幾乎總是遵循著一種模式。

　　總之，隨著院校和企業越來越多地依賴計算機，更多地掌握計算機使用知識變得日益迫切。雖然有每個人都應知道怎樣使用的軟件包（如微軟的辦公室軟件包），但是輕松地使用計算機并不是要記住怎樣使用那里邊的每一個計算機程序。

　　任何人都可以教你使用一個程序，但當技術發生諸多變化時，除非你掌握了怎樣做的要領，否則你仍會成為一個計算機盲。學習上述基本規則，并加以使用，你就不會在技術上落伍。

　　注釋：

　　1.beneathone'sbelt被自己獲得（掌握，記住）

　　2.hookup安裝

　　3.guru n.專家，權威

　　4.binary n.二進制

　　5.retrievevvt.使恢復，使再生

　　6.squeeze vt.硬塞

　　7.save vt.保留，留下

　　8.shutdown關閉，停工

　　9.research n.研究，調查

　　10.recreate vt.恢復

　　11.feature n.特點，特色

　　12.hit vt.擊，擊中

　　13.floppydisk柔性塑料磁盤，軟磁盤

　　14.magnet n.磁體，磁鐵

　　15.tutorial adj.輔導的，指導的

　　16.stigma n.恥辱，污名

　　17.embrace vt.（欣然）接受，利用，采取

　　18.mandatory adj.強制的，必須履行的

　　19.gist n.要點，實質

　　20.illiterate n.文盲

　　21.inthedust受辱的

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