1.Text
Whether or not they have used a computer, most people are familiar with text. Text is the basis for word processing programs and is still the fundamental information used in many multimedia programs.
In fact, many multimedia applications are based on the conversion of a book to a computerized form. This conversion gives the user immediate access to the text and lets him or her display pop-up windows, which give definitions of certain words. Multimedia applications also enable the user to instantly display information related to a certain topic that is being viewed. Most powerfully, the computerized form of a book allows the user to look up information quickly （without referring to the index or table of contents）.
The Windows operating environment gives the user an almost infinite range of expressing text. As a multimedia programmer, you can choose what font to display text in, how big （or small） it should be, and what color it should be displayed in. By displaying text in more than one format, the message a multimedia application is trying to portray can be made more understandable[1].
One type of a application, which many people use every day, is the Windows Help Engine. This application is a text-based information viewer that makes accessing information related to a certain topic easy.
2.Audio Sound
The integration of audio sound into a multimedia application can provide the user with information not possible through any other method of communication. Some types of information can't be conveyed effectively without using sound. It is nearly impossible, for example, to provide an accurate textual description of the beat of a heart or the sound of the ocean.
Audio sound is available in several different formats. Today, maybe the most common type of audio is red book audio. This is the standard specification used to refer to consumer audio compact discs. It is an international standard and is officially known as IEC 908[2].
Another audio sound format is the Windows wave file, which can be played only on PCs running the Windows operating environment. A wave file contains the actual digital data used to play back the sound as well as a header that provides additional information about the resolution and playback rate. Wave files can store any type of sound that can be recorded by a microphone.
The final type of a audio sound that may be used is known as the Musical Instrument Digital Interface, or MIDI for short. The MIDI format is actually a specification invented by musical instrument manufacturers. Rather than being a digitized form of the sound, the MIDI specification is actually a set of messages that describes what musical note is being played. The MIDI specification cannot store anything except in the form of musical notes. MIDI music can be created with a sequencer.
3.Static Graphics Images
When you imagine graphics images you probably think of "still" images - that is, images such as those in a photograph or drawing. There is no movement in these types of picture. Static graphics images are an important part of multimedia because humans are visually oriented [3]. As the old Chinese proverb goes, "A picture is worth a thousand words." Windows is also a visual environment. This makes displaying graphics images easier than it would be in a DOS-based environment.
Static graphics images have a number of formats and can be created in a number of different ways. Just as you can see an unlimited number of photographs or pictures, the types of static graphics images that you can include in a multimedia application are almost unlimited.
4. Animation
Animation refers to moving graphics images. The movement of somebody giving CPR makes it much easier to learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation, rather than just viewing a static picture[4]. Just as a static graphics image is a powerful form of communication, such is the case with animation. Animation is especially useful for illustrating concepts that involve movement.
Such concepts as playing a guitar or hitting a golf ball are difficult to illustrate using a single photograph, or even a series of photographs, and even more difficult to explain using text. Animation makes it easier to portray these aspects of your multimedia application.
5. Full-Motion Video
Full-motion video, such as the images portrayed in a television, can add even more to a multimedia application. Although full-motion video may sound like an ideal way to add a powerful message to a multimedia application, it is nowhere near the quality you would expect after watching television. Full-motion video is still in its beginning stages on PCs, and it is limited in resolution and size[5]. Even with advanced methods of data compression, full-motion video can suck up hard disk space faster than water falls when poured out of a bucket[6].
Right now, there are two major methods of incorporating full-motion video into a multimedia application： Microsoft Video for Windows, and Quick Time for Windows from Apple Computers. Both products come with tools for getting the video from an external input （a videocassette recorder or a video camera） and storing it on your hard disk drive.
NOTES
[1] 主句中主語message由后面的定語從句修飾，can be made….為謂語。
[2] IEC國際電子技術(shù)委員會。
[3] oriented：作為形容詞，譯為面向，此種用法在科技英語中很普遍。
[4] CPR：心肺復(fù)蘇，即心臟運動。
[5] 此處size是指視頻影像的長短規(guī)模。
[6] suck up：原意為吸滿，此處為寫滿硬盤。句中后邊用水桶注水比喻，譯時可以略去。另外，這種情況由于PC機技術(shù)的飛速發(fā)展，已有很大改觀。
1.文本
不管是否用過計算機，大多數(shù)人都熟悉文本。文本是字處理程序的基礎(chǔ)，并且仍作為基本信息用于許多多媒體程序中。
實際上，許多多媒體應(yīng)用程序是基于由書本到其計算機化形式的轉(zhuǎn)換的。這種轉(zhuǎn)換使用戶能直接訪問文本，并為其顯示一個彈出式窗口，以給出某些詞的定義。多媒體應(yīng)用程序還使用戶能夠立刻顯示與正在瀏覽的某個主題有關(guān)的信息。功能更強的是，一本計算機化的書允許用戶快速查找信息（而不必查找索引或目錄）。
Windows操作環(huán)境賦予用戶表達文本的范圍幾乎是無限的。作為多媒體程序員，你可以選擇要顯示文本的字體、大小和顏色。通過用多種格式顯式文本，人們更易理解多媒體應(yīng)用程序試圖表達的信息。
許多人每天用到的一種多媒體應(yīng)用程序是Windows幫助引擎，這個應(yīng)用程序是一種基于文本的瀏覽程序，它使得訪問與某一主題相關(guān)的信息變得很容易。
2.聲音
把聲音融入多媒體應(yīng)用程序，可以為用戶提供使用其他任何通信方式無法得到的信息。某些類型的信息不用聲音是不可能有效傳達的。例如，用文字準(zhǔn)確描述心臟的跳動聲或大海的聲音幾乎是不可能的。
聲音有幾種不同的格式。今天，最普遍的聲音類型也許是聲音紅皮書，這是為音響CD消費者提供的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。它是一種國際標(biāo)準(zhǔn)并正式稱為IEC 908.
另一種聲音格式是Windows波形文件，它只能用于Windows環(huán)境下的個人電腦。波形文件包含用于回放聲音的實際數(shù)字?jǐn)?shù)據(jù)和文件頭，該文件頭提供有關(guān)分辨率及回放速度的附加信息。波形文件可以保存通過麥克風(fēng)錄入的任一種類型的聲音。
最后一種可用的聲音類型稱為樂器數(shù)字接口，縮寫為MIDI.MIDI格式實際上是由樂器制造商制訂的一種規(guī)范，MIDI規(guī)范并非是聲音的數(shù)字化格式，而實際是描述要演奏的音符的信息集合。MIDI規(guī)范不能保存除音符格式之外的任何信息。MIDI音樂可以由定序器生成。
3.靜態(tài)圖像
當(dāng)你想象圖像時，你很可能想到靜態(tài)的圖像——也就是像照片或畫中那樣的圖像，這種類型的圖像是不動的。靜態(tài)圖像是多媒體的重要部分，因為人類是視覺定位的。正如中國有句諺語所說“一圖勝千言”，Windows也是圖形環(huán)境，它比DOS環(huán)境更容易顯示圖像。
靜態(tài)圖像有許多種格式，也可以用許多不同的方式生成。就像你可以看到無數(shù)的照片或圖畫一樣，多媒體應(yīng)用程序中包括的靜態(tài)圖像類型幾乎是無限的。
4.動畫
動畫指的是運動的圖像。給出人體運動的CPR比只給出一幅靜態(tài)圖像可使人更容易明白心肺的復(fù)蘇。動畫和靜態(tài)圖像一樣，都是強有力的通信形式，動畫在解釋涉及運動的概念時特別有用。
像彈吉他或打高爾夫球那樣的概念，用一幅照片，甚至用一系列照片也很難說清楚，用文字解釋就更困難了。而用動畫來描繪多媒體應(yīng)用中的這些方面就更為容易。
5.全運動視頻
全運動視頻，例如電視傳送的圖像，可以更多地加入到多媒體的應(yīng)用中。雖然全運動視頻聽起來像是一個往多媒體程序中加入強有力信息的理想方法，但它無法達到人們看電視一樣的效果。PC機上的全運動視頻仍處在初始階段，其分辨率和長度受限制。即使用先進的數(shù)據(jù)壓縮算法，全運動視頻的數(shù)據(jù)也可以比往水桶中灌水還要快地占滿硬盤空間。
現(xiàn)在，在多媒體應(yīng)用程序中采用全運動視頻的方法有兩種：微軟的Video for Windows和蘋果機上的QuickTime for Windows.這兩種產(chǎn)品都配有從外部輸入設(shè)備獲得視頻影像（錄像機或攝像機）并將之儲存于硬盤驅(qū)動器上的工具。
Whether or not they have used a computer, most people are familiar with text. Text is the basis for word processing programs and is still the fundamental information used in many multimedia programs.
In fact, many multimedia applications are based on the conversion of a book to a computerized form. This conversion gives the user immediate access to the text and lets him or her display pop-up windows, which give definitions of certain words. Multimedia applications also enable the user to instantly display information related to a certain topic that is being viewed. Most powerfully, the computerized form of a book allows the user to look up information quickly （without referring to the index or table of contents）.
The Windows operating environment gives the user an almost infinite range of expressing text. As a multimedia programmer, you can choose what font to display text in, how big （or small） it should be, and what color it should be displayed in. By displaying text in more than one format, the message a multimedia application is trying to portray can be made more understandable[1].
One type of a application, which many people use every day, is the Windows Help Engine. This application is a text-based information viewer that makes accessing information related to a certain topic easy.
2.Audio Sound
The integration of audio sound into a multimedia application can provide the user with information not possible through any other method of communication. Some types of information can't be conveyed effectively without using sound. It is nearly impossible, for example, to provide an accurate textual description of the beat of a heart or the sound of the ocean.
Audio sound is available in several different formats. Today, maybe the most common type of audio is red book audio. This is the standard specification used to refer to consumer audio compact discs. It is an international standard and is officially known as IEC 908[2].
Another audio sound format is the Windows wave file, which can be played only on PCs running the Windows operating environment. A wave file contains the actual digital data used to play back the sound as well as a header that provides additional information about the resolution and playback rate. Wave files can store any type of sound that can be recorded by a microphone.
The final type of a audio sound that may be used is known as the Musical Instrument Digital Interface, or MIDI for short. The MIDI format is actually a specification invented by musical instrument manufacturers. Rather than being a digitized form of the sound, the MIDI specification is actually a set of messages that describes what musical note is being played. The MIDI specification cannot store anything except in the form of musical notes. MIDI music can be created with a sequencer.
3.Static Graphics Images
When you imagine graphics images you probably think of "still" images - that is, images such as those in a photograph or drawing. There is no movement in these types of picture. Static graphics images are an important part of multimedia because humans are visually oriented [3]. As the old Chinese proverb goes, "A picture is worth a thousand words." Windows is also a visual environment. This makes displaying graphics images easier than it would be in a DOS-based environment.
Static graphics images have a number of formats and can be created in a number of different ways. Just as you can see an unlimited number of photographs or pictures, the types of static graphics images that you can include in a multimedia application are almost unlimited.
4. Animation
Animation refers to moving graphics images. The movement of somebody giving CPR makes it much easier to learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation, rather than just viewing a static picture[4]. Just as a static graphics image is a powerful form of communication, such is the case with animation. Animation is especially useful for illustrating concepts that involve movement.
Such concepts as playing a guitar or hitting a golf ball are difficult to illustrate using a single photograph, or even a series of photographs, and even more difficult to explain using text. Animation makes it easier to portray these aspects of your multimedia application.
5. Full-Motion Video
Full-motion video, such as the images portrayed in a television, can add even more to a multimedia application. Although full-motion video may sound like an ideal way to add a powerful message to a multimedia application, it is nowhere near the quality you would expect after watching television. Full-motion video is still in its beginning stages on PCs, and it is limited in resolution and size[5]. Even with advanced methods of data compression, full-motion video can suck up hard disk space faster than water falls when poured out of a bucket[6].
Right now, there are two major methods of incorporating full-motion video into a multimedia application： Microsoft Video for Windows, and Quick Time for Windows from Apple Computers. Both products come with tools for getting the video from an external input （a videocassette recorder or a video camera） and storing it on your hard disk drive.
NOTES
[1] 主句中主語message由后面的定語從句修飾，can be made….為謂語。
[2] IEC國際電子技術(shù)委員會。
[3] oriented：作為形容詞，譯為面向，此種用法在科技英語中很普遍。
[4] CPR：心肺復(fù)蘇，即心臟運動。
[5] 此處size是指視頻影像的長短規(guī)模。
[6] suck up：原意為吸滿，此處為寫滿硬盤。句中后邊用水桶注水比喻，譯時可以略去。另外，這種情況由于PC機技術(shù)的飛速發(fā)展，已有很大改觀。
1.文本
不管是否用過計算機，大多數(shù)人都熟悉文本。文本是字處理程序的基礎(chǔ)，并且仍作為基本信息用于許多多媒體程序中。
實際上，許多多媒體應(yīng)用程序是基于由書本到其計算機化形式的轉(zhuǎn)換的。這種轉(zhuǎn)換使用戶能直接訪問文本，并為其顯示一個彈出式窗口，以給出某些詞的定義。多媒體應(yīng)用程序還使用戶能夠立刻顯示與正在瀏覽的某個主題有關(guān)的信息。功能更強的是，一本計算機化的書允許用戶快速查找信息（而不必查找索引或目錄）。
Windows操作環(huán)境賦予用戶表達文本的范圍幾乎是無限的。作為多媒體程序員，你可以選擇要顯示文本的字體、大小和顏色。通過用多種格式顯式文本，人們更易理解多媒體應(yīng)用程序試圖表達的信息。
許多人每天用到的一種多媒體應(yīng)用程序是Windows幫助引擎，這個應(yīng)用程序是一種基于文本的瀏覽程序，它使得訪問與某一主題相關(guān)的信息變得很容易。
2.聲音
把聲音融入多媒體應(yīng)用程序，可以為用戶提供使用其他任何通信方式無法得到的信息。某些類型的信息不用聲音是不可能有效傳達的。例如，用文字準(zhǔn)確描述心臟的跳動聲或大海的聲音幾乎是不可能的。
聲音有幾種不同的格式。今天，最普遍的聲音類型也許是聲音紅皮書，這是為音響CD消費者提供的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。它是一種國際標(biāo)準(zhǔn)并正式稱為IEC 908.
另一種聲音格式是Windows波形文件，它只能用于Windows環(huán)境下的個人電腦。波形文件包含用于回放聲音的實際數(shù)字?jǐn)?shù)據(jù)和文件頭，該文件頭提供有關(guān)分辨率及回放速度的附加信息。波形文件可以保存通過麥克風(fēng)錄入的任一種類型的聲音。
最后一種可用的聲音類型稱為樂器數(shù)字接口，縮寫為MIDI.MIDI格式實際上是由樂器制造商制訂的一種規(guī)范，MIDI規(guī)范并非是聲音的數(shù)字化格式，而實際是描述要演奏的音符的信息集合。MIDI規(guī)范不能保存除音符格式之外的任何信息。MIDI音樂可以由定序器生成。
3.靜態(tài)圖像
當(dāng)你想象圖像時，你很可能想到靜態(tài)的圖像——也就是像照片或畫中那樣的圖像，這種類型的圖像是不動的。靜態(tài)圖像是多媒體的重要部分，因為人類是視覺定位的。正如中國有句諺語所說“一圖勝千言”，Windows也是圖形環(huán)境，它比DOS環(huán)境更容易顯示圖像。
靜態(tài)圖像有許多種格式，也可以用許多不同的方式生成。就像你可以看到無數(shù)的照片或圖畫一樣，多媒體應(yīng)用程序中包括的靜態(tài)圖像類型幾乎是無限的。
4.動畫
動畫指的是運動的圖像。給出人體運動的CPR比只給出一幅靜態(tài)圖像可使人更容易明白心肺的復(fù)蘇。動畫和靜態(tài)圖像一樣，都是強有力的通信形式，動畫在解釋涉及運動的概念時特別有用。
像彈吉他或打高爾夫球那樣的概念，用一幅照片，甚至用一系列照片也很難說清楚，用文字解釋就更困難了。而用動畫來描繪多媒體應(yīng)用中的這些方面就更為容易。
5.全運動視頻
全運動視頻，例如電視傳送的圖像，可以更多地加入到多媒體的應(yīng)用中。雖然全運動視頻聽起來像是一個往多媒體程序中加入強有力信息的理想方法，但它無法達到人們看電視一樣的效果。PC機上的全運動視頻仍處在初始階段，其分辨率和長度受限制。即使用先進的數(shù)據(jù)壓縮算法，全運動視頻的數(shù)據(jù)也可以比往水桶中灌水還要快地占滿硬盤空間。
現(xiàn)在，在多媒體應(yīng)用程序中采用全運動視頻的方法有兩種：微軟的Video for Windows和蘋果機上的QuickTime for Windows.這兩種產(chǎn)品都配有從外部輸入設(shè)備獲得視頻影像（錄像機或攝像機）并將之儲存于硬盤驅(qū)動器上的工具。