本文为翻译,并非原创。出处在此:SEVERAL DOZEN OF THE STUPIDEST THINGS EVER SAID

“Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons.” –Popular Mechanics, forecasting the relentless march of science, 1949
“未来的计算机应该不会超过一点五吨重”——Popular Mechanics (译注:这应该是一个媒体),对科学不断进步的预测,1949

“I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.” –Thomas Watson, Chairman of IBM, 1943\ “我想计算机的全球市场上怎么也得有五台计算机吧”——Thomas Watson, IBM主席,1943

“I have traveled the length and breadth of this country and talked with the best people, and I can assure you that data processing is a fad that won’t last out the year.” –The editor in charge of business books for Prentice Hall, 1957
“我到过这个国家很多地方,和最优秀的人聊过,我现在可以向你保证数据处理不会流行过今年的”——Prentice Hall商学类书籍的主编,1957

“But what … is it good for?” –Engineer at the Advanced Computing Systems Division of IBM, 1968, commenting on the microchip.
“但是这东西……有啥用啊?”——IBM高级计算系统部工程师,对微型芯片的评论,1968

“There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.” –Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977
“没理由每个人家里都需要一台计算机的”——Ken Olson,DEC公司总裁、主席及创建人,1977

“This ‘telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.” –Western Union internal memo, 1876.
“这个所谓‘电话’作为一种通讯工具有太多的缺点需要认真考虑。这种设备从本质上对我们来说没有任何价值”——Western Union内部备忘录,1876

“The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?” –David Sarnoff’s associates in response to his urgings for investment in the radio in the 1920s.
“这个无线音乐盒没有可想象的商业价值。谁会付钱去发一条没有特定受众的消息呢?”——David Sarnoff的同事对他力荐投资无线电广播的回应,上世纪二十年代

“The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than a ‘C,’ the idea must be feasible.” –A Yale University management professor in response to Fred Smith’s paper proposing reliable overnight delivery service. (Smith went on to found Federal Express Corp.)
“这个观念很有趣,说明形式也不错,不过要想得到超过C的评价,想法必须是可实现的”——一位耶鲁大学管理学教授对Fred Smith提出可靠隔夜快递服务的评价。(Smith后来创建了联邦快递)

“Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?” –H.M. Warner, Warner Brothers, 1927.
“谁他妈想听演员说话?”——H.M. Warner,华纳兄弟,1927

“I’m just glad it’ll be Clark Gable who’s falling on his face and not Gary Cooper.” –Gary Cooper on his decision not to take the leading role in “Gone With The Wind.”\ “我很高兴丢脸的是Clark Gable而不是Gary Cooper”——Gary Cooper对于他不领衔主演《乱世佳人》决定的评价

“A cookie store is a bad idea. Besides, the market research reports say America likes crispy cookies, not soft and chewy cookies like you make.” –Response to Debbi Fields’ idea of starting Mrs. Fields’ Cookies.
“饼干店是个坏主意。另外,市场研究表明美国人喜欢吃脆的饼干,而不是你做的那种软而且需要嚼的”——对于Debbi Fields创建Mrs. Fields’ Cookies想法的回应

“We don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out.” –Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles, 1962.
“我们不喜欢他们的声音,并且吉他音乐也日渐式微”——Decca Recording Co.拒绝了甲壳虫乐队,1962

“Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible.” –Lord Kelvin, president, Royal Society, 1895.\ “比空气重的飞行器是不可能造出来的”——Lord Kelvin,Royal Society总裁,1895

“If I had thought about it, I wouldn’t have done the experiment. The literature was full of examples that said you can’t do this.” –Spencer Silver on the work that led to the unique adhesives for 3-M “Post-It” Notepads.
“如果我考虑过那些,我就不会做这试验了。文献资料上全是你为什么不能做这个的例子”——Spencer Silver对于3-M易事贴前期工作的评价

“So we went to Atari and said, ‘Hey, we’ve got this amazing thing, even built with some of your parts, and what do you think about funding us? Or we’ll give it to you. We just want to do it. Pay our salary, we’ll come work for you.’ And they said, ‘No.’ So then we went to Hewlett-Packard, and they said, ‘Hey, we don’t need you. You haven’t got through college yet.’” –Apple Computer Inc. founder, Steve Jobs, on attempts to get Atari and H-P interested in his and Steve Wozniak’s personal computer.
“我们去了Atari,说‘嘿,我们有这了不起的东东,而且还用了一些你们的零件,你们觉得给我们投资如何?或者我们把它给你们。我们只是想做这个。付我们薪水,我们给你们工作。’然后他们说‘不。’接着我们去了惠普,他们说‘嘿,我们不需要你们。你们连毕业都还没毕业呢。’”——苹果公司创建人Steve Jobs当初试图让Atari和惠普对他和Steve Wozniak的个人计算机感兴趣

“Professor Goddard does not know the relation between action and reaction and the need to have something better than a vacuum against which to react. He seems to lack the basic knowledge ladled out daily in high schools.” –1921 New York Times editorial about Robert Goddard’s revolutionary rocket work.
“Goddard教授不懂得作用与反作用之间的关系,他需要一个比试图从真空获取反作用更好的模型。他似乎缺乏高中所传授的基础知识。”——纽约时报对Robert Goddard在火箭上所作革命性工作的社论,1921

“You want to have consistent and uniform muscle development across all of your muscles? It can’t be done. It’s just a fact of life. You just have to accept inconsistent muscle development as an unalterable condition of weight training.” –Response to Arthur Jones, who solved the “unsolvable” problem by inventing Nautilus.
“你希望全身肌肉都能得到一贯和同等的锻炼?这是不可能的。这就是现实。你只能接受不协调的肌肉锻炼是重量训练中不可改变的条件。”——对Arthur Jones的回应,他后来发明了Nautilus健身器并解决了这个所谓“不可能”的问题。

“Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground to try and find oil? You’re crazy.” –Drillers who Edwin L. Drake tried to enlist to his project to drill for oil in 1859.\ “钻井探油?你是说在地上打井来试图找石油?你疯了。”——Edwin L. Drake试图劝说一些打井工加入他的钻井探油项目时得到的回应,1859

“Stocks have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau.” –Irving Fisher, Professor of Economics, Yale University, 1929.
“股市似乎已经到达了永久的高点”——Irving Fisher, 耶鲁大学经济学教授,1929

“Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value.” –Marechal Ferdinand Foch, Professor of Strategy, Ecole Superieure de Guerre.
“飞机是很有趣的玩具,但是没有军事价值。”——Marechal Ferdinand Foch,战略教授?(译注:这机构名我也翻不出来……只知道是德国的、和军事有关的)

“Everything that can be invented has been invented.” – Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899.
“所有能发明的东西都已经被发明了。”——Charles H. Duell,美国专利局委员,1899

“Louis Pasteur’s theory of germs is ridiculous fiction”. –Pierre Pachet, Professor of Physiology at Toulouse, 1872.\ “Louis Pasteur的病菌理论是无稽之谈。”——Pierre Pachet,图卢兹生理学教授

“The abdomen, the chest, and the brain will forever be shut from the intrusion of the wise and humane surgeon”. –Sir John Eric Ericksen, British surgeon, appointed Surgeon- Extraordinary to Queen Victoria 1873.
“腹腔,胸腔和颅腔将永远是明智和人道的外科医生的禁地。”——Sir John Eric Ericksen,英国医生,维多利亚女王指定医生,1873

“640K ought to be enough for anybody.” – Bill Gates, 1981
“640K应该对每个人都够了”——比尔盖茨,1981

Many thanks to Jody Culham for sending me this (and to Celia Raia, who sent it to her).\ 感谢Jody Culham向我发送这些(同时感谢发给她的Celia Raia)

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