In 1948, the Drexel Institute of Technology in America got a call from a local storeowner asking for help. He wanted the school to invent a machine that would help keep track of inventory as well as speed up the checkout process. Drexel asked two of their brightest students, Joe Woodland and Bernard Silver, to find a solution.
Woodland was fascinated by this problem and his idea was to use ultraviolet ink. He had difficulty with the first model because it was unstable and expensive. In 1952, the team came up with a new method and a patent was approved. The first barcode looked like a bull's-eye and was made up of many small circles. The barcode we know and see today looks very different; however, its purpose is still the same. When a barcode is scanned, data is collected and the product is immediately identified. The first product to have a barcode on it was a pack of Wrigley's gum. Today, that pack of gum is on display at the National Museum of American History.
1948年，美國的德瑞索理工學院接到一通當地商家打來的求助電話。店主希望校方發明一台有助於記錄庫存和加快結帳速度的機器。德瑞索學院要求兩名他們最聰明的學生——喬‧伍藍德和伯納‧西爾佛，找出解決之道。
伍藍德對此問題深深著迷，他的構想是利用紫外線墨水。第一台模型的麻煩多多，因為它既不穩定，又所費不貲。1952年，這組人馬想出了一個新方法，並且獲得專利。第一代的條碼由許多小圓圈組成，看起來狀似靶心。今天我們所見並熟悉的條碼看起來雖然大不相同，然而它的目的仍是一樣的。當條碼被掃瞄過後，便能獲得資料，立刻辨識出產品。第一個印上條碼的產品是一包青箭口香糖。如今，這包口香糖在美國國立歷史博物館中展出。
1.unstable a. 不穩定的
Their relationship has been unstable recently.
他們的關係最近不太穩定。
2.scan vt. 掃描
Can you scan those photos for me?
你可不可以幫我掃瞄那些照片？
3.identify vt. 辨別；認出
The witness identified the killer right away.
目擊者立刻就指認出兇手。
1.keep track of... 追蹤……
Tina uses a cell phone to keep track of her husband.
蒂娜用手機追查她老公的行蹤。
2.speed up... 加快……的速度
The boss told me to speed up my work.
老闆叫我要加快工作速度。
3.be on display 被展示，被陳列
Ray's paintings are on display downstairs.
阿雷的畫作正在樓下展出中。
1.institute n. 學院；研究院
2.inventory n. 存貨，庫存
3.checkout n. 結帳（本文中作形容詞用）
4.fascinate vt. 吸引，使著迷
5.ultraviolet a. 紫外線的
6.patent n. 專利；專利權
7.bull's-eye n. 靶心
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