The remarkable story of the @ symbol (1/2) @ 符號的奇幻旅程！（上）
Every day, millions of people type the @ symbol when sending emails or tagging friends on social media. Because it is closely connected with the Internet, many people assume that it was created during the computer age. In reality, however, the symbol is much older than most people realize. Its history may stretch back hundreds of years before the invention of electronic communication. One of the earliest known examples of the @ symbol appears in a Bulgarian manuscript from 1345. In this document, the symbol was used in place of the letter A in the word Amen. Historians have not yet determined why the symbol was used in this way, and its exact purpose remains a mystery. The symbol later emerged in trade and business records. In 2000, the Italian scholar Giorgio Stabile discovered a merchant’s letter from 1536, *in which the @ symbol was used as an abbreviation for “amphora,” a type of long-necked pottery vessel used to store and transport goods. Based on this finding, Stabile suggested that the symbol may have represented units of measure in southern Europe during the Middle Ages, although the specific units varied from region to region.
Photo: AdobeStock I 照片: AdobeStock
Over time, the @ symbol became widespread in accounting and business records. It was often used to mean “at the rate of” or “each at.” For example, “12 apples @ $1” indicated that each apple cost one dollar. The symbol later made its way onto typewriters and was ultimately carried over to computer keyboards. For centuries, the @ symbol could be seen in religious manuscripts, trade records and business documents. Though it seemed ordinary and attracted little attention, its journey was far from over.
*此處的 in which 相當於 where，修飾前面的 a merchant’s letter（一封商人的信），而不是修飾 1536（年分）。每天，數百萬人在寄送電子郵件或在社群媒體標註朋友時，都會輸入 @ 符號。由於它與網際網路密切相關，許多人以為它是在電腦時代被創造出來的。然而事實上，這個符號的歷史比大多數人所認知的還要古老得多。它的歷史可能可以追溯到電子通訊發明之前的數百年前。 目前已知最早的 @ 符號實例之一出現在一份 1345 年的保加利亞手稿中。在這份文獻裡，這個符號被用來取代 Amen（阿門）一詞中的字母 A。歷史學家至今仍無法確定該符號為何會被這樣使用，而它確切的用途仍然是個謎。 後來，@ 符號出現在貿易與商業紀錄中。2000 年，義大利學者喬吉奧．史塔比爾發現了一封寫於 1536 年的商人信件，其中 @ 符號被用作「雙耳瓶」的縮寫，這是一種用來儲存和運送貨物的長頸陶器。根據這項發現，史塔比爾推測該符號在中世紀的南歐可能被用來代表度量單位，不過不同地區使用的具體單位不盡相同。 隨著時間推移，@ 符號逐漸成為會計與商業紀錄中的常見符號。它經常用以表示「以……速度」或「每個為……」。例如，「12 apples @ $1」表示每顆蘋果一塊錢。這個符號後來被納入打字機鍵盤之中，並最終沿用到電腦鍵盤上。 數個世紀以來，@ 符號一直可見於宗教手稿、貿易紀錄和商業文件之中。雖然它看起來平凡無奇且鮮少受到關注，但它的旅程遠未結束。Words in Use1. tag vt. （在社群媒體上）標記∕標註（某人）Amy tagged her classmates in the photo after the school event.學校活動結束後，艾咪在照片中標記了同學。2. assume vt. 認為；假定assume + that 子句 認為∕假定……Many people assume that learning a language is difficult.許多人認為學習一門語言很困難。3. invention n. 發明The invention of the printing press changed the spread of knowledge.印刷機的發明改變了知識傳播的方式。4. communication n. 通訊Advances in communication technology have made remote work much easier.通訊技術的進步讓遠距工作變得容易許多。5. manuscript n. 手抄本；（出版前的）原稿The writer spent months revising the manuscript before publication.這位作家在出版前花了數個月修改手稿。Practical Phrases1. connect A with B 使 A 和 B 產生關聯，把 A 和 B 聯想在一起People often connect Paris with fashion and fine dining.人們經常將巴黎與時尚及精緻餐飲聯想在一起。2. stretch back. . . 追溯到∕回溯到……Their friendship stretches back many years.他們的交情可追溯至好多年以前。3. in place of. . . 取代∕代替……Soy milk can be used in place of regular milk in many recipes.在許多食譜中，豆漿可以用來取代一般牛奶。4. at the rate of. . . 以……的速度∕比率The population of the town is growing at the rate of 3 percent each year.這座城鎮的人口正以每年 3% 的速率成長。5. make one’s way onto. . . 出現在……上；被引入……之中The young singer’s music eventually made its way onto international radio stations.這位年輕歌手的音樂終於登上了國際廣播電臺。What Did You Learn?1. Which of the following best reflects the way the @ symbol was used before the computer age?(A) A monk used @ to stand for the word Amen in a manuscript.(B) A scholar used @ to replace every letter A in a religious text.(C) A trader used @ to represent the same unit of measure across Europe.(D) A factory recorded that a machine produces bottles @ 20 bottles per minute.2. Why does the author end the Day 1 passage by saying “its journey was far from over”?(A) To emphasize that the symbol’s appearance would change over time.(B) To suggest that the symbol would continue to gain new uses and significance.(C) To indicate that historians would eventually discover the symbol’s true origin.(D) To show that different regions would end up using the symbol for different purposes.參考答案 :1. D 2. B聽文章朗讀及講解: https://ivy.pse.is/455bfu本文出自常春藤解析英語雜誌: www.ivy.com.tw