When people talk of a virus3 these days, chances are that they are talking about computer viruses that have the power to wipe out4 all the valuable work they may have stored in their computers. Imagine, this virus has the power to make military systems, giant5 banks, airports, hospitals and traffic systems come to a halt6!
The softer the name of the virus, the deadlier it may get. Remember the recent Love Bug virus which created7 such trouble all over the world? It came as an “I Love You” message and anyone who opened that love-filled e-mail, was caught in the virus trap8.
What does a computer virus do? It targets9 electronic10 objects that are programmed. The virus spreads through connections between these electronic devices. For virus spreading experts, e-mail is a favourite method of unleashing11 their destructive weapon.
But scientists warn that this is not the worst that can happen. There is more. For people are also connected through phones. The next virus may actually target mobile phones, especially those that are programmed to do many tasks apart from just communicating12. It would then be easy for a virus to infect13 those programmes and create major disorder.
For example, these viruses may have the power to record your phone conversations and make others hear them. They could create problems with your electronic money accounts, or they could create a mountain of telephone bills for calls you never made. And that would be a disaster14. A report on this was published in the New Scientist recently.
One way out would be to have simpler phones with not so many different functions. That way there would be fewer programmes for the virus to attack. But mobile phone manufacturers15 are in a fix16. People no longer want an electronic item to perform just one task. They want more and more functions added on. That would mean more software programmes to make the mobile phone perform all those functions. And that means the possibility of more viruses.
如今，当人们谈起病毒时，极有可能谈论的是那些有能力把人们存储在计算机中的非常有价值的文件彻底删除的计算机病毒。设想一下，病毒有能力导致军事系统、大银行、飞机场、医院和交通系统陷入瘫痪！
病毒的名字越温柔，它的危害可能就越致命。还记得最近给全世界带来那么大麻烦的爱虫病毒吗？它以一条“我爱你”的信息出现，任何人一旦打开这封充满柔情蜜意的电子邮件，就会不可避免地掉进这种病毒设置的圈套。
计算机病毒是怎么攻击的？通常，它把编程的电子设备作为攻击目标。病毒通过连接在这些电子设备之间的线路进行传播。对那些病毒传播专家来说，电子邮件是他们最喜爱的到处散布破坏性武器的方式。
但是，科学家们警告说，这还不是最糟糕的事。还有比这更严重的。由于人们也通过电话进行联络，因此，未来的病毒可能会把手机作为攻击的目标——特别是那些除了进行通讯之外还可以按照编制好的程序处理很多其他任务的手机。这样一来，病毒就很容易感染那些程序，并且引发巨大混乱。
例如，这些病毒可能能够把你与他人的通话进行录音，并且能够让第三者听到它们。它们还有可能使你的电子货币帐户出现问题，或者为你制造大量的电话费帐单，即使你从未打过那些电话。显然，那将是一场灾难。最近出版的《新科学家》杂志上发表了一篇相关的报道。
解决这个问题的一个办法就是使用没有这么多功能的简单型的手提电话。这个方法将会使病毒没有太多可以攻击的程序。但是，这样一来，手机制造商就陷入了困境。因为人们不再需要仅仅只有一项功能的电子产品。他们希望能够增加越来越多的功能。那就意味着需要编制更多的程序以使得手机能够执行这些功能，这也意味着有可能产生更多的病毒。
1．mobile adj．可移动的
2．bug n． 程序缺陷、臭虫：电脑系统或者程序中存在的任何一种破坏正常运转的问题或者缺陷，都可以叫做“bug”。
3．virus n．病毒
4．wipe out [waip aut] v．消灭, 消除
5．giant adj．庞大的, 巨大的
6．halt n．停止, 暂停, 中断
7．create v．创造, 创作
8．trap n． 圈套, 陷阱, 诡计
9．target v．瞄准目标
10．electronic adj．电子的
11．unleash ]v． 释放
12．communicate v．沟通,交流
13．infect v．[医] 传染
14．disaster n．灾难, 天灾, 灾祸
15．manufacturer n．制造者, 厂商
16．in a fix 陷入困境