了解比特币之前，来回顾一下近期的几则新闻：
Before learning about Bitcoin, let's review some recent news:
本月 1 号，比特币的总市值已经突破 10 亿美元。
造成比特币币值上涨的原因很多，有观点认为这与美国的量化宽松政策及欧元区的经济不景气相关——相对于美元和欧元，人们更信任比特币的价值。上周五每枚比特币在 Mt. Gox 上的报价第一次突破 92 美元，使得总量约为 1100 万的比特币总市值突破 10 亿美元。目前，比特币的价值已经逼近 93 美元，这个数字在一个月前仅为 32 美元，但也是当时的历史新高。
The reason for the increase in the value of the bitcoin is many, and it is argued that it is linked to the quantitative easing of the United States and the economic downturn in the eurozone – the value of the bitcoins is more trusted than the dollar and the euro. Last Friday’s bid on the Mt. Gox was the first to break 92 dollars, bringing the total market value of about 11 million bitcoins to over $1 billion. At present, the value of the bitcoins is close to $93, a figure that was only $32 a month ago, but it was also the highest in history at that time.
3 月 22 号的消息，加拿大有位 22 岁小伙子 Taylor More 想把他的祖父母的房子给卖掉，但不接受任何现实的货币交易，只收比特币。那套房产价值 39.5 万美元，根据当时的汇率，相当于 5500-7000 比特币，直到现在持有如此多比特币的人并不多。他向媒体表示：
“我想这是提早投入比特币热潮的好方法。这是我想到收集比特币的最好方法了。”
"I think it's a good way to put in bitcoin earlier. That's the best way to collect bitcoin."
2 月 28 号比特币（Bitcoin）的汇率为 32 美元，创历史新高。
当时，世界上最大的比特币交易平台、位于日本的 Mt.Gox 与西雅图的 CoinLab 公司达成协议，共同管理比特币在美国和加拿大的交易情况。CoinLab 早前在硅谷获得了 50 万美元的风投，因此 Mt.Gox 希望借合作的机会打入美国市场，增强比特币消费者们的信心。比特币的汇率波动极大，此前最高的汇率为 2011 年 6 月的 31.9 美元，同年又跌至历史新低 2 美元。
At that time, the world’s largest Bitcoin trading platform, Mt. Gox in Japan, and CoinLab in Seattle agreed to co-manage Bitcoin’s transactions in the United States and Canada. CoinLab had a US$ 500,000 investment in Silicon Valley earlier, so Mt. Gox wanted to take the opportunity of cooperation into the United States market to boost the confidence of Bitcoin consumers. Bitcoin’s exchange rate was extremely high, with its highest exchange rate being 31.9 dollars in June 2011, falling to an all-time low of $2 in the same year.
看了这么多新闻，尽管许多新闻里都有一点点解释，但是许多人还是不清楚比特币到底是什么。
Many people still do not know what Bitcoin really is when they see so much news, although there is a little explanation in many news stories.
比特币的前世今生
{\bord0\shad0\alphaH3D}Betcoin's previous life
先简单介绍一下比特币：
Let me introduce you briefly to Bitcoin:
它以一套编码系统为基础，通过复杂的计算而产生。任何人都可以通过相关的软件 “制造” 比特币，然后利用电子签名的方式来实现流通，最后通过 P2P 网络来核查重复消费的情况。
It is based on a coding system, which is generated through complex calculations. Anyone can “manufacture” bitcoin through the relevant software, then circulate by electronic signature, and then verify the repetition of consumption through the P2P network.
和传统货币最大的不同是，比特币没有一个中央发行机构——人们只需要运行比特币软件，就可以参与比特币的制造，这种方式被称为 “挖矿”。比特币是人类历史上第一次进行去中心化的货币系统，而不以对中央发行机构的信任为基础。
The biggest difference between traditional currencies is that Bitcoin does not have a central issuer — people simply have to run bitcoin software and can participate in the production of bitcoin, which is called “mining”. Bitcoin is the first decentralized monetary system in human history, not based on trust in the central issuer.
1982 年，一个叫 David Chaum 的人提出一种不可追踪的密码学网络支付系统的设想。到了 1990 年，Chaum 将他的想法扩展为最初的密码学匿名现金系统，这个系统就是后来所谓的 ecash。
In 1982, a David Chaum put forward the idea of a non-traceable cryptography network payment system. By 1990, Chaum extended his idea to the original cryptography anonymous cash system, which was later known as ecash.
2008 年，一个名叫中本聪（Satoshi Nakamoto）的人发表了一篇论文，论文描述了一种叫作比特币（Bitcoin）的电子现金系统。2009 年 1 月 3 日，比特币诞生，中本聪本人发布了开源的第一版比特币客户端。?2009 年 2 月 11 日 22 点 27 分，中本聪在 P2P ?基金会（p2pfoundation）网站上发了一封帖子，正式对外介绍了比特币。它完全去中心化，没有中央服务器或者托管方，所有一切都是基于参与者。中本聪在这条帖子中写道：
In 2008, an individual named Satoshi Nakamoto published a paper describing an electronic cash system called Bitcoin. In January 2009, Bitcoin was born, and Bintcoe himself published the first version of the open-source Bitcoin client. On February 11, 2009, at 22:27 a.m., Nakamoto posted a post on the P2P? Foundation (p2pfoundation) website, officially introducing Bitcoin to the outside world. It was completely centralized, without a central server or trustee, and everything was based on participants.
“传统货币面临的根本的问题是——信任。央行必须让人相信它不会让货币贬值，但事实上贬值的结果经常出现。银行本应该帮我们保管好钱财，并让这些钱财以电子化的形式流通，但是他们却随意放贷，让这些财富淹没在泡沫中。”
“The fundamental problem with traditional money is trust. Central banks must be convinced that it will not allow the currency to devalue, but in fact the results of the devaluation often occur. Banks should have kept the money safe for us and let it circulate electronically, but they let it drown in the bubble.”
2010 年，比特币的第一个公允汇率诞生，来源是相关论坛上用户之间自发产生的交易。第一笔交易是一名用户用 10000 比特币购买了一个披萨饼。目前，比特币最为主要的参考汇率是 Mtgox 交易所内比特币与美元的成交汇率。
In 2010, Bitcoin’s first fair exchange rate was born from a spontaneous transaction between users in the relevant forums. The first deal was for a user to buy a pizza with 10000 bitcoin.
经过计算，我们可以基本确定到 2140 年之前，比特币的总量为 2100 万个。为了避免通货紧缩的现象出现，每个比特币还可以分割为 10 的 8 次方份。
When calculated, we can basically determine by 2140 that the total number of bitcoins is 21 million. In order to avoid deflation, each bitcoins can be divided into eight parts of 10.
2010 年末，中本聪完全退出了这一项目，并在互联网上消失了。比特币的官方网站 bitcoin.org 注册于 2008 年 8 月 18 日，域名和服务器都托管在芬兰赫尔辛基的一家小型主机托管商 Louhi Net Oy 那里。中本聪在 P2P Foundation 上留下的信息显示他是名日本男性，现年 39 岁，不过有人怀疑中本村是其实是一个俄罗斯黑客，也有人认为他是一个团队的化名。
At the end of 2010, Nakamoto completely withdrew from the project and disappeared on the Internet. Bitcoin.org, the official website of Bitcoin, registered on August 18, 2008, hosted domain names and servers at Louhi Net Oy, a small mainframe host in Helsinki, Finland. Information left on P2P Foundation showed that he was a Japanese man, 39 years old, but there were suspicions that Nakamura was actually a Russian hacker and that he was thought to be an alias.
比特币的 “淘金热”
bitcoin's "gold rush"
目前已经有许多网站开始接受比特币交易。包括 Mtgox 以及部分淘宝商店，比特币兑换实体货币的服务也开始出现。也就是说，我们目前可以将比特币认定为真正的流通货币，而非一文不值的虚拟货币。
This includes Mtgox and part of the treasure-hunting store, and the introduction of bitcoin for real currency. That is, we can now consider bitcoin as a real currency in circulation, not a virtual currency of no value.
随着比特币数量不断增多，如今要获得一个比特币已经十分困难——现在想要通过 “挖矿” 获取一枚比特币，即便使用 AMD Radeon 6990 显卡也需要计算几天，配置一般的计算机则很可能连续运行 1 年都一无所获。于是，现在几乎所有的比特币 “淘金者” 都加入了合作掘金的网络。他们利用分布式计算的方式更快地挖到 “金矿”。
With the number of bitcoins increasing, it is now very difficult to get a bitcoin – now to get a bitcoin through “mining” – even if the AMD Radeon 6990 card is to be calculated for a few days, the general computer is likely to run for one consecutive year without success. So, now almost all bitcoins are part of a cooperative gold-digging network.
比特币究竟有多值钱？让数字来说话吧。
How valuable is Bitcoin? Let the numbers speak.
2010 年，一枚比特币只能兑换 0.5 美分，到了 2011 年 6 月 3 日则可以换到 10.5 美元，涨幅为 200000％。在同年的 7 月 5 日，一枚比特币已经可以兑换到 13 美元，涨幅提高到了 260000％。
In 2010, a bitcoin could only be converted to 0.5 cents, and by 3 June 2011 it could be replaced by 10.5 dollars, an increase of 200000%. On 5 July of the same year, a bitcoin was converted to $13, an increase of 260,000 per cent.
比特币的算法中规定了单位时间里所能产生的比特币的固定数量，而通过 “挖矿” 获得比特币的难度也越来越大，因此通过实体货币购买比特币也是一个重要途径。作为电子货币，除了交换商品之外，比特币也建立了一套与主权货币兑换的机制，以实现更好流通。于是各种交易平台也就应运而生。
The Bitcoin algorithm provides for the fixed amount of bitcoins that can be generated in a unit time, and the difficulty of obtaining bitcoins through “mining” is increasing. As an electronic currency, in addition to exchanging commodities, Bitcoins also establishes a mechanism for exchange with sovereign currencies in order to achieve better circulation.
来自爱尔兰的 James McCarthy 搭建了一个比特币现货全球交易平台 Global Bitcoin Stock Exchange，下设五个小公司。除了比特币兑换，他还尝试着提供租、借、投资等服务。他是中国境内最早使用比特币的人。最开始他用自己的电脑 “挖矿”，获得了 1000 块比特币，后来将精力转向了比特币交易。
James McCarthy from Ireland built a Bitcoin spot global trading platform, Global Bitcoin Stock Exchange, with five small companies. In addition to Bitcoin, he tried to provide rental, loan, investment, etc. services. He was the first person to use Bitcoin in China. First he used his own computer, “mining”, he obtained 1,000 bitcoins, and then turned his energy towards Bitcoin.
现在，除了极客以外，许多从事金融行业的人开始加入手机比特币的行列，一场浩浩荡荡的 “淘金运动” 已经悄悄拉开了序幕。
Now, in addition to the extremes, many people in the financial sector are starting to join the mobile phone of Bitcoin, and a huge gold-grabbing campaign has quietly opened up.
概念的游戏
concept game
不得不承认，现在围绕着比特币已经诞生了一个行业的雏形，但从本质上讲，这股 “淘金热” 的背后仅仅只是一个概念罢了，想取代现行的货币流通体系更是天方夜谭。
It has to be acknowledged that bitcoin has now given birth to an industry, but by its very nature, this “gold-hunting” is only a concept, and it is an attempt to replace the current money-flowing system.
为什么不可能？换个角度看就可以了。
Why not? Just look at it differently.
如果我们将比特币视作货币，那么如何分配将会成为一个至关重要的问题。因为比特币本质上不可能做到平均分配，且没有使用价值，那么假设比特币真的取代了现行的货币制度，还是需要国家来进行分配，依然需要根据总量来定义额度。
If we treat Bitcoin as a currency, then the question of how to allocate it will be crucial. Because bitcoin is by its nature not evenly distributed and has no value, assuming that bitcoin really replaces the current monetary system, or does it require the State to allocate it, it still needs to be defined in terms of volume.
其实比特币的概念简单说来，就是描绘了一种全世界所有国家开始停止发行货币的景象。这种假设规避了许多问题，却抽离了政府宏观调控的职能，看似维持了秩序实质上是在添乱。
In fact, the Bitcoin concept simply describes a scenario in which all the countries of the world are beginning to stop issuing money. This assumption avoids many problems, takes away the function of government macro-regulation and seems to be adding to the problem of maintaining order.
说白了，我们可以把比特币理解成金子——总量有限，量不断增多（不断加工）且全球通行，在价值上并没有不同。既然没什么不同，那么我们就可以把比特币看做是一般等价物，我们可以消费比特币就像我们可以拿黄金去换东西一样，除了稀有没有什么特殊之处，唯一不同的地方在于——比特币是人造的。
Let's be clear, we can interpret bitcoin as gold — limited in volume, increasing in volume (programming) and global in value. Since there is no difference, we can treat bitcoin as a generic equivalent, and we can consume bitcoin as if we could trade gold for something, except that there is nothing special about it, and the only difference is that bitcoin is man-made.
Beats of 比特币，只是一场游戏。
Beats of bitcoin, just a game.
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