1.Text

　　Whether or not they have used a computer, most people are familiar with text. Text is the basis for word processing programs and is still the fundamental information used in many multimedia programs.

　　In fact, many multimedia applications are based on the conversion of a book to a computerized form. This conversion gives the user immediate access to the text and lets him or her display pop-up windows, which give definitions of certain words. Multimedia applications also enable the user to instantly display information related to a certain topic that is being viewed. Most powerfully, the computerized form of a book allows the user to look up information quickly （without referring to the index or table of contents）.

　　The Windows operating environment gives the user an almost infinite range of expressing text. As a multimedia programmer, you can choose what font to display text in, how big （or small） it should be, and what color it should be displayed in. By displaying text in more than one format, the message a multimedia application is trying to portray can be made more understandable[1].

　　One type of a application, which many people use every day, is the Windows Help Engine. This application is a text-based information viewer that makes accessing information related to a certain topic easy.

　　2.Audio Sound

　　The integration of audio sound into a multimedia application can provide the user with information not possible through any other method of communication. Some types of information can't be conveyed effectively without using sound. It is nearly impossible, for example, to provide an accurate textual description of the beat of a heart or the sound of the ocean.

　　Audio sound is available in several different formats. Today, maybe the most common type of audio is red book audio. This is the standard specification used to refer to consumer audio compact discs. It is an international standard and is officially known as IEC 908[2].

　　Another audio sound format is the Windows wave file, which can be played only on PCs running the Windows operating environment. A wave file contains the actual digital data used to play back the sound as well as a header that provides additional information about the resolution and playback rate. Wave files can store any type of sound that can be recorded by a microphone.

　　The final type of a audio sound that may be used is known as the Musical Instrument Digital Interface, or MIDI for short. The MIDI format is actually a specification invented by musical instrument manufacturers. Rather than being a digitized form of the sound, the MIDI specification is actually a set of messages that describes what musical note is being played. The MIDI specification cannot store anything except in the form of musical notes. MIDI music can be created with a sequencer.

　　3.Static Graphics Images

　　When you imagine graphics images you probably think of "still" images - that is, images such as those in a photograph or drawing. There is no movement in these types of picture. Static graphics images are an important part of multimedia because humans are visually oriented [3]. As the old Chinese proverb goes, "A picture is worth a thousand words." Windows is also a visual environment. This makes displaying graphics images easier than it would be in a DOS-based environment.

　　Static graphics images have a number of formats and can be created in a number of different ways. Just as you can see an unlimited number of photographs or pictures, the types of static graphics images that you can include in a multimedia application are almost unlimited.

　　4. Animation

　　Animation refers to moving graphics images. The movement of somebody giving CPR makes it much easier to learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation, rather than just viewing a static picture[4]. Just as a static graphics image is a powerful form of communication, such is the case with animation. Animation is especially useful for illustrating concepts that involve movement.

　　Such concepts as playing a guitar or hitting a golf ball are difficult to illustrate using a single photograph, or even a series of photographs, and even more difficult to explain using text. Animation makes it easier to portray these aspects of your multimedia application.

　　5. Full-Motion Video

　　Full-motion video, such as the images portrayed in a television, can add even more to a multimedia application. Although full-motion video may sound like an ideal way to add a powerful message to a multimedia application, it is nowhere near the quality you would expect after watching television. Full-motion video is still in its beginning stages on PCs, and it is limited in resolution and size[5]. Even with advanced methods of data compression, full-motion video can suck up hard disk space faster than water falls when poured out of a bucket[6].

　　Right now, there are two major methods of incorporating full-motion video into a multimedia application： Microsoft Video for Windows, and Quick Time for Windows from Apple Computers. Both products come with tools for getting the video from an external input （a videocassette recorder or a video camera） and storing it on your hard disk drive.

　　NOTES

　　[1] 主句中主语message由后面的定语从句修饰，can be made….为谓语。

　　[2] IEC国际电子技术委员会。

　　[3] oriented：作为形容词，译为面向，此种用法在科技英语中很普遍。

　　[4] CPR：心肺复苏，即心脏运动。

　　[5] 此处size是指视频影像的长短规模。

　　[6] suck up：原意为吸满，此处为写满硬盘。句中后边用水桶注水比喻，译时可以略去。另外，这种情况由于PC机技术的飞速发展，已有很大改观。