【翻译原文】

　　算盘 (abacus) 是一种手动操作计算辅助工具形式。它起源于中国，迄今已有2600多年的历史，是中国古代的一项重要发明。在阿拉伯数字 (Arabic numerals)出现前，算盘是世界广为使用的计算工具。现在，算盘在亚洲和中东的部分地区继续使用，尤其见于商店之中，可以从供应中国商品和日本商品的商店里买到。在西方，它有时候被用来帮助小孩子们理解数字，而一些数学家喜欢体验一下使用算盘计算出简单算术 (arithmetical)问题的感觉。

　　【参考译文】

　　An abacus is a form of manually operated counting aid. It has originated in China over 2600 years ago. It is one of the most important inventions of ancient China. The abacus used to be the most widely used calculation tool before the appearance of Arabic numerals. At present, abacuses continue to be used in part of Asia and the Middle East, especially in the shops, and they are available in stores which stock Chinese or Japanese goods. In the west, it is sometimes used to help young children grasp numbers, and some mathematicians enjoy experimenting with the abacus to work out simple arithmetical problems.