For example, in terms of the atomic theory of matter, at the time at the turn of the Century, the understanding was that atoms were the most basic constituent of matter, meaning you couldn't break atoms up into anything smaller - that was it, you're done.

例如在原子理论中,在19，20世纪之交的时候,人们认为原子是,组成物质的最基本粒子,也就是说你不能,把原子再分割了,就这样了。

麻省理工公开课 - 化学原理课程节选

or at least one mechanism, I shouldn't say -- the only one-- one mechanism for doing that is going to be to add functions is that it's going to provide both of these things, so the first thing it's going to do is, it's going to let us break up into modules.

我们处理这些的机制--至少一种机制,我不会说只有一种,一种机制是在我们的语言中增加函数,函数的关键是它要提供分解和抽象,所以第一件要做的事，就是将代码分解为模块。

麻省理工公开课 - 计算机科学及编程导论课程节选