A teraflop measures **speed**, not size — this is the whole point of the word, and the reason it gets mixed up with terabyte.

A teraflop measures **speed**, not size teraflop量的是速度，不是容量——this is the whole point of the word這正是這個字的重點，and the reason it gets mixed up with terabyte也是它常被和terabyte搞混的原因。

One teraflop means a computer can do a trillion (a million million) calculations of a certain kind every second. The calculations counted are floating-point operations: sums with decimal points in them, the hard kind, the kind you need for weather models, film animation, 3D games and training AI. Ordinary whole-number counting is easier and is not what this measures.

One teraflop means一個teraflop的意思是 a computer can do a trillion一台電腦每秒能做一兆（a million million一百萬乘一百萬）calculations of a certain kind某一種計算 every second每秒。The calculations counted被算進去的計算 are floating-point operations是浮點運算：sums with decimal points in them帶小數點的加減乘除，the hard kind比較難算的那種，the kind you need for weather models, film animation, 3D games and training AI天氣模型、電影動畫、3D遊戲和訓練AI都需要的那種。Ordinary whole-number counting一般的整數計算 is easier比較簡單 and is not what this measures而且不是這個字量的東西。

You meet the word mostly in two places: when people compare supercomputers, and when game consoles and graphics cards are advertised — a console maker will say its machine does 12 teraflops, meaning it is faster than the last one.

You meet the word mostly in two places你主要會在兩個地方遇到這個字：when people compare supercomputers人們比較超級電腦的時候，and when game consoles and graphics cards are advertised以及遊戲主機和顯示卡打廣告的時候——a console maker will say主機廠商會說 its machine does 12 teraflops它的機器有12個teraflops，meaning it is faster than the last one意思是比上一代快。

Treat that number carefully; it tells you about raw arithmetic power and not much about whether a game actually feels smooth.

Treat that number carefully看待這個數字要小心；it tells you about raw arithmetic power它告訴你的是純粹的算力，and not much about whether a game actually feels smooth而不太能告訴你遊戲玩起來順不順。

The plural is teraflops, and awkwardly the singular already ends in s in the fuller form **teraflops** (floating-point operations per second), so you will see both "a teraflop" and "one teraflops" in technical writing.

The plural is teraflops複數是teraflops，and awkwardly the singular already ends in s而尷尬的是單數形式本身就已經有s in the fuller form在它的完整說法裡 **teraflops**（floating-point operations per second每秒浮點運算次數），so you will see both所以你會看到 "a teraflop" and "one teraflops"「a teraflop」和「one teraflops」兩種寫法 in technical writing在技術文章裡都有。

Bigger units exist: a thousand teraflops is a petaflop.

Bigger units exist還有更大的單位：a thousand teraflops一千個teraflops is a petaflop就是一個petaflop。