新华社北京10月27日电 （记者张莹）日前，谷歌公司研究人员领衔的团队宣称成功演示“量子霸权”，相关论文全文被英国《自然》杂志正式发表。该团队研制了一个包含53个有效量子比特的处理器“西克莫”，它在测试中仅用了约200秒就完成当前全球最好的超级计算机需要约1万年才能完成的计算任务。
Beijing, Oct. 27 (xinhua) -- zhang ying A team led by Google researchers have claimed to have demonstrated "quantum hegemony" in a paper published in the British journal nature. The team developed a processor called "sikmo" with 53 effective quantum bits, which in tests took only about 200 seconds to complete a computation that would take about 10,000 years for the world's best supercomputer.
对于谷歌宣称实现“量子霸权”，业内各方看法不一。有的学者高度评价该成果的价值，认为它是量子计算领域的“卓越成就”和“里程碑”，其重要意义可媲美莱特兄弟在人类历史上的首次驾驶飞机飞行。但是以IBM公司为代表的“反方”则认为，IBM研制的一种超级计算机在两天半内就能完成谷歌所展示的运算量，所谓实现“量子霸权”的说法误导公众。
The Google claims to achieve "quantum hegemony", the industry is divided. Some scholars speak highly of the achievement, saying that it is a "remarkable achievement" and a "milestone" in the field of quantum computing. Its significance is comparable to that of the Wright brothers who flew an airplane for the first time in human history. But the opposition, led by IBM, argues that a supercomputer developed by IBM can perform the calculations shown in Google in two and a half days, misleading the public by claiming "quantum hegemony".
作为行业内的竞争者，两大巨头的争议孰是孰非，至少从技术层面看，缺乏专业知识背景的一般读者可能难以评判。但是抛开技术争议，量子计算相较于传统计算具有颠覆性的革命意义，为人类突破计算处理极限展示了令人振奋的前景，这一点没有人否认。从这个意义上讲，谷歌团队攻坚十多年的研究成果，堪称量子计算研究的“一大步”。
As competitors in the industry, the two giants are at odds, at least on a technical level, that may be hard for the casual reader to judge. But despite the technical controversy, quantum computing has a revolutionary significance compared with traditional computing, and it shows an exciting prospect for human beings to break the limit of computing processing, which no one can deny. In this sense, the Google team's breakthrough of more than a decade is a "big step" in quantum computing research.
但是，从近期对这一科技突破的解读来看，业界对于这次突破是否真正实现了“量子霸权”、为人类计算能力开辟了“新纪元”存疑。还有人指出，无论是超越了传统计算机1万年还是2.5天，都只是量子处理器某些能力的演示，距离量子计算真正替代传统计算机的临界点还有距离，尤其是实现量子计算机的工程技术难度不容低估。
However, recent interpretations of the breakthrough have raised doubts in the industry about whether it is truly a quantum breakthrough that could usher in a new era of computing power. Others pointed out that whether it is beyond the traditional computer 10,000 years or 2.5 days, it is only a demonstration of some power of the quantum processor, and it is still far from the critical point where quantum computing can truly replace the traditional computer, especially the engineering difficulty of realizing the quantum computer cannot be underestimated.
当然，任何基础研究的应用都会有一个渐进累积演化的过程，正如从莱特兄弟实现首飞到最早的商业航空诞生经过了大约10年，从“量子霸权”到量子计算商用需要多久？即便最乐观者如谷歌首席执行官孙达尔·皮柴的估计，至少也需10年。如果要对社会产生较大影响，可能还要更长时间。
Of course, any application of basic research will undergo a gradual and cumulative evolution. Just as it took about 10 years for the Wright brothers to make their first flight to the birth of the earliest commercial aviation, how long did it take to move from "quantum hegemony" to commercial quantum computing? Even the most optimistic, such as sundar pichai, Google's chief executive, reckons it will be at least a decade. If it's going to have a big impact on society, it's going to take longer.
量子计算前景正激励着全球众多优秀的物理学家、电子工程师和计算机科学家全力以赴。然而，科技的进步从来都是漫长的历程，和配套学科的发展、社会资金的投入、国际科技合作环境的变迁等因素息息相关，量子计算的前行仍要经历不短的旅途。对于谷歌取得的成果，理性的观察和不过度炒作，才是应有的态度。
The promise of quantum computing is inspiring many of the world's best physicists, electrical engineers and computer scientists to go all out. However, the progress of science and technology is always a long process, which is closely related to the development of supporting disciplines, the investment of social funds, the change of international scientific and technological cooperation environment and other factors. The advance of quantum computing still needs a long journey. For the results of Google, rational observation and not overhype, is the appropriate attitude.