雙語暢銷書《艾倫圖靈傳》第8章:水銀延時線(66)
On the TRE side, there had been more technical progress, since F.C. Williams had begun in about June to investigate the behaviour of spots on cathode ray tubes with a view to creating a storage system.
During the war he had seen attempts at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology radar research laboratory to employ ordinary cathode ray tubes for echo cancellation, attempts which failed.
在戰爭期間，他知道麻省理工學院雷達實驗室曾經做過這樣的嘗試，但是他們失敗了。But during the autumn of 1946, he had the idea, independently of Alan's proposal in the ACE report, of refreshing the spots periodically to overcome this problem. He had also seen a way to do it.
1946年秋天，威廉姆斯從圖靈的ACE報告中得到了啓發，他知道了應該怎麼做。
On the other hand, from an administrative point of view there had been a setback to NPL's plans, since Williams had accepted the chair of electrical engineering at Manchester University—an appointment which he believed he owed to Blackett.
另一方面，在人事問題上，國家物理實驗室又遇到了挫折，威廉姆斯接受了曼徹斯特大學的電子工程教職，還了他欠布萊克特的一個人情。Darwin explained to the Executive Committee that
達爾文向執行委員會解釋：He had also hoped that considerable assistance could be obtained from Dr F.C. Williams of TRE, but that he now understood that Dr Williams had accepted a University appointment.
他很希望能從電子通信研究所的威廉姆斯博士那裏得到一些幫助，但是他得知威廉姆斯博士已經接受了一所大學的任命。He said that he would explore the possibility of Dr Williams working on this project at his University—perhaps with the help of NPL or TRE staff ...
他正在考慮是否能讓威廉姆斯博士在大學裏研究這個項目，與國家物理實驗室和電子通信研究所的人員合作……The possibility, thin as it was, was indeed duly explored.
這種可能性很小，但確實值得考慮。On 22 November 1946, Williams, together with two other top TRE men R. A. Smith and A. Uttley, made a visit to the NPL 'to discuss with Mr Womersley and Dr Turing in what way help could be given to the ACE project.'
1946年11月22日，威廉姆斯與另外兩位電子通信研究所的高層人員，R·A·史密斯和A·阿特里，來到國家物理實驗室，跟沃默斯利和圖靈一起商討，該以什麼樣的方式合作，以幫助推動ACE項目。The official minutes were a masterpiece of discretion, Darwin being furious that Williams had been seduced into the Manchester orbit.
因爲威廉姆斯選擇了曼徹斯特，達爾文對此非常不滿，Speaking alone with Smith, he banged on the negotiating table:
在與史密斯單獨談話時，他開門見山：The Director emphasised the extreme importance which he attached to the development of ace, and put it as having the highest priority in his opinion of any work that was being done for DSIR at TRE.
主任強調了他對ACE項目的重要意義，並表示該項目比電子通信實驗室和科學與工業研究部的任何項目都擁有更高的優先權。He was most anxious that some effort should be set aside for work done on this project.
對於該項目如今遇到的困難和延誤，他感到非常擔憂。
