算盘是我们祖先留下来的宝贵文化遗产,被誉为中国历史上第5大发明。千百年来,它为我国人民普遍使用,对我国的社会经济发展起了不可磨灭的作用。其流传之广泛,使用之普及,是其它计算工具无法比拟的。正如数学史家李俨所说:“算盘的出现,是我国数学史上的一件大事,计算尺、电子计算机,都没有能代替它”。算盘起源于北宋年间,在电子化的今天,有人认为算盘已显得古老落后,没有存在的价值。应该将算盘送进历史博物馆了。但是,算盘还是被保存下来,不仅没有进博物馆,而且沿用至今。算盘的生命力在于,它的特殊功能是计算机无法比拟的。敬爱的周恩来总理生前谆谆告诫:千万不要把算盘丟掉。从国外来看,在已发展为电脑强国的日本,将“会打算盘”同“会读书、会写字”列为国民应掌握的3大基本功。在日本,私人开办的珠算学校多达5万家,珠算还建立了像围棋那样的段位制,著名的松下电气公司规定所 Abacus is a precious cultural legacy left by our ancestors and is regarded as the 5th largest invention in Chinese history. For thousands of years, it has been commonly used by our people and has played an indelible role in the social and economic development of our country. Its widespread spread, the popularity of use, is unmatched by other computing tools. As the mathematical historian Li Yan said: “The emergence of abacus is a major event in the history of mathematics in our country. Slide rule and computer can not replace it.” Abacus originated in the Northern Song Dynasty, in the electronic today, some people think that the abacus has become ancient and backward, there is no value. Abacus should be sent to the Museum of History. However, the abacus was still preserved, not only did not enter the museum, but still in use. The power of the abacus is that its special function is unmatched by the computer. The beloved Premier Zhou Enlai gave birth to death and warned: Do not lose the abacus. From a foreign point of view, in Japan, which has developed into a computer powerhouse, it will list as its three basic tasks that its people should master. In Japan, there are as many as 50,000 abacus schools run by individuals, and abacus has also established a system of checks and balances like Go, the famous Matsushita Electric Corporation