JavaScript：世界上误解最深的语言

javascript, aka Mocha, aka LiveScript, aka JScript, aka ECMAScript, is one of the world's most popular programming languages. Virtually every personal computer in the world has at least one JavaScript interpreter installed on it and in active use. JavaScript's popularity is due entirely to its role as the scripting language of the WWW.

JavaScript，或者叫 Mocha，或者叫 LiveScript，或者叫 JScript，又或者叫 ECMAScript，是世界上最流行的编程语言之一。事实上世界上的每一台个人电脑都安装并在频繁使用至少一个JavaScript解释器。JavaScript的流行完全是由于他在WWW脚本语言领域中的地位决定的。

Despite its popularity, few know that JavaScript is a very nice dynamic object-oriented general-purpose programming language. How can this be a secret? Why is this language so misunderstood?

尽管它很流行，但是很少有人知道JavaScript是一个非常棒的动态面向对象通用编程语言。这居然能成为一个秘密！这门语言为什么被误解如此之深？

The Name
名字

The Java- prefix suggests that JavaScript is somehow related to Java, that it is a subset or less capable version of Java. It seems that the name was intentionally selected to create confusion, and from confusion comes misunderstanding. JavaScript is not interpreted Java. Java is interpreted Java. JavaScript is a different language.

Java- 前缀很轻易使人联想到Java，并认为它是Java的子集或简化版的Java。看起来最初给它选这个名字是别有专心的，是故意混淆概念、故意制造"误解"的。JavaScript不是解释执行的Java。Java是解释执行的Java。JavaScript是另外一种语言。

JavaScript has a syntactic similarity to Java, mUCh as Java has to C. But it is no more a subset of Java than Java is a subset of C. It is better than Java in the applications that Java (fka Oak) was originally intended for.

JavaScript的语法和Java有相似之处，这就像Java的语法和C很相像一样。但是它不是Java的子集，就像Java不是C的子集一样。它在Java（Oak）最初打算进军的领域中比Java更好。

JavaScript was not developed at Sun Microsystems, the home of Java. JavaScript was developed at Netscape. It was originally called LiveScript, but that name wasn't confusing enough.

JavaScript不是Sun Microsystems的产品，Sun是Java的家。JavaScript是在Netscape被开发出来的。它最初叫LiveScript，嗯……还是这个名字好。

The -Script suffix suggests that it is not a real programming language, that a scripting language is less than a programming language. But it is really a matter of specialization. Compared to C, JavaScript trades performance for eXPressive power and dynamism.