slide rule

US /ˈslaɪd ruːl/
UK /ˈslaɪd ruːl/
"slide rule" picture
1.

计算尺

a mechanical analog computer, now largely obsolete, used primarily for multiplication and division, and for functions such as roots, logarithms, and trigonometry. It is constructed with a fixed rule and a sliding central piece, both marked with logarithmic scales.

:
Before electronic calculators, engineers relied on a slide rule for complex calculations.
在电子计算器出现之前,工程师们依靠计算尺进行复杂的计算。
Learning to use a slide rule required understanding logarithms.
学习使用计算尺需要理解对数。