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%To the casual observer, \TeX\
%is not a state-of-the-art typesetting system.
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%On a less superficial level, however, \TeX\ is a very sophisticated
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\chapter*{前言}
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对于偶然了解到 \TeX\ 的人来说，它并不是时下最先进的排版系统。
它没有时髦的多级菜单，也没有对文本图片交互式的操作方式。
然而，在更深层次，\TeX\ 是一个精致的程序：
首先是因为，\TeX\ 内置的断行算法和数学公式排版算法十分精巧；
其次是因为，它几乎是完备程序性的。
这些因素使得 \TeX\ 可以高度自动化地实现几乎所有能想到的排版布局。

%Unfortunately, it also means that \TeX\ has an
%unusually large number of commands and parameters,
%and that programming \TeX\ can be far from easy.
%Anyone wanting to program in \TeX, and maybe
%even the ordinary user, would seem to need two books:
%a~tutorial that gives a first glimpse of the many
%nuts and bolts of \TeX, and after that
%a~systematic, complete reference manual.
%This book tries to fulfil the latter function.
%A~\TeX er who has already made a start
%(using any of a number of introductory books
%on the market)
%should be able to use this book indefinitely thereafter.
不幸的是，这也意味着 \TeX\ 有非常多的命令和参数；
因此进行 \TeX\ 编程远谈不上简单。
每一个想要进行 \TeX\ 编程的人，大概都需要两本书：
一本新手引导，介绍 \TeX\ 的基本内容；
以及一本大而全的手册。
本书属于后者，
适合于入门后的 \TeX\ 用户（无论阅读了市面上多少本入门书）。

%In this volume the universe of \TeX\ is presented as
%about forty different subjects, each in a separate
%chapter.
%Each chapter starts out with a list of control sequences
%relevant to the topic of that chapter
%and proceeds to treat the
%theory of the topic.
%Most chapters conclude with remarks and examples.
本书将 \TeX\ 划分为大约 40 个主题，每个主题一章。
在每章开头，本书会列出和当前章节有关的控制序列。
大多数章节都有内容介绍和示例参考。

%Globally, the chapters are ordered as follows.
%The chapters on basic mechanisms are first,
%the chapters on text treatment and mathematics are next,
%and finally there are some
%chapters on output and aspects of \TeX's connections to
%the outside world.
%%
%The book also contains a glossary of \TeX\
%commands, tables,
%and indexes by example, by control sequence, and by subject.
%The subject index refers for most concepts to
%only one page, where most of the information
%on that topic can be found, as well as references
%to the locations of related information.
大体上说，本书的结构如下。
首先讲解基本机制，
而后介绍有关文本和数学处理的内容，
最后会有几章介绍 \TeX\ 与外界的联系。
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借助示例、控制序列和主题，本书也包含了有关 \TeX\ 命令、表格、索引的术语表。
根据主题，大多数概念可以索引至具体一页；
在这一页上，读者能找到有关该主题的大部分内容，也能了解去何处查阅相关信息。

%This book does not treat any specific \TeX\ macro package.
%Any parts of the plain format that are treated are those
%parts that belong to the `core' of plain \TeX: they
%are also present in, for instance, \LaTeX.
%Therefore, most remarks about the plain format
%are true for \LaTeX, as well as most other formats.
%Putting it differently,
%if the text refers to the plain format, this should be taken
%as a contrast to pure \IniTeX, not to \LaTeX.
%By way of illustration, occasionally macros from plain \TeX\
%are explained that do not belong to the core.
本书没有涵盖任何具体的 \TeX\ 宏包。
有关 plain\TeX\ 格式的内容，本书也只介绍其中最核心的部分：
它们 \LaTeX\ 等格式的一部分。
因此，大多数关于 plain\TeX\ 格式的内容对于 \LaTeX\ 和其他格式也仍然适用。
特别地，如果文中明确指出相关段落是对 plain\TeX\ 的介绍，
那么这些内容是有关纯 \IniTeX\ 的，而与 \LaTeX\ 无关。
为方便讲述，本书偶尔也会介绍一些 plain\TeX\ 的非核心宏。

%\medskip\noindent
%{\bf Acknowledgment}\nl
%I am indebted to Barbara Beeton, Karl Berry, and Nico Poppelier,
%who read previous versions of this book. Their comments
%helped to improve the presentation.
%Also I~would like to thank the participants of
%the discussion lists \TeX hax, \TeX-nl, and {\tt comp.text.tex}.
%Their questions and answers gave me much food for thought.
%Finally, any acknowledgement in a book about \TeX\ ought to
%include Donald Knuth for inventing \TeX\ in the
%first place. This book is no exception.
\medskip\noindent
{\bfseries 致谢}\nl
承蒙 Barbara Beeton、Karl Berry 以及 Nico Poppelier 阅读本书初稿。
在他们的帮助下，本书的陈述有所提高。
同时感谢以下讨论列表中的参与者：\TeX hax、\TeX-nl 以及{\ttfamily comp.text.tex}。
他们提出的问题和给出的回答给予我思考之食粮。
最后，任何一本有关 \TeX\ 的书，都应向 \TeX\ 的发明者 Donald Knuth 致敬。本书也不例外。

%\begin{flushright}
% Victor Eijkhout\\
% Urbana, Illinois, August 1991\\
% Knoxville, Tennessee, May 2001\\
% Austin, Texas, December 2013
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 Victor Eijkhout\\
 厄巴纳, 伊利诺伊州, 1991 年 8 月\\
 诺克斯维尔, 田纳西州, 2001 年 5 月\\
 奥斯汀, 德克萨斯州, 2013 年 12 月
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