A standard and universal system of measurement based on the natural world.

基于自然世界的标准和通用测量系统。

So, he's pretty familiar with the headaches caused by juggling two systems of measurement.

因此，他非常熟悉因兼顾两种测量系统而引起的头痛。

The imposing system of measurements and tests which we have developed for manual work—from industrial engineering to quality control—is not applicable to knowledge work.

我们为体力劳动所设立的一套强制性的检测系统——从工程设计到质量控制——对脑力劳动来说，就显得不大适用了。

Today, other than a handful of notable exceptions, the modern world relies on a shared system of measurement much like what Wilkins first proposed, the metric system.

今天，除了少数值得注意的例外，现代世界依赖于一个共同的测量系统，很像威尔金斯首先提出的公制。

And at the base of that system of measurement would not be a rod of particular length, or a mass of metal, instead it'd be based on time.

测量系统的基础不是一根特定长度的棒子，或者一团金属，而是基于时间。

This standard system of measurement is the foundation of modern science and society, but for any of it to work, there's still one unit we must physically measure, one unit to rule them all, the second.

这个标准的测量系统是现代科学和社会的基础，但是要使其中任何一个起作用，仍然有一个单位我们必须物理测量，一个单位来统治所有这些，第二个。

My comprehension of the customs of the country was very limited I felt almost ashamed at how little I knew. I did not know if they used the metric or the imperial system of measurement.

我对这个国家的习俗的了解也非常有限。 我觉得惭愧得很，我知道得太少了。我不知道他们是用公制还是英制单位。