The History of Money

Before money existed, people traded goods and services directly through barter.

在货币出现之前，人们通过以物易物的方式直接交易商品和服务。

This system was inefficient, because both sides had to want what the other offered.

这种方式效率低下，因为双方都必须想要对方提供的东西。

Over time, societies adopted shells, metals and other objects as a common medium of exchange.

随着时间推移，各个社会开始采用贝壳、金属和其他物品作为通用的交换媒介。

Coins made from precious metals eventually became widespread in many civilisations.

贵金属铸成的硬币最终在许多文明中普及开来。

Paper money later offered a lighter and more convenient alternative.

后来，纸币提供了一种更轻便、更方便的替代方式。

Its value, however, depended entirely on trust in the institution that issued it.

然而，它的价值完全取决于人们对发行机构的信任。

Today, an increasing share of payments are made electronically.

如今，越来越多的支付是通过电子方式完成的。

Some economists predict that physical cash may one day disappear completely.

一些经济学家预测，实体现金有朝一日可能会彻底消失。

Whatever form it takes, money ultimately remains a shared belief in value.

无论采取何种形式，货币归根结底仍然是人们对价值的共同信念。