In my Commentary on the Metre Convention of 1875, modified by the second Convention in 1921, I examine its mission “to assure the international unification and perfection of the metric system” set out in the Preamble to the 1875 Convention and show how this continues to be its principal aim, with the metric system now being the International System of Units, SI. I examine the modern roles of the three organs of the Convention, the General Conference on Weights and Measures, the International Committee for Weights and Measures and the International Bureau of Weights and Measures—the permanent international scientific institute at Sevres. I discuss the interpretation of many of the key Articles of the Conventions, drawing upon decisions made by General Conferences. I discuss the recent interpretation of one of these by the International Committee. I draw attention to the 1960 draft of a proposed new Convention, much discussed at the 11th General Conference in 1960 but never adopted, which would have considerably eased recent financial difficulties by removing the requirement for unanimity in financial decisions. The new English edition of the Convention, in the Appendix, is the first complete and up to date English text to include both the Preamble to the 1875 Convention and the text of the second Convention of 1921.

中文翻译：

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1875年的计量表公约：评论和新的英文版

在我对《 1875年电表公约》进行的评注（由1921年第二项公约修改）中，我研究了其使命，即“确保1875年公制的国际统一和完善”，并说明了这种情况如何继续是其主要目标，公制现在是国际单位制（SI）。我考察了《公约》三个机构，度量衡大会，国际度量衡委员会和国际度量衡局（塞夫尔的常设国际科学研究所）的现代作用。我将根据大会的决定，讨论《公约》许多关键条款的解释。我将讨论国际委员会对其中一项的最新解释。我提请大家注意1960年拟议的新公约草案，该公约在1960年第11届大会上进行了很多讨论，但从未获得通过，这将通过消除财务决定一致的要求而大大缓解近期的财务困难。附录中新的英文版《公约》是第一本完整且最新的英文文本，其中包括1875年《公约》序言和1921年第二次《公约》文本。