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1、美国名人发明家、企业家托马斯爱迪生ThomasEdison,1847-1931:AmericasGreatInventorplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-15:28repeatByPaulThompson2007-3-17ANNOUNCER:WelcometotheVOASpecialEnglishprogram,PeopleinAmerica.Today,SarahLongandBobDoughtytellabouttheinventorThomasAlvaEdison.Hehadamajoreffectonthelivesofpeoplearoundtheworld.
2、ThomasEdisonisrememberedmostfortheelectriclight,hisphonographandhisworkwithmotionpictures.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:ThomasEdisonsmajorinventionsweredesignedandbuiltinthelastyearsoftheeighteenhundreds.However;mostofthemhadtheirgreatesteffectinthetwentiethcentury.Hisinventionsmadepossibletheprogressoftechnology
3、.ItisextremelydifficulttofindanyonelivingtodaywhohasnotbeenaffectedinsomewaybyThomasEdison.MostpeopleonEarthhaveseensomekindofmotionpictureorheardsomekindofsoundrecording.Andalmosteveryonehasatleastseenanelectriclight.TheseareonlythreeofthemanydevicesThomasEdisoninventedorhelpedtoimprove.Peoplelivin
4、ginthiscenturyhavehadeasierandmoreenjoyablelivesbecauseofhisinventions.VOICETWO:ThomasAlvaEdisonwasbornonFebruaryeleventh,eighteenforty-seveninthesmalltownofMilan,Ohio.Hewastheyoungestofsevenchildren.ThomasEdisonwasself-taught.Hewenttoschoolforonlythreemonths.Histeacherthoughthecouldnotlearnbecauseh
5、ehadamentalproblem.ButyoungTomEdisoncouldlearn.Helearnedfrombooksandheexperimented.Attheageoften,hebuilthisownchemicallaboratory.Heexperimentedwithchemicalsandelectricity.Hebuiltatelegraphmachineandquicklylearnedtosendandreceivetelegraphmessages.Atthetime,sendingelectricsignalsoverwireswasthefastest
6、methodofsendinginformationlongdistances.Attheageofsixteen,hewenttoworkasatelegraphoperator.Helaterworkedinmanydifferentplaces.Hecontinuedtoexperimentwithelectricity.Whenhewastwenty-one,hesenttheUnitedStatesgovernmentthedocumentsneededtorequestthelegalprotectionforhisfirstinvention.Thegovernmentgaveh
7、imhisfirstpatentonanelectricdevicehecalledanElectrographicVoteRecorder.Itusedelectricitytocountvotesinanelection.VOICEONE:Inthesummermonthsofeighteensixty-nine,theWesternUnionTelegraphCompanyaskedThomasEdisontoimproveadevicethatwasusedtosendfinancialinformation.Itwascalledastockprinter.MisterEdisonv
8、eryquicklymadegreatimprovementsinthedevice.Thecompanypaidhimfortythousanddollarsforhiseffort.Thatwasalotofmoneyforthetime.ThislargeamountofmoneypermittedMisterEdisontostarthisowncompany.Heannouncedthatthecompanywouldimproveexistingtelegraphdevicesandworkonnewinventions.MisterEdisontoldfriendsthathis
9、newcompanywouldinventaminordeviceeverytendaysandproducewhathecalledabigtrickabouteverysixmonths.Healsoproposedthathiscompanywouldmakeinventionstoorder.Hesaidthatifsomeoneneededadevicetodosomekindofwork,justaskanditwouldbeinvented.VOICETWO:WithinafewweeksThomasEdisonandhisemployeeswereworkingonmoreth
10、anfortydifferentprojects.Theywereeithernewinventionsorwouldleadtoimprovementsinotherdevices.VeryquicklyhewasaskingtheUnitedStatesgovernmentforpatentstoprotectmorethanonehundreddevicesorinventionseachyear.Hewasanextremelybusyman.ButthenThomasEdisonwasalwaysverybusy.Healmostneversleptmorethanfourorfiv
11、ehoursanight.Heusuallyworkedeighteenhourseachdaybecauseheenjoyedwhathewasdoing.Hebelievednoonereallyneededmuchsleep.Heoncesaidthatanyonecouldlearntogowithoutsleep.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:ThomasEdisondidnotenjoytakingtoreporters.Hethoughtitwasawasteoftime.However;hedidtalktoareporterinnineteenseventeen.Hewas
12、seventyyearsoldatthetimeandstillworkingonnewdevicesandinventions.ThereporteraskedMisterEdisonwhichofhismanyinventionsheenjoyedthemost.Heansweredquickly,thephonograph.Hesaidthephonographwasreallythemostinteresting.Healsosaidittooklongertodevelopamachinetoreproducesoundthananyotherofhisinventions.Thom
13、asEdisontoldthereporterthathehadlistenedtomanythousandsofrecordings.HeespeciallylikedmusicbyBrahmszVerdiandBeethoven.Healsolikedpopularmusic.ManyoftherecordingsthatThomasEdisonlistenedtoinnineteenseventeencanstillbeenjoyedtoday.Hisinventionmakesitpossibleforpeoplearoundtheworldtoenjoythesamerecorded
14、sound.VOICETWO:ThereporteralsoaskedThomasEdisonwhatwasthehardestinventiontodevelop.Heansweredquicklyagain-theelectriclight.Hesaidthatitwasthemostdifficultandthemostimportant.Beforetheelectriclightwasinvented,lightwasprovidedinmosthomesandbuildingsbyoilornaturalgas.Bothcausedmanyfireseachyear.Neither
15、oneproducedmuchlight.MisterEdisonhadseenahugeandpowerfulelectriclight.Hebelievedthatasmallerelectriclightwouldbeextremelyuseful.Heandhisemployeesbeganworkontheelectriclight.VOICEONE:Anelectriclightpasseselectricitythroughmaterialcalledafilamentorwire.Theelectricitymakesthefilamentburnandproducelight
16、.ThomasEdisonandhisemployeesworkedformanymonthstofindtherightmaterialtoactasthefilament.Timeaftertimeanewfilamentwouldproducelightforafewmomentsandthenburnup.AtlastMisterEdisonfoundthatacarbonfiberproducedlightandlastedalongtimewithoutburningup.Theelectriclightworked.Atfirst,peoplethoughttheelectriclightwasextremelyinterestingbuthadnovalue.Homesandbusinessesdidnothaveelectricity.Therewasnoneedforit.MisterEdiso
