美国名人发明家、企业家托马斯·爱迪生.docx

美国名人发明家、企业家托马斯爱迪生ThomasEdison,1847-1931:America'sGreatInventorplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-15:28repeatByPaulThompson2007-3-17ANNOUNCER:WelcometotheVOASpecialEnglishprogram,PeopleinAmerica.Today,SarahLongandBobDoughtytellabouttheinventorThomasAlvaEdison.Hehadamajoreffectonthelivesofpeoplearoundtheworld.ThomasEdisonisrememberedmostfortheelectriclight,hisphonographandhisworkwithmotionpictures.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:ThomasEdison'smajorinventionsweredesignedandbuiltinthelastyearsoftheeighteenhundreds.However;mostofthemhadtheirgreatesteffectinthetwentiethcentury.Hisinventionsmadepossibletheprogressoftechnology.ItisextremelydifficulttofindanyonelivingtodaywhohasnotbeenaffectedinsomewaybyThomasEdison.MostpeopleonEarthhaveseensomekindofmotionpictureorheardsomekindofsoundrecording.Andalmosteveryonehasatleastseenanelectriclight.TheseareonlythreeofthemanydevicesThomasEdisoninventedorhelpedtoimprove.Peoplelivinginthiscenturyhavehadeasierandmoreenjoyablelivesbecauseofhisinventions.VOICETWO:ThomasAlvaEdisonwasbornonFebruaryeleventh,eighteenforty-seveninthesmalltownofMilan,Ohio.Hewastheyoungestofsevenchildren.ThomasEdisonwasself-taught.Hewenttoschoolforonlythreemonths.Histeacherthoughthecouldnotlearnbecausehehadamentalproblem.ButyoungTomEdisoncouldlearn.Helearnedfrombooksandheexperimented.Attheageoften,hebuilthisownchemicallaboratory.Heexperimentedwithchemicalsandelectricity.Hebuiltatelegraphmachineandquicklylearnedtosendandreceivetelegraphmessages.Atthetime,sendingelectricsignalsoverwireswasthefastestmethodofsendinginformationlongdistances.Attheageofsixteen,hewenttoworkasatelegraphoperator.Helaterworkedinmanydifferentplaces.Hecontinuedtoexperimentwithelectricity.Whenhewastwenty-one,hesenttheUnitedStatesgovernmentthedocumentsneededtorequestthelegalprotectionforhisfirstinvention.ThegovernmentgavehimhisfirstpatentonanelectricdevicehecalledanElectrographicVoteRecorder.Itusedelectricitytocountvotesinanelection.VOICEONE:Inthesummermonthsofeighteensixty-nine,theWesternUnionTelegraphCompanyaskedThomasEdisontoimproveadevicethatwasusedtosendfinancialinformation.Itwascalledastockprinter.MisterEdisonveryquicklymadegreatimprovementsinthedevice.Thecompanypaidhimfortythousanddollarsforhiseffort.Thatwasalotofmoneyforthetime.ThislargeamountofmoneypermittedMisterEdisontostarthisowncompany.Heannouncedthatthecompanywouldimproveexistingtelegraphdevicesandworkonnewinventions.MisterEdisontoldfriendsthathisnewcompanywouldinventaminordeviceeverytendaysandproducewhathecalleda"bigtrick"abouteverysixmonths.Healsoproposedthathiscompanywouldmakeinventionstoorder.Hesaidthatifsomeoneneededadevicetodosomekindofwork,justaskanditwouldbeinvented.VOICETWO:WithinafewweeksThomasEdisonandhisemployeeswereworkingonmorethanfortydifferentprojects.Theywereeithernewinventionsorwouldleadtoimprovementsinotherdevices.VeryquicklyhewasaskingtheUnitedStatesgovernmentforpatentstoprotectmorethanonehundreddevicesorinventionseachyear.Hewasanextremelybusyman.ButthenThomasEdisonwasalwaysverybusy.Healmostneversleptmorethanfourorfivehoursanight.Heusuallyworkedeighteenhourseachdaybecauseheenjoyedwhathewasdoing.Hebelievednoonereallyneededmuchsleep.Heoncesaidthatanyonecouldlearntogowithoutsleep.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:ThomasEdisondidnotenjoytakingtoreporters.Hethoughtitwasawasteoftime.However;hedidtalktoareporterinnineteenseventeen.Hewasseventyyearsoldatthetimeandstillworkingonnewdevicesandinventions.ThereporteraskedMisterEdisonwhichofhismanyinventionsheenjoyedthemost.Heansweredquickly,thephonograph.Hesaidthephonographwasreallythemostinteresting.Healsosaidittooklongertodevelopamachinetoreproducesoundthananyotherofhisinventions.ThomasEdisontoldthereporterthathehadlistenedtomanythousandsofrecordings.HeespeciallylikedmusicbyBrahmszVerdiandBeethoven.Healsolikedpopularmusic.ManyoftherecordingsthatThomasEdisonlistenedtoinnineteenseventeencanstillbeenjoyedtoday.Hisinventionmakesitpossibleforpeoplearoundtheworldtoenjoythesamerecordedsound.VOICETWO:ThereporteralsoaskedThomasEdisonwhatwasthehardestinventiontodevelop.Heansweredquicklyagain-theelectriclight.Hesaidthatitwasthemostdifficultandthemostimportant.Beforetheelectriclightwasinvented,lightwasprovidedinmosthomesandbuildingsbyoilornaturalgas.Bothcausedmanyfireseachyear.Neitheroneproducedmuchlight.MisterEdisonhadseenahugeandpowerfulelectriclight.Hebelievedthatasmallerelectriclightwouldbeextremelyuseful.Heandhisemployeesbeganworkontheelectriclight.VOICEONE:Anelectriclightpasseselectricitythroughmaterialcalledafilamentorwire.Theelectricitymakesthefilamentburnandproducelight.ThomasEdisonandhisemployeesworkedformanymonthstofindtherightmaterialtoactasthefilament.Timeaftertimeanewfilamentwouldproducelightforafewmomentsandthenburnup.AtlastMisterEdisonfoundthatacarbonfiberproducedlightandlastedalongtimewithoutburningup.Theelectriclightworked.Atfirst,peoplethoughttheelectriclightwasextremelyinterestingbuthadnovalue.Homesandbusinessesdidnothaveelectricity.Therewasnoneedforit.MisterEdiso