下15课

Lesson Fifteen Edison: Inventor of Invention  294

1）Why,in lippnann's view, is Edison important?

4.1) Edison not only invented numerous useful things. He changed man's way of thinking, made people accept the idea of progress. In other words, what he achieved convinced.people that man could by the use of man's intelligence create a new mode of living on earth.爱迪生不仅发明了许多有用的东西。他改变了人们的思维方式，使人们接受了进步的观念。换句话说，他所取得的成就使他确信。人们认为人类可以利用人类的智慧在地球上创造一种新的生活方式。

do you agree with Lippnan that :an invention is almost never the sole product' of one person? why? /why not ?

2) Yes, I do. No one can ever make an invention without borrowing some ideas from previous scientific discoveries. A competent inventor is generally good at combining and perfecting what others have done before. For example, the idea of the incandescent lamp Edison invented in 1879 was conceived in numerous experiments conducted by many people in many countries over a period of 40 years. Inventors also benefit from science fiction. For example, in the first half of the 20th century, inventors got a lot of inspiration from the French writer Jules Verne's books. The inventor of the modern submarine once said that Verne practically gave him a blueprint for his invention. 是的，我喜欢。没有人能在不借鉴前人科学发现的情况下做出发明。一个有能力的发明家通常善于结合和完善别人以前做过的东西。例如，爱迪生在1879年发明的白炽灯的想法是由许多国家的许多人在40年的时间里进行的无数实验构想出来的。发明家也从科幻小说中受益。例如，在20世纪上半叶，发明家从法国作家儒勒·凡尔纳的书中获得了很多灵感。现代潜艇的发明者曾经说过，凡尔纳实际上给了他的发明一幅蓝图。

would you characterize the age we live in as constantly changing?  give your reasons

3) Yes, I do. Since the end of the Second World War, the world has been changing at a speed greater than ever before. Advances in science and technology are changing human life tremendously. With the introduction of e-mail, communication has become easier and cheaper.The coming of VCD and DVD enables people to watch films at home. Teleconferences can be conducted internationally. Information can he obtained on the Internet, and shopping done on the Web. As many things can be settled or solved without face-to-face contact, the age of technology may have a negative effect on human relations. Some people worry that intimate human relationships will soon become something of the past. 是的,我喜欢。自第二次世界大战结束以来，世界的变化速度比以往任何时候都要快。科学技术的进步正在极大地改变着人类的生活。随着电子邮件的引入，交流变得更容易、更便宜。VCD和DVD的出现使人们可以在家里看电影。电话会议可以在国际范围内进行。信息可以从网上获得，也可以在网上购物。由于许多事情可以在没有面对面接触的情况下解决或解决，技术时代可能会对人际关系产生负面影响。有些人担心亲密的人际关系很快就会成为过去。

what do you think is Edison's greatest contribution to human progress?

5 Although Thomas Edison is generally remembered as an inventor of innumerous devices, his greatest contribution is that he helped change the mentality of mankind.尽管托马斯·爱迪生作为一个发明了无数装置的发明家而被人们铭记，但他最大的贡献是他帮助改变了人类的心态。

From ancient times, people believed that the conditions of life were unchanging. In the 17th and 18th centuries, a small number of intellectuals began to doubt this conception and believe in change. This idea of progress was accepted by more people in the first half of the 19th century when steam-driven machines greatly improved production and transportation. But the misery these machines caused filled people with fear and doubt. Towards the end of the 19th century, Edison's wonderful inventions showed concretely and convincingly that man could, by using his intelligence, invent a new way of life and showed how ordinary people could benefit from the progress of science. 自古以来，人们就相信生活的条件是不变的。在17、18世纪，一小部分知识分子开始怀疑这种观念，并相信变化。19世纪上半叶，当蒸汽驱动的机器极大地改善了生产和运输时，这种进步的观念被更多人接受。但这些机器造成的痛苦让人们充满了恐惧和怀疑。19世纪末，爱迪生的伟大发明具体而令人信服地表明，人类可以利用自己的智慧，发明一种新的生活方式，并表明普通人可以从科学进步中受益。

Because of his part in convincing people that man should and was bound to move forward, he was looked upon as a symbol and creator of a new age.由于他的作用，使人们相信人类应该并且必须向前发展，他被视为一个新时代的象征和创造者。