普通高中课程标准实验教科书 英语选修8 Unit 3 Inventors and in

In 1452 one of the greatest painters and inventors, Leonardo da Vinci, was born. His family was very poor and he grew up in the Italian countryside. But his drawing ability allowed him to study under the famous painter from Florence, called Verrochio. Leonardo gradually learned the skills needed to be a great artist and by the 1480s he had begun to produce paintings of his own. Unfortunately at this time painting did not always provide a steady income, so the young Leonardo developed his drawing skills to earn money in other ways. He learned to design whatever his employer wanted: cities, canals, bridges or weapons.
         Leonardo probably became interested in machines when he was a boy. Some of his early drawings showed clearly how various machine parts worked. While he was studying under Verrochio, Leonardo observed and used a variety of machines. By studying and drawing them, Leonardo gained knowledge about their design and structure. Artists in Leonardo's time knew how to build and repair many familiar kinds of machines, but nobody seemed to have thought about inventing new ones.
        However, Leonardo was different. He developed a new attitude towards machines. He realized that by understanding how each separate machine part worked, he could improve them and combine them in different ways to improve existing machines. In this way he began to design machines no one had ever seen before. He set out to write the first systematic¹ explanation of how machines work and how the parts of a machine are combined in the whole. His drawing skills enabled him to produce clear drawings of his mechanical ideas easily. Even more than five hundred years later, many of his designs can still be used to create perfect working machines.
        For him, the most interesting part was the use of mechanical gears³ (齿轮). Based on the gear², he came up with numerous designs, including the bicycle, a helicopter, an "automobile⁴" and some weapons of course.
        While making inventions Leonardo was also painting. One of those who knew him best recognized his special abilities and described him in these words:
        "The most wonderful gifts seem to be given to certain human beings. Sometimes, marvellously, they can all be found in one individual This was seen and acknowledged⁵ by all men in the case of Leonardo da Vinci, who demonstrated ... a special grace in everything he did. His talent was so rare that he mastered any subject to which he turned his attention He might have been a scientist if he had not been so skilled in other areas."
        Today we think of Leonardo da Vinci as one of the greatest painters, but if he had never been a painter, we would still appreciate him as one of the greatest inventors of his time.  

1 systematic   

adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的

参考例句：

• The way he works isn't very systematic.他的工作不是很有条理。
• The teacher made a systematic work of teaching.这个教师进行系统的教学工作。

2 gear   

n.齿轮，传动装置，设备，衣服；vt.使适应

参考例句：

• We have to gear our lives to the new changes.我们必须使自己的生活适应新的变化。
• The teeth of the wheel gear into each other.齿轮互相啮合。

3 gears   

n.齿轮( gear的名词复数 )；装备；挡；（做某事的）速度

参考例句：

• Careless use of the clutch may damage the gears. 离合器使用不慎可能会损坏传动装置。
• A car has five gears. 汽车有五挡。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

5 acknowledged   

adj.公认的v.承认( acknowledge的过去式和过去分词 )；鸣谢；对…打招呼；告知已收到

参考例句：

• He acknowledged publicly that he might have made a mistake. 他当众承认自己可能犯了个错误。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The police acknowledged that three police vehicles were damaged. 警方承认有三辆警车被毁。 来自《简明英汉词典》