美国小学英语教材6:第220课 电灯的五十周年纪念(9)

WHAT THE GOLDEN JUBILEE¹ MEANS TO US

这次五十周年纪念对我们来说意味着什么

The electric lamp today burns many more hours than any-one ever dreamed it would, and its cost is low enough for all to afford its use.

现在，电灯的寿命比任何人曾经希望的都要长得多，而且其成本低得足以让所有人负担得起。

Light’s Golden Jubilee proved to the world that Edison’s lamp was a miracle — a miracle that has grown more wonderful during the years since it was invented.

电灯的50周年纪念日向全世界证明，爱迪生的电灯是一个奇迹，自被发明以来的这些年变得更加美妙。

On the day of the Golden Jubilee, Mr. Edison and the President of the United States rode from Detroit to Dearborn in an old wood-burning train of 1872.

50周年纪念日那天，爱迪生和美国总统乘坐1872年燃烧木头的老式火车从底特律前往迪尔伯恩。

The “Sam Hill,” as the old passenger coach is called, stopped at Smith’s Creek² Depot³, where a conductor once threw a young boy and his train laboratory off on the platform.

这列火车途中在史密斯的克里克仓库站停靠，一名列车员曾在这里将一个小男孩和他的列车实验室扔到站台上。

While he rode on the train, Mr. Edison played at being candy-boy again.

乘坐火车时，爱迪生再次扮演售卖东西的男孩。

He took a large basket of fruit and walked the aisles⁴ of the old-fashioned car.

他提着一大篮子水果，走在这列老式火车的过道。

When the party left the train, they made their way to Menlo Park laboratory, where Mr. Edison went through the steps by which he made the first lamp.

离开火车后，他们进入了门洛帕克实验室，爱迪生在那里完成了制作第一盏电灯的步骤。

It is not often that a great inventor lives to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of his greatest invention, for usually he spends a life time in creating it.

伟大的发明家通常不会活着庆祝自己最伟大发明的五十周年，因为通常情况下发明家的创造需要一辈子的时间。

Light’s Golden Jubilee celebrated⁵ Thomas Alva Edison’s great gift to the world.

电灯的50周年纪念日庆祝了托马斯·阿尔瓦·爱迪生献给世界的伟大礼物。

Men will never forget the picture of the inventor re-living his youthful days in riding on a wood burning train to Dearborn.

人们永远不会忘记这位发明家在乘坐燃烧木柴的火车前往迪尔伯恩的过程中重现年轻时的日子。

This picture enables us to realize how marvelous is present-day travel by electric train,

这张照片使我们能够意识到，现在乘坐电力火车旅行的奇妙，

and the brilliant rays of our modern lamp call to mind that far-off Time when a young inventor toiled⁶ by the light of flickering⁷ gas to free the world from darkness.

而我们现代电灯的灿烂光芒让我们回想起过去的时光，当时一位年轻的发明家在闪烁的煤油灯旁辛勤工作，使世界摆脱黑暗。

1 jubilee   

n.周年纪念；欢乐

参考例句：

• They had a big jubilee to celebrate the victory.他们举行盛大的周年纪念活动以祝贺胜利。
• Every Jubilee,to take the opposite case,has served a function.反过来说，历次君主巡幸，都曾起到某种作用。

2 creek   

n.小溪，小河，小湾

参考例句：

• He sprang through the creek.他跳过小河。
• People sunbathe in the nude on the rocks above the creek.人们在露出小溪的岩石上裸体晒日光浴。

3 depot   

n.仓库，储藏处；公共汽车站；火车站

参考例句：

• The depot is only a few blocks from here.公共汽车站离这儿只有几个街区。
• They leased the building as a depot.他们租用这栋大楼作仓库。

4 aisles   

n. (席位间的)通道, 侧廊

参考例句：

• Aisles were added to the original Saxon building in the Norman period. 在诺曼时期，原来的萨克森风格的建筑物都增添了走廊。
• They walked about the Abbey aisles, and presently sat down. 他们走到大教堂的走廊附近，并且很快就坐了下来。

5 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

6 toiled   

长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的过去式和过去分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉

参考例句：

• They toiled up the hill in the blazing sun. 他们冒着炎炎烈日艰难地一步一步爬上山冈。
• He toiled all day long but earned very little. 他整天劳碌但挣得很少。

7 flickering   

adj.闪烁的，摇曳的，一闪一闪的

参考例句：

• The crisp autumn wind is flickering away. 清爽的秋风正在吹拂。
• The lights keep flickering. 灯光忽明忽暗。