时差N小时 富兰克林靠风筝发现了电?(下)

What Ben actually did in his famous 1752 experiment was to cause some excess electrical charge near a storm cloud to ground out through his kite string–still an impressive demonstration¹, but a much less powerful prospect² than an actual lightning strike.

在1752年的这次著名实验中，富兰克林只是将暴风云附近的过量电荷通过风筝线引到地面上，虽然这比实际的雷击威力小很多，但此举仍然令人印象深刻。

Nor is it true that Franklin discovered electricity, as people tend to say.

事实上，富兰克林并不像人们所传的那样发现了电。

What he was trying to do was to demonstrate that lightning itself is simply a powerful electric discharge between the clouds and the earth. In this he was entirely³ correct.

他的行动就是要证明：闪电只是云与地球之间的一种强大的放电现象，在这一点上，他是完全正确的。

Now, did you know that two of the basic terms we use even today to describe electric charge were coined by Franklin? Next time.

如今，我们用来描述电荷的两个基本术语都是富兰克林创造的，你知道吗？且听下回分解。

1 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

2 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

3 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。