Lesson38 The Metric System
People in many countries use kilograms， centimetres， square meters，litres， and Celsius． These are all ways to measure things． They are allpart of the metric system．During the French Revolution (1789—1799) against the king， therevolutionary government started the metric system． Before that France haddifferent systems for measuring things in different parts of the country．Cloth makers measured cloth with one system． Jewellers used another system． Carpenters used another． Other countries used other systems． Therevolutionary government wanted one international scientific system ofmeasurement． They asked a group of scientists and mathematicians to inventit．The mathematicians and scientists decided to use the numbers ten， hundred，and thousand for their system． Next they had to decide on a “natural”
length． They chose one ten-millionth of the distance from the Equator tothe North Pole． They called this one meter． Then they chose one gram forweighing water in a cubic centimetre．Mathematicians and scientists worked on these problems for twenty yearsuntil they finally finished the complete system．The metric system was awonderful gift to the world． There are only a few countries that don't useit． The United States is one． The metric system is truly an internationalsystem．
carpenter 木匠
jeweller 宝石商
mathematician 数学家
Equator 赤道
cubic centimetre 立方厘米
公制
许多国家的人使用公斤、厘米、平方米、升和摄氏。这些都是测量的方法。他们是公制的一部分。
在反对君主的法国大革命（1789—1799）期间，革命政府开始使用公制。在此之前，在法国不同的地方使用不同的度量衡制。裁缝用一种度量衡量布，珠宝商使用另一种度量衡，木匠又用另一种，其他国家又用不同的度量衡。革命政府希望有一种国际性的科学的度量衡。他们让一群科学家和数学家发明一种这样的体制。
数学家和科学家决定在他们的度量衡制中使用数字十、百、千。
接下来他们必须决定一种“自然的”长度。他们选择了从赤道到北极距离的一千万分之一。他们将它称作一米。然后他们将一立方厘米的水的重量定为一克。
数学家和科学家共同研究了二十年最终完成了这个度量衡制。
公制是献给世界的一份很好的礼物。只有很少的几个国家不使用它。美国是其中之一。
公制的确是一个国际性的度量衡制。 |