LEVELED BOOK • UThe Genius of Tesla
美音、自然拼读、分级阅读与词汇复习
Table of Contents The Magician.
内容表 The Magician. 中国植物物种信息数据库.
4 Meeting Mr.
第4次会议
Edison.
爱迪生
6 Digging Ditches.
6个掘地沟.
8 Battle of the Currents.
8 海流之战.
10 Radio Days.
10广播日.
12 The Great Tower.
12 大塔楼.
14 A Lasting Influence.
14 持久影响。
15 Glossary.
15 词汇。
16 The Magician One day, a man with dark hair and a mustache invited a group of people into his New York City laboratory to witness one of his electrifying experiments.
16 魔术师 有一天,一个发色暗黑而有胡子的人邀请一群人进入他的纽约市实验室,见证他的一个电动实验.
As the audience settled into their seats, the man, Nikola Tesla, strolled calmly to a wooden platform and sat on a chair.
当观众们安顿在自己的座位上时,这位男子尼古拉·特斯拉(Nikola Tesla)平静地走入了木质平台并坐在椅子上.
Under the platform was a generator capable of producing millions of volts of electricity.
站台下方是一台能产生上百万伏特电力的发电机.
Tesla flipped a switch.
特斯拉打开了开关
Wild streaks of light sparked across the room as if a lightning storm raged inside.
狂野的光芒照亮了整个房间 仿佛闪电暴冲向室内
Some struck Tesla.
有人袭击了特斯拉
When the light show was over, Tesla stepped off the stage unharmed.
当灯光秀结束的时候,特斯拉毫不伤害地从舞台上走出.
The audience burst into applause.
观众热烈鼓掌
Tesla sits calmly reading a book while artificial lightning fills his laboratory.
特斯拉静静地坐着读了一本书,而人造闪电则填补了他的实验室.
Electrical displays from Tesla and Westinghouse amazed crowds at the World’s Fair in Chicago in 1893.
来自特斯拉和威斯丁豪斯的电展在1893年的芝加哥世界博览会上令人惊讶地吸引了观众.
Tesla was no magician.
特斯拉不是魔术师
He was a scientist who had just demonstrated how safe a newly discovered form of electric current—alternating current (AC)—was.
他是一位科学家,他刚刚展示了新发现的电流形式——相变电流——是多么安全。
His discovery revolutionized the world.
他的发现使世界发生了革命.
It would eventually power modern industry and light up nations.
它最终会为现代工业提供动力,并点燃国家。
Tesla was more than a scientist.
特斯拉不仅仅是个科学家
He was a visionary who challenged established scientists of the day with his astonishing inventions and ideas.
他是一位有远见的人,他用他惊人的发明和想法挑战了今天的科学家。
Many experts believe that it is largely thanks to Tesla that we now have smartphones, wireless communication, television, robots, radar, and other amazing devices.
许多专家认为,现在我们拥有智能手机,无线通信,电视,机器人,雷达等惊人设备,这在很大程度上要归功于特斯拉.
Despite his scientific genius, Tesla was not a great businessman.
尽管他有科学天赋,特斯拉并不是一个伟大的商人.
He died penniless while others made millions of dollars off his work.
他没钱就死了 而其他人却赚了上百万美元
Meeting Mr.
会 议 纪 要
Edison Tesla was born during a lightning storm in 1856 in what today is the country of Croatia, in Eastern Europe.
爱迪生·特斯拉生于1856年的闪电风暴中,在今天的克罗埃西亚国家,东欧.
As a young boy, Tesla studied hard.
童年时特斯拉勤于学习.
His father was an Eastern Orthodox priest.
他的父亲是一位东方正教会的牧师.
He had a large library of books that Tesla eagerly read.
他有一个庞大的图书图书馆,特斯拉热心地阅读.
Tesla’s love of inventing came from his mother, who built small household appliances in her spare time.
特斯拉对发明的热爱来自他的母亲,她在业余时间制造了小型家用电器.
Electricity interested Tesla as a boy.
童年时对特斯拉很感兴趣
He longed to become an electrical engineer.
他渴望成为一名电气工程师.
After years of study and work, he figured out a way to generate electricity more efficiently and safely by using alternating current.
经过多年的学习和工作,他想出一个方法,通过使用交替电流来更高效和安全地发电.
Armed with that knowledge, Tesla set sail for the United States in 1884 at age twenty-eight.
特斯拉带着这种知识,于1884年以28岁起航前往美国.
On his second day in America, he walked into Thomas Edison’s New York office.
在美国的第二天,他走入了托马斯·爱迪生的纽约办公室.
Tesla handed the great inventor a letter from one of Edison’s European friends.
特斯拉将爱迪生的欧洲朋友之一的信交给了伟大的发明家.
It read: “My Dear Edison: I know two great men and you are one of them.
上面写道:“亲爱的爱迪生:我认识两个伟大的人,你也是其中之一。
The other is this young man!”
另一个是这个年轻人!”
Thomas Edison was a smart businessman as well as an inventor.
托马斯·爱迪生是一个聪明的商人以及发明家.
Tesla’s demonstrations of new technology were often spectacular.
特斯拉对新技术的展示往往非常壮观。
AC and DC: What’s the Difference?
空调公司和DC: 有何不同?
Electricity is the flow of charged particles called electrons.
电是电荷粒子称为电子的流出.
Electricity can flow in two ways: by an alternating current or by a direct current.
电流可以有两种方式:相交电流或直流电流.
Direct current moves in one direction as a straight line and is difficult to transmit over long distances without losing energy.
直流作为正线向一个方向移动,在不失去能量的情况下难以远距离传输.
Direct current is not easily changed to higher or lower voltages.
直流电不易被改变为高压或下压.
In an alternating current, electrons move rapidly back and forth, changing direction sixty times per second.
在交替电流中,电子回向和回向迅速移动,改变方向为每秒60回.
Transformers can easily convert alternating current to lower and higher voltages.
变压器可以很容易地将交替的电流转换为更低和更高的电压.
Transformers allow alternating current to be sent over long distances efficiently.
变压器可以高效地将相变电流送出长距离。
At the time, Edison was considered the father of the electrical age.
当时,爱迪生被认为是电气时代的父亲.
He had invented a lighting system that used incandescent lamps and direct current (DC) power stations.
他发明了使用白炽灯和直流电站的照明系统。
DC power was dangerous because it flowed at high voltage all the time.
DC的电源很危险,因为它在高电压时常流出.
The power poles going up in cities supported exposed wires that could electrocute whatever touched them.
城市升起的电线杆支撑着暴露的电线 能够电击触碰它们的东西
When electric trolleys in Brooklyn passed, sparks flew from the lines, forcing people to dodge the fiery bolts.
当布鲁克林的电动推车通过时,火花从线路上飞出,迫使人们躲避火花的螺栓.
Escaping the sparks was so common that Brooklyn’s baseball team was called the Dodgers.
逃出火花很常见,以至于布鲁克林的棒球队被称作道奇队.
Tesla told Edison that direct current was weak and expensive.
特斯拉告诉爱迪生,直流电很弱而昂贵.
To light a city, Tesla said, hundreds of DC generators would need to be built.
特斯拉说,要点燃一座城市,就需要建造数百台DC发电机.
Tesla said that alternating current was a less expensive way to deliver power.
Tesla说,交替电流是提供电力的更便宜的方法。
Although wary of AC power generation, Edison gave Tesla a job.
虽然警惕AC发电,但爱迪生给了特斯拉一份工作.
Edison promised the young engineer $50,000 if he could increase the voltage of Edison’s DC electric system in New York City.
爱迪生向年轻工程师承诺了5万美元,如果他能增加爱迪生在纽约市DC电力系统的电压.
Tesla accepted the challenge.
特斯拉接受了挑战.
Digging Ditches Tesla, hoping to win Edison’s challenge, worked long hours.
Digging Ditzches Tesla希望赢得爱迪生的挑战,
He slept and ate very little.
他睡觉吃得很少
A few months later, Tesla announced success.
几个月后,特斯拉宣布成功.
Edison, however, refused to pay the $50,000.
然而,爱迪生拒绝支付这5万美元.
He claimed his offer had been made in jest.
他声称他的提议是开玩笑的。
“When you become a full-fledged American, you will appreciate an American joke,” Edison said.
爱迪生说:“当你成为一个成熟的美国人,你会欣赏一个美国笑话。
Tesla was angry.
特斯拉很愤怒
He quit his job and stormed out of Edison’s office.
他辞职后冲出爱迪生的办公室.
Regardless, word spread about Tesla’s achievements.
不过,
A short time later, a group of investors approached Tesla and asked him to invent a more efficient lightbulb.
不久后,一行投资者接近特斯拉,要求他发明出更有效率的灯泡.
Edison’s first successful lightbulb gave off the light of sixteen candles.
爱迪生第一个成功的灯泡,
Tesla did as he was asked and invented a highly efficient lightbulb.
特斯拉照他的要求做了,发明了高效的灯泡.
For his efforts, the investors gave Tesla shares of stock in a company that soon became worthless.
为了他的努力,投资者给了特斯拉在一家很快变得毫无价值的公司的股份.
While the investors grew rich on the sale of the lightbulb, Tesla made little money.
虽然投资者在"灯泡"的发售上逐渐发财,特斯拉却赚得很少.
Poverty forced Tesla to take a job digging ditches for Edison’s light company.
贫穷迫使特斯拉为爱迪生的灯光公司挖沟。
It paid $2 a day.
它每天付了两美元。
Tesla’s fortunes changed when the head of the ditch-digging crew introduced Tesla to A.
特斯拉的财富在挖掘沟渠的船员将特斯拉介绍给A后发生了变化.
K.
凯.
Brown of the Western Union Company.
西部联合公司的布朗.
Tesla told Brown about his AC theories.
特斯拉将他的AC理论告诉了布朗.
Brown was impressed.
布朗印象深刻.
He invested in Tesla’s AC power-generation ideas.
他投资于特斯拉的AC发电理念.
Working just a few short blocks from Edison’s office, Tesla developed all the parts an AC power station needed, including the motors that generated the electricity.
特斯拉在离爱迪生办公室仅几条短短的街区工作,开发了AC电站所需的所有部件,包括发电的电动机.
Battle of the Currents Tesla found a major backer in George Westinghouse.
特斯拉海流之战(Battle of the Curres Tesla)在乔治·西宁豪斯(George Westinghouse)发现了一名主要的后卫.
Westinghouse had invented several improvements for trains and was one of America’s wealthiest businessmen.
威斯丁豪斯曾发明过几次列车改进,是美国最富有的商人之一.
Westinghouse was positive that alternating current was the wave of the future.
韦斯丁豪斯肯定地说,交替流是未来的一波。
He bought all Tesla’s patents for $60,000—about $1.
他以6万-约一美元的价格购买了特斯拉的所有专利.
4 million today—plus 150 shares of stock in Westinghouse’s company.
今天有400万股——加上在Westinghouse公司的150股股票。
Westinghouse also gave Tesla royalties on the amount of power his AC motors could generate.
威斯通豪斯还给了特斯拉关于他AC马达能产生的功率的特许权使用费.
Tesla quickly spent his earnings on a new laboratory.
特斯拉很快将收入花在了一个新的实验室上.
The two men then began to electrify the United States.
两人随后开始为美国通电.
Edison was angry as Westinghouse began installing AC generators in rural areas that Edison’s DC system could not reach.
爱迪生感到愤怒,因为Westinghouse开始在农村地区安装爱迪生DC系统无法到达的AC发电机.
Westinghouse sold the electricity at a cheap price in order to cut into Edison’s business.
威斯丁豪斯以低廉的价格出售了电力,以削减爱迪生的生意.
George Westinghouse The Life of Nikola Tesla • July 10, 1856: Tesla born at midnight as a lighting storm rages.
乔治·韦斯丁豪斯 尼古拉·特斯拉生平 · 1856年7月10日:特斯拉生于午夜,是一股被点燃的暴风雨所肆虐.
school if he recovers.
如果他康复了就去学校
Thomas Edison.
托马斯·爱迪生.
Light Company.
光明连.
current.
当前。
Chicago World’s Fair.
芝加哥世界博览会.
with radio waves.
还有无线电波
remote-controlled boat.
遥控艇
at the age of 86.
86岁。
Edison stood to lose a lot of money.
爱迪生输了很多钱
He tried to discredit Westinghouse.
他试图诋毁西宁豪斯.
Edison warned the public that alternating current was dangerous.
爱迪生警告公众 换流很危险
Westinghouse got a chance to promote alternating current when he won the job of lighting the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago.
当Westinghouse赢得1893年芝加哥世界博览会的照明工作时,他有机会推广交替电流。
Westinghouse asked Tesla to install his AC generators.
威斯通豪斯要求特斯拉安装他的AC发电机.
When opening day arrived, U.
开幕日到来时,U.
S.
师曰.
President Grover Cleveland pushed a button.
格罗弗总统 克利夫兰按了个按钮
One hundred thousand incandescent lamps sparked to light, prompting delighted oohs and aahs from the crowd.
10万盏白炽灯被点燃 从人群中唤起欢快的呼和声
The “City of Light” burned brilliantly.
" 光之城 " 被烧毁。
The demonstration showed that AC power was much more efficient to use than DC power and not as dangerous as Edison had claimed.
示威显示,AC电能比DC电能高效得多,没有爱迪生声称的那么危险.
Westinghouse then won a contract to build AC generators for a new power plant in Niagara Falls, New York.
威斯廷豪斯随后赢得了在纽约尼亚加拉瀑布建造一座新电站的AC发电机的合同.
However, years of fighting with Edison almost bankrupted Westinghouse’s company.
然而,与爱迪生多年的战斗几乎使威斯丁豪斯的公司破产.
To save the firm, Tesla tore up the contract he had signed with Westinghouse.
为了拯救公司 特斯拉撕毁了他和威斯丁豪斯签订的合同
In return, Westinghouse paid Tesla a one-time fee of $216,000 for the right to use Tesla’s patents forever.
作为回报,Westinghouse向特斯拉支付一次性费用216,000美元,用于永远使用特斯拉专利的权利.
Consequently, Tesla lost millions of dollars over the decades, while Westinghouse became wealthier.
因此,特斯拉在几十年中损失了数百万美元,而西宁豪斯则变得更富有.
Radio Days Once Tesla had won the war of the electric currents, he began exploring ways to send electricity through the air without wires.
广播日 一旦特斯拉赢得了电流之战,他开始探索在没有电线的情况下通过空气输送电力的方法.
To that end, he built a special wire coil that produced high-voltage, high-frequency alternating current.
为此他建造了一种特殊的线圈来产生高压,高频交替电流.
Tesla used the coil to develop the first neon and fluorescent lights.
特斯拉用线圈来开发出第一个霓虹灯和荧光灯.
He also used the device to take the first X-ray photographs.
他还用这个装置拍摄了第一张X光相片.
In November 1890, Tesla used the coil to achieve the unthinkable.
1890年11月,特斯拉用线圈来达到不可想象的目的.
He sent an AC current through the air to light up a vacuum tube.
他通过空气发出AC电流来点出真空管.
Soon afterward, he began experimenting with radio waves as another way to send signals without wires.
不久后,他开始以无线电波作为无线信号的另一种发送方式进行实验.
In early 1895, as Tesla was ready to send a radio signal fifty miles from New York City to West Point, New York, disaster struck.
1895年初,随着特斯拉准备从纽约市到纽约西点50英里的无线电信号,灾难被击中.
An accidental fire destroyed his laboratory.
一场意外火灾摧毁了他的实验室。
A modern Tesla coil sends electrical power through the air to light up a neon tube.
一个现代的特斯拉线圈通过空气发送出电能来点亮一个霓虹管.
It was a stroke of bad luck.
运气不好
At the same time, in England, Guglielmo Marconi was also trying to figure out how to use radio waves to send electrical signals.
与此同时,在英国,古格列尔莫·马可尼也在想方设法利用无线电波发送电讯信号.
In 1901, Marconi, using many of Tesla’s ideas, sent a radio signal across the Atlantic Ocean.
1901年,马可尼利用特斯拉的许多想法,向大西洋上空发送了无线电信号.
The transmission made Marconi a huge star.
传输使得马可尼成为了一颗巨大的恒星.
People—including Tesla’s rival, Thomas Edison—gave Marconi money to start up a radio company.
包括特斯拉的对手托马斯·爱迪生(Thomas Edison),
When told of Marconi’s success, Tesla replied, “Marconi is a good fellow.
在得知马可尼的成功后,特斯拉回答说:"马可尼是个好人.
Let him continue.
让他继续
He is using seventeen of my patents.”
他利用了我的17个专利 “
Much to Tesla’s disappointment, the U.
令特斯拉失望的是,
S.
师曰.
Patent Office gave Marconi credit for inventing the radio.
专利局授予马可尼发明无线电的功劳.
Tesla filed a lawsuit but was so strapped for cash after spending his fortune on many failed projects that he could not pursue the case.
特斯拉提起了诉讼,但在将他的钱花在许多失败的项目上后,却被绑得一团糟,以至于无法继续追查此案.
It wasn’t until 1943 that the U.
直到1943年,
S.
师曰.
Supreme Court finally credited Tesla with the invention, calling him the “father of radio.”
最高法院最后将这项发明归功于特斯拉,称他为“无线电之父”。 “
The Great Tower Still, Tesla worked to develop wireless technology.
"大塔"仍然,特斯拉致力于开发无线技术.
In 1901, he began building a tower on Long Island that he hoped would be powerful enough to send out electronic telephone calls, pictures, stock market reports, and weather information.
1901年,他开始在长岛建造一座塔楼,他希望能强大到足以发送电子电话,图片,股票市场报告,和天气信息.
“When wireless is fully applied the Earth will be converted into a huge brain, capable of response in every one of its parts,” he said.
他说,“当无线充分应用时,地球将变成一个巨大的大脑,能够在其每个部分作出反应。”
Tesla ran out of money before the tower was finished.
特斯拉在塔完工前用光了钱.
He lost ownership of the property, and the tower was demolished.
他失去了房产所有权,塔被拆除.
Guglielmo Marconi sits surrounded by early radio equipment in 1901.
1901年Guglielmo Marconi被早期无线电设备所包围.
Tesla’s tower at Wardenclyffe, New York, might have changed the world if it had been completed.
特斯拉在纽约Wardenclyffe的塔楼,如果建成的话,可能改变了世界.
A Lasting Influence In 1943, Tesla died at age eighty-six while living in a hotel room that had been paid for by Westinghouse.
1943年,特斯拉活活在西宁豪斯付过钱的旅馆房间,享年86岁.
Although Tesla spent his riches on failed project after failed project, and while he never received the credit he deserved for his research and inventions, the inventor had a huge effect on technology and the shape of the modern world.
虽然特斯拉在失败后将自己的财富花在了失败的项目上,虽然他从未因为自己的研究和发明而获得应有的功劳,但发明者却对技术和现代世界的形态产生了巨大的影响.
His innovations with alternating current powered modern cities and transformed life in rural areas that had been without electricity.
他的革新是交替使用电源的现代城市,改变了农村地区没有电力的生活。
His experiments with robots, radio, radar, and X-rays pointed the way to the future.
他对机器人,收音机,雷达,和X射线的实验指明了通向未来的道路.
Tesla’s dream of a wireless world eventually came true.
特斯拉对无线世界的梦想最终实现.
His fingerprints are all over things that we today take for granted, such as the Internet and wireless communication.
他的指纹遍布我们今天视为理所当然的东西,例如互联网和无线通信.
Tesla’s love of creating things made him a giant among modern-day scientists.
特斯拉对创造事物的热爱使他成为了现代科学家中的巨人.
He once said, “I do not think there is any thrill that can go through the human heart like that felt by the inventor as he sees some creation of the brain unfolding to success.”
他曾经说过,“我认为没有任何刺激可以像发明家那样穿过人类的心脏,因为他看到大脑的某些创造会成功。 “