Great伟大的 inventions[?n'ven?(?)n]发明
伟大的发明改变了世界。它们帮助人们过上更好的生活。下面，是历史上三个最重要的发明。
Great inventions change改变 the world世界. They他们 help帮助 people人 live a better life过更好的生活. The following['f?l????] 以下的are three of the most important 最重要的inventions in history['h?st(?)r?]在历史上.
The wheel[wi?l] 车轮
车轮也许是历史上最伟大的发明。在其发明后，旅行变得更快，更舒适。几千年前，人们开始在车上使用车轮。19 世纪初，第一批列车开始载客。20 世纪初，汽车开始流行。如果没有车轮，我们也就不会有这些发明了。
The wheel is perhaps或许 the greatest invention 最伟大的发明in history. After在…之后 its invention, travelling旅行 became变得 faster更快 and more comfortable['k?mf(?)t?b(?)l]更加舒适. A few thousand years ago几千年前, people started to开始 use使用 wheels[wi?l] on carriages['k?r?d?]马车. In the early 19th century['sent??r?]世纪, the first trains火车 began to开始 carry携带 passengers['p?snd??]乘客. At the start of开端 the 20th century, cars became popular变得流行. Without没有 the wheel, we would将 not have these这些 inventions发明.
The telephone电话
1876 年，亚历山大·格雷厄姆·贝尔发明了第一部实用的电话。自那时起，人们实现了长距离相互通话。今天世界各地上数以百万的人拥有自己的移动电话。它们使人可以彼此之间随时随地保持联系。
Alexander Graham Bell invented[?n'vent]发明 one of the first practical 实用的['pr?kt?k(?)l] telephones in 1876. Since [s?ns] then自从那时候, people have been able to能够 speak to each other彼此 over long distances['d?st(?)ns]在长距离外. Today millions of成百上千万 people across the world 全世界own拥有 mobile phones['m??ba?l]移动电话. They allow允许 people to keep in touch[t?t?]保持联系 with each other anytime任何时候, anywhere任何地点.
The light bulb[b?lb]电灯泡
1879 年，托马斯·爱迪生研制出第一个实用的电灯。在电灯发明之前，人们在夜里看东西不得不依靠油灯、煤气灯或蜡烛。（自从）有了电灯，人们可以在晚上如同白天一样做很多的事情。你能想象离开它们后的生活吗？
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Thomas Edison developed[d?'vel?p]发展 the first practical light bulb in 1879. Before the invention of the light bulb, people had to不得不 use使用 oil lamps[??l] [l?mp]油灯, gas lamps[g?s]气灯 or或者 candles['k?nd(?)l]蜡烛 to see at night在晚上. With有了 light bulbs, people can do as many things in the evenings as they can in the daytime['de?ta?m]在白天. Can you imagine[?'m?d??n]想象 living生活 without没有 them他们?
A pen giant ['d?a??nt]钢笔巨头
你知道拉斯洛·拜罗（注：匈牙利文）吗？也许你没听说过，但你可能每天都在使用着他的发明，你甚至现在手里还拿着它吧！
Do you know Laszlo Biro? Maybe或许 you do not, but you probably很可能 use his invention[?n'ven?(?)n] 发明every day, and you may或许 even甚至 have it in your hand right now现在!
拜罗（1899-1985）是圆珠笔的发明者。他出生在匈牙利首都布达佩斯。在 20 世纪 30 年代，当他担任报社编辑，他几乎每天都要使用钢笔。但是，他不得不每时每刻都要将其加满墨水。墨水又没那么容易干，有时把报纸搞得一团糟。拜罗想要一支更好的笔。他的弟弟乔治，帮助开发了一种特别的的墨水，这种墨水很容易干。然后，他们开发了一种新型笔。
Biro ['bai?r?u] (1899—1985) was the inventor [?n'vent?]发明家 of the ball-point pen圆珠笔. He was born in 出生于Budapest, Hungary['h??g?ri]匈牙利. In the 1930s, when he worked as当 a newspaper 报纸editor['ed?t?]编辑, he used a fountain[fa?nt?n] pen钢笔 almost 几乎every day. However然而, he had to refill[ri?'f?l]重新装满 it all the time一直. The ink[??k]墨水 also did not dry[dra?] 干easily容易地, and it sometimes made a mess[mes]弄得一团糟 on the paper. Biro wanted a better pen. His brother, George, helped him develop[d?'vel?p]发展；开发 a special['spe?(?)l] 特别的ink墨水. The ink dried干 easily. Then they developed a new type种类 of pen.
有一个小球在笔尖。小球滚动时把墨水印在纸上。他们把它称为“圆珠笔”。
There was a tiny['ta?n?] ball[b??l]微小的 at the tip[t?p] of在..的顶端 the pen. The ball rolled[r??l]滚动 ink onto paper as当 it moved[mu?v]移动. They called it the “ballpoint” pen['b?lp??nt].
圆珠笔是一个巨大的成功，每个人都喜欢它。现在，世界各地数以百万的人每天都使用它。
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The ballpoint pen was a great success[s?k'ses]极大的成功. Everyone loved it. Now millions of成百上千万的 people use it all over the world全世界 every day.
人们将因为拜罗的发明而永远记住他。今天，在很多说英语的国家，人们仍然用“biro”代指任何种类的圆珠笔。
People will always remember记住 Biro for因为 his invention发明. Today in many English-speaking countries['k?ntr?]说英语的国家, people still仍然 use the word “biro” to refer to [r?'f??]指代 any kind of ballpoint pen.
孔明灯与热气球
The Kongming Lantern['l?nt?n]灯笼 and the hot-air balloon [b?'lu?n]热气球
孔明灯在亚洲各地很受欢迎。它是一种封闭顶部，内放一支小蜡烛的纸灯笼。 蜡烛加热灯笼内的空气，使灯笼升起来。人们在重要的日子和喜庆节日期间放孔明灯。 The Kongming Lantern ['l?nt?n] is very popular流行 all over Asia整个亚洲. It is a kind of一种 paper lantern纸灯笼 with有着 a closed[kl??zd] 封闭的top顶部 and a small candle['k?nd(?)l] 蜡烛inside里面. The candle heats [hi?t]加热 the air 空气inside the lantern and makes it rise[ra?z]上升. People use the Kongming Lantern on important days and during ['dj??r??]在…期间 festivals['fest?v(?)l]节日.
三国时期，诸葛亮在战斗中用这种灯笼作信号。孔明灯导致了热气球的发明。你知道任何引起其它发明的发明吗？
During the time of the Three Kingdoms['k??d?m]三国, Zhuge Liang used such这样的 lanterns to give signals['s?gn(?)l]发出信号 in battles['b?t(?)l]战役. The Kongming Lantern led to导致 the invention[?n'ven?(?)n] of the hot-air balloon.
Do you know any 任何other inventions that led to other inventions?
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初二（上）
课文 （翻译）
5—8
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