VOA慢速英语2015 耐热玻璃器皿诞生100周年

Heat-Resistant¹ Glassware Celebrates 100th Anniversary 耐热玻璃器皿诞生100周年

One hundred years ago, a new kind of cookware entered the American market. It was called Pyrex. Today the Pyrex name is well known in the United States. The heat-resistant glass products are still being manufactured. And early Pyrex products are now considered collector’s items.

Heat-resistant glass was invented in Germany at the end of the 1800s. But the glass was used mostly in lanterns because the lighting² produced heat. It also was used in containers for telegraph and telephone batteries.

The usefulness of heat-resistant glass as cookware was discovered by accident. It started at the Corning Glass Works manufacturing company in New York. A scientist working there gave his wife a battery jar made of borosilicate glass. Borosilicate glass is resistant to heat and very strong.

Kelley Elliott is with the Corning Museum of Glass. She says the scientist’s wife used the jar while cooking, and noted³ something unusual.

"She proceeded to bake a cake, a sponge cake, in this battery jar. And she discovered that the baking was much more efficient, and much more even than baking in ceramic⁴ or metal was."

Ms. Elliott says that when Pyrex products began appearing in U.S. stores in 1915, the cookware quickly became popular.

At first, Pyrex dishes were only made of clear glass. But the Corning Glass Works soon started producing dishes in colors. Kate Halasz is the owner of Aunt Katie’s Attic⁵, in Scotia, New York. Her store sells vintage household items to cookware collectors. She says the dishes with different colors and designs are popular among collectors.

"It's kind of crazy! But the popular patterns are the pinks, the turquoises⁶. The friendship pattern is a pattern that came out in the 70s. That's highly collectible."

Borosilicate glass is also being used for astronomical⁷ instruments because the material is not affected⁸ by temperature changes. One example is the 5.1 meter telescope mirror at the Mount Palomar Observatory⁹ in California.

Pyrex dishes are still being manufactured today by companies that bought the rights to this recognizable brand name.

Words in This Story

battery – n. a device that is placed inside a machine to supply it with electricity

collector’s item – n. an object that people want because it is considered rare or valuable

cookware – n. the pots and pans that are used in cooking

vintage – adj. something that is not new, but considered valuable because of its condition, design or monetary¹⁰ value.

1 resistant   

adj.(to)抵抗的，有抵抗力的

参考例句：

• Many pests are resistant to the insecticide.许多害虫对这种杀虫剂有抵抗力。
• They imposed their government by force on the resistant population.他们以武力把自己的统治强加在持反抗态度的人民头上。

2 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

3 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

4 ceramic   

n.制陶业，陶器，陶瓷工艺

参考例句：

• The order for ceramic tiles has been booked in.瓷砖的订单已登记下来了。
• Some ceramic works of art are shown in this exhibition.这次展览会上展出了一些陶瓷艺术品。

5 attic   

n.顶楼，屋顶室

参考例句：

• Leakiness in the roof caused a damp attic.屋漏使顶楼潮湿。
• What's to be done with all this stuff in the attic?顶楼上的材料怎么处理？

6 turquoises   

n.绿松石( turquoise的名词复数 )；青绿色

参考例句：

7 astronomical   

adj.天文学的，（数字）极大的

参考例句：

• He was an expert on ancient Chinese astronomical literature.他是研究中国古代天文学文献的专家。
• Houses in the village are selling for astronomical prices.乡村的房价正在飙升。

8 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

9 observatory   

n.天文台，气象台，瞭望台，观测台

参考例句：

• Guy's house was close to the observatory.盖伊的房子离天文台很近。
• Officials from Greenwich Observatory have the clock checked twice a day.格林威治天文台的职员们每天对大钟检查两次。

10 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。