美国小学英语教材6:第214课 电灯的五十周年纪念(3)（在线收听）

The Golden Jubilee in 1929 not only brought back these pictures of the past for Mr. Edison;

1929年的五十周年纪念不仅展示了爱迪生过去的照片，

throughout the world it awakened new interest in the great inventor.

还在全世界唤醒了对这位伟大发明家的新兴趣。

How had he become so great a genius?

他是如何变成如此伟大的天才？

It all began far back in the days when a thoughtful child asked many, many questions.

这一切都始于很久以前一个喜欢思考的孩子问了很多很多问题。

Edison’s early surroundings would have aroused the interest and curiosity of any boy in the world.

爱迪生早年的生活环境引起世界上任何男孩的兴趣和好奇。

There were the busy wharves of Milan, Ohio — the busy shipping port where he was born.

俄亥俄州米兰的繁忙码头是一个业务很多的运输港口，爱迪生就出生在这里。

A canal connected the city with the Huron River and thus with great Lake Erie.

一条运河将城市与休伦河连接起来，因此这座城市也与伟大的伊利湖相连。

From his house on the bluff the little boy watched and listened—

小爱迪生从他的房子里观察并聆听，

hearing the singing of the deck-hands, their laughter, and the loud commands of the captains.

他听到了甲板上人们的歌声、他们的笑声，以及船长的大声命令。

Soon he was old enough to go down into the ship-yards.

不久，他就足够大了，可以进入码头。

How often he must have heard the cry, “Out of the way, boy,”

他一定经常听到叫喊声：“男孩，走开。”

as he stood watching the cargoes of grain being loaded.

当时他站着看到船只装载谷物。

Every day six hundred ox-drawn wagons came in from the surrounding countryside.

每天都有六百辆牛车的货物从周围的乡村运到这里。

The air was filled with bustling sounds—

环境里充满熙熙攘攘的声音：

the thud of hoofs, the grinding of wagon wheels, and the din from the warehouses along the river.

蹄声、车轮声，以及岸边仓库里的喧闹。

Young Edison played near the water’s edge where the graceful sailing boats were anchored.

小爱迪生在水边玩耍，旁边停泊着优雅的帆船。

He was always under the feet of the workers, searching for tools and examining the ropes and bales.

他总是在工人们的腿间穿梭，寻找工具，检查绳子和包。

And all the time he was asking questions— questions.

他一直问各种问题。

The canal men and lumbermen answered him until they became impatient.

运河工人和木材工人回答他的问题，然后被问题弄得不耐烦。

Hurrying him off, they would shrug their shoulders and say to each other that

工人们让爱迪生离开，他们耸耸肩对彼此说，

a boy who asked as many questions as little A1 Edison did must be stupid.

像小爱迪生这样问很多问题的男孩肯定是傻瓜。

How wrong they were!

他们大错特错！

At that very moment the boy was thinking over the answers they had given him.

当时爱迪生正在思考工人们给出的回答。