时差N小时 富兰克林与电荷试验(上)（在线收听）

When they hear the name Ben Franklin, many folks think of the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress and things like that.

听到本杰明-富兰克林这个名字时，很多人首先会想到《独立宣言》，大陆会议等事件。

Not as many people remember that Franklin was an inventor . . . and a good one, too! He also did some pioneering work in physics.

而很少有人记得富兰克林还是一位发明家，一名十分优秀的发明家！他还曾在物理领域做过一些开创性的工作。

Sure, sure, you say. You think I’m about to tell that old story about flying a kite in a thunderstorm.

你连称“是是是”，或许你觉得我会重复老掉牙的“电闪雷鸣放风筝”的故事。

I can see you reaching for the knob on your radio. But wait!

我能感觉到你的手正伸向电台准备换频道。不妨等一等！

Forget about the kite and think fur instead. Franklin took some fur and rubbed it across a rubber rod.

别提放风筝了，思考一下皮毛。富兰克林拿着一些皮毛与一根橡胶棒进行摩擦。

He had suspended the rod by a thin string. Then he tried it with a glass rod. Then he used silk instead of fur. What was he up to?

他用一根细绳将橡胶棒悬挂起来。接着他用把一根玻璃棒也悬挂起来。然后他用丝巾代替了皮毛进行摩擦。他意欲何为？

He was experimenting with electric charge. The glass rod rubbed with silk repelled another glass rod rubbed with silk.

他正在进行电荷实验。丝巾摩擦过的玻璃棒相互排斥，

The rubber rod rubbed with fur attracted the glass rod.

而皮毛摩擦过的橡胶棒却与玻璃棒相互吸引。