英汉对照名人故事

篇一：中国传统文化经典名人故事【中英对照】

【中英对照】中国传统文化经典名人故事

Countries and Statesssic Anecdotes of Traditional Chinese Culture

Cla一、江山社稷

1. 大禹治水 King Yu Tamed the Flood

Long time ago, it was said that a deluge engulfed a huge area of land claimed many lives, so King Shun sent Yu to control the flood.

Talking with seniors, Yu drew lessons from the past water-control experience. After the field survey, he made up a feasible plan. Then he led people to divert he floods, and during this time, though he actually passed by the door of his own home for three times, he didn’t go in. With 13-year persistent efforts under his leadership, 9 large rivers were finally dredged leading floods into the sea.

While harnessing the floods, Yu, along with others, helped people rebuild their homes, fallowed lands and resumed production. In this way, he gave the common people a peaceful and contented life and achieved an immortal feat. At that time, to commemorate Yu the Great, the whole country was called “the City of Yu”; and for his feat, a mausoleum called “Yu Ling” was built in his honor by the later generations.

2.贞观之治Reign of Zhenguan

Reign of Zhenguan (627-649 AD) was the golden and prosperous age of early Tang Dynasty under the reign of Emperor Taizong, Li Shimin. He is typically considered one of the greatest emperors in the whole Chinese history. Emperor Taizong’s reign was regaded ad the exemplary model against whicj the emperors of later generations were measured, and was considered required study for future crown princes. During his 23-year reign, the nation enjoyed stability and prosperity with the fourishing economy and powerful troops, and the people lived in peace.

The emperor put people in the first place. He saw people as water and emperor as boat, and believed that the water could bear the coat and swallow it as well (民，水也；君，舟也。水能载舟，亦能覆舟。) Taking the downfall of Sui Dynasty as a negative example, Emperor Taizong appointed people on their merits and put them in the most suitable place, besides, he encouraged the free airing of views, accepted criticism with modesty and gave important position to the capable chancellors such as 房玄龄、杜如晦和魏征 and so on. He made a peaceful society by takibg a series of policies, such as putting great emphasi

s on agriculture, cutting taxes upon farmers, taking the policy of recuperation and strictly enforcing thrift.

Because his era name was Zhenguan, the grand times under his rule was generally recognized as Reign of Zhenguan, which laid a solid foundation for the peace and prosperity of later Tang Dynasty.

After a long time deposition, feudal china ushered on the age of integration in such fields as politics, economy and culture during the 60-year reign of Emperor

Qianlong.

3. Sleeping on Brushwood and Tasting Gall 卧薪尝胆

In the Spring and Autumn Period, the State of Wu defeated the State of Yue, and took the King Gou Jian and his wife prisoner. For several years, Gou Jian laboured as salve in Wu. When he was released and returned to Yue, Gou Jian was determined to take revenge for losing his state. In order that he would nec\ver forget his humiliation, Gou Jian slept on a pie of brushwood and tasted gall before every meal in order to remind him of the shame and revenge. After ten years of careful preparations, he attacked and finally conquered the State of Wu.

This idiom is used to describe inspiring oneself to accomplish an ambition.

春秋战国时代，越国被吴国打败，越往勾践和妻子雅鱼被俘虏，咋吴国做了几年奴役。后来勾践被放回越国，他立志要要报亡国之仇。从此每天夜里睡在稻草上，每天吃饭前吃一个苦胆，以提醒自己不忘记过去的耻辱和仇恨。经过十年艰苦奋斗，越过终于雪耻战胜吴国。

4.Jing Ke Assassinated the King of Qin 荆轲刺秦

During the warring States Periods, the Prince of Yan sent a famous assassinator Jing Ke to kill the King of Qin.

Jing Ke, together with another warrior,left for Qin with the head of 樊於期，a defector of Qin and the map of 督康，the most fertile land of Yan. Approaching the River Yi, Jing Ke sung a heartbroken song impassionedly, “ the River Yi is cold as the wind bl

ows , the hero will never return after this departure.”

Knowing that the envoy from yan brought both the head of 樊於期 and the map of督康 ， the King of Qin felt very happy and ordered to meet Jing Ke at Xianyang Palace right away. Seeing the king, Jing Ke talked with ease. He handed the map to the king. No sooner had the king fully uolled the map than Jing Ke took out the dagger hidden in the map and grabbed the king’s sleeve trying to stab him. The king tore the sleeve and jumped by the nearby screen heading out. Nobody could do anything to help. (难道都看傻眼了吗？汗⊙﹏⊙) The king managed to pull out his long sword and chopped off the left leg of Jing Ke who finally died at Qin’s palace.

Though the assassination failed, Jing Ke took his place in the history book forever due to his bravery

战国时期， 燕国太子丹派著名刺客荆轲前往刺杀秦王。

荆轲与另一勇士一起，带着秦国叛将樊於期的头颅和燕国最肥沃的土地督康地图向秦国出发。临近易水，荆轲慷慨悲歌：风萧萧兮易水寒，壮士一去兮不复返。

秦王听说燕使者把叛将的头颅的督康的地图送了了，于是很高兴，立即下令在咸阳宫接见荆轲。一见秦王，荆轲谈笑自若，在将地图献给秦始皇时，趁始皇展开地图之际，荆轲抽出藏在图中的匕首一把打着始皇衣袖，向他刺去。始皇扯断衣袖（

楼主其实并不解，皇帝衣服材料应该很好吧，怎么一扯能断？当真神力啊还是衣料不好啊？），跳过旁边的屏风往外跑。众人却毫无办法（朝堂上都是文官）秦王好不容易拔出长剑，将荆轲左腿砍断，杀死在殿上。

荆轲虽然行刺失败，但荆轲却因自己的英勇而被永载史册。（明知不可为而为之~~）

篇二：英汉对照小故事6篇

Sunset

We had a remarkable sunset one day last November.

I was walking in a meadow, the source of a small brook, when the sun, just before setting, after a cold gray day, reached a clear stratum in the horizon. The softest and brightest evening sunlight fell on the dry grass, on the branches of the trees on the opposite horizon, duanwenw.com and on the leaves of the shrub oaks on the hillside, while our shadows stretched long over the meadow eastward, as if we were only motes in its beams. duanwenw.com It was such a beautiful sight that we could not have imagined a moment before, and the air was so warm and serene that nothing was needed to make a paradise of that meadow.

The sun set on that retired meadow, where no house was visible, with all the glory and splendor that it lavished on cities, as it has never set before. There was only a solitary marsh-hawk having its wings gilded by the golden light. A hermit looked from his cabin, and a little black-veined brook meandered through the marsh. As we walked in that pure and brilliant light gilding the withered grass and leaves I thought I had never been bathed in such a golden flood, and never would again.

落日

去年十一月的一天，我们目睹了一个极其美丽的日落。

当我漫步于一道小溪发源处的草地之上，那太阳，终于在一个凄苦的寒天之后、暮夕之前，突于天际骤放澄明。这时但见远方天幕下的衰草残茎，山边的树叶橡丛，登时浸在一片柔美而耀眼的绮照之中，而我们自己的身影也长长地伸向草地的东方，仿佛在那缕斜光中只是微尘。周围的风景是那么美,之前还是难以想象，空气也是那么和暖纯净，一时这一片草地实在无异于天上的景象。

此刻那落日的余晕正以它全部的灿烂与辉煌，甚至以往日少见的艳丽，尽情斜映在这一带境远地僻的草地之上。茫茫之中只瞥见一头孤零零的沼鹰，背羽上染尽了金黄。一位隐士从他的小屋向外张望，看见一股水色黝黑的小溪，蜿蜒曲折，绕行于这片沼泽。我们漫步于纯美与熠耀的光照，满目衰草枯叶，我想我从来不曾且再也不会沐浴在这么优美的金色光波里

The Four Seasons of Life

Our journey on earth consists, like the year, of four seasons: spring, summer, fall and winter.

Life is only loaned to us, and as with everything borrowed, must someday be returned. We are only here for a short stay, and have many tasks. We must contend with pain in order to achieve peace, accept problems if we are to reach success, and shed tears if we are to share laughter. duanwenw.com We have many lessons to learn. Each and every moment of life is an important one.

In spring, everything grows fresh and new. Lilacs blossom, and the maple and oak trees produce new leaves. It is a time when we are as if newly born into the world.

You are now entering the summer of your life. Everything is now in full bloom. The trees and flowers proudly display all their beauty and elegance. This season doesn?t seem as if it will end, yet it slips by before you know it.

The fall is next, when the leaves drop to the ground, and the farmers gather their crops and reap the rewards of their labor. The harvest moon is full and round, and slightly misted by a passing cloud. This is the most satisfying of the four seasons.

Then all too quickly the winter of your life is upon you, and everything is barren. However, duanwenw.com there is a peaceful sort of beauty in the wintertime. If you allow your spirit to be free, you will remain youthful longer than you thought possible.

Is winter truly the season to end all seasons?

人生的四季

然后，很快地，生命就会面临人生的冬天，此时万物皆荒凉。然而，冬(转 载于:wWw.zW2.cn 爱作文 网)季却有一种平和的美。如果你肯放飞心灵，你肯定会比想象中的自己更加年轻。

我们在世间的旅程，就像年轮一样，包含着春夏秋冬四个季节。

生命仅仅是我们暂时借来的，如同所有借来的东西，总有一天得还回去。我们在此只是短暂地停留，并有很多任务需要完成。想要获得安宁，我们必须忍受痛苦；想要获得成功，我们就必须面对种种困难；想要分享欢笑，就得流下泪水。我们有很多课程要学习。生命中的每一个时刻都举足轻重。

春天是万物复苏的季节。丁香开花了，枫树和橡树也都吐露新的枝叶。这就好像我们刚刚来到这世上。 然后，你会步入人生的夏天。万物都处于繁茂的时刻。花草树木自豪地展示着它们的美丽与优雅。这样的季节看起来不会结束，但却在你不经意的时候悄然划过。

接下来就是秋天了。树木的叶子都落了，农民们忙着收获庄稼，收获他们的劳动成果。月儿圆圆的，还被偶尔经过的云蒙上一层薄薄的轻雾。这是最令人感到满足的一个季节。

冬天真的是四季的尾声吗？

The Eagle and his Captor

A Man once caught an Eagle, and after clipping his wings turned him loose among the fowls in his hen-house, where he moped in a corner, looking very dejected and forlorn. After a while his Captor was glad enough to sell him to a neighbour, who took him home and let his wings grow again. As soon as he had recovered the use of them, the Eagle flew out and caught a hare, which he brought home and presented to his benefactor. A fox observed this, and said to the Eagle, “Don?t waste your gifts on him! Go and give them to the man who first caught you; make him your friend, and then perhaps he won?t catch you and clip your wings a second time.”

鹰与捕鹰者

从前，有一个人捉住了一只鹰，随后便剪断了他的翅膀，放入鸡窝中与其它家禽一起饲养，鹰一直呆在角落里暗自悲伤，看上去甚为沮丧和绝望。没过多久，捕获老鹰的那个人很高兴地将鹰卖给了一个邻居，邻居把鹰带回家后又帮它长出了新的翅膀。鹰飞出去抓住了一只兔子，立刻带回家给恩人。一只狐狸看到后，便对老鹰说：“不要在他身上浪费你的猎物，把这份礼物送给以前捕获你的那个人，和他交个朋友，那么，或许他不会再次捕获你，并剪断你的翅膀。”

The Moon can’t be stolen

A Zen master lived the simplest kind of life in a little but at the foot of a mountain.

One evening, while he was away, a thief sneaked into the hut only to find there was nothing in it to steal. The Zen Master returned and found him.

“You have come a long way to visit me, ” he told the prowler, “and you should not return empty-handed. duanwenw.com Please take my clothes as a gift.”

The thief was bewildered, but he took the clothes and ran away.

The Master sat naked, watching the moon.

“Poor fellow, ” he mused, “I wish I could give him this beautiful moon.”

无法偷走的月亮

一位禅师住在山脚下的小棚屋里，过着极为简朴的生活。

一天夜里，一个小偷趁他外出时潜入他的家中，却发现没什么可偷的，这时禅师回来了，正好和小偷撞了个满怀。

他对这个不速之客说：“你路途遥远来拜访我，总不能空手而归吧，请把我的衣服带走吧，就当我送你的礼物。”

小偷有些懵了，但还是带上衣服仓皇而逃。

禅师赤,身,裸,体地坐着，凝望明月.

“可怜的朋友，”他沉思到：“我多希望能送你这轮明月啊。”

哲理英语故事短文启示：迷失本性的人可能会得到博大之心的宽容，却永远无法换回自己心中的那份清澈和明净。

A little Girl’s Dream

The promise was a long time keeping. But then， so was the dream.

In the early 1950s in a small Southern California town， a little girl hefted yet another load of books onto the tiny library?s counter.

The girl was a reader. Her parents had books all over their home， but not always the ones she wanted. So she?d make her weekly trek to the yellow library with the brown trim， the little one-room building where the children?s library actually was just a nook1. Frequently, duanwenw.com she ventured out of that nook in search of heftier fare. As the white-haired librarian hand-stamped the due dates in the ten-year-old?s choice， the little girl looked longingly at "The New Book" prominently displayed on the counter. She marveled again at the wonder of writing a book and having it honored like that， right there for the world to see.

That particular day, she confessed her goal.

"When I grow up，" she said， "I "m going to be a writer. I?m going to write books." The librarian looked up from her stamping and smiled， not with the condescension4 so many children receive， but with encouragement. "When you do write that book，" she replied， "bring it into our library and we?ll put it on display， right here on the counter." The little girl promised she would.

As she grew， so did her dream. She got her first job in ninth grade, writing brief personality profiles，which earned her $1.50 each from the local newspaper. The money palled5 in comparison with the magic of seeing her words on paper. A book was a long way off.

She edited her high-school paper， married and started a family， but the itch to write burned deep. She got a part-time job covering school news at a weekly newspaper. It kept her brain busy as she balanced babies. But no book. She went to work full time for a major daily. Even tried her hand at magazines. Still no book.

Finally, she believed she had something to say and started a book. She sent it off to two publishers and was rejected. She put it away, sadly. Several years later, the old dream increased in persistence. She got an agent and wrote another book. She pulled the other out of hiding, and soon both were sold.

But the world of book publishing moves slower than that of daily newspapers， duanwenw.com and she waited two long years. The day the box arrived on her doorstep with its free author?s copies， she ripped it open. Then she cried. She?d waited so long to hold her dream in her hands. Then she remembered that librarian?s invitation， and her promise.

Of course, that particular librarian had died long ago, and the little library had been razed to make way for a larger incarnation. The woman called and got the name of the head librarian. She wrote a letter, telling her how much her predecessor?s words had meant to the girl. She?d be in town for her thirtieth high school reunion, she wrote and could she bring her two books by and give them to the library? The librarian called and said? "Come." So she did, clutching a copy of each book.

Inside the big new library， the librarian welcomed her warmly. She introduced a reporter from the local newspaper — a descendant10 of the paper she?d begged a chance to write for long ago. Then she presented her

books to the librarian， who placed them on the counter with a sign of explanation. Tears rolled down the woman?s cheeks.

Then she hugged the librarian and left， pausing for a picture outside， which proved that dreams can come true and promises can be kept. Even if it takes thirty-eight years. The ten-year-old girl and the writer she?d become posed by the library sign， right next to the reader board， which said: WELCOME BACK， JANN MITCHELL.

小女孩的梦想

这个诺言被长久地遵守着，而这个梦想也同样如此。

20世纪50年代初，在加利福尼亚州南部的一个小镇上，一个小女孩把一摞书放在小图书馆的柜台上。 这个女孩是一位读者，她父母有很多书，但没有哪本是她想看的，因此，她每个星期都会去一次图书馆。

篇三：名人小故事中英文共三篇

名人小故事中英文共三篇

名人小故事 一个改变爱因斯坦的故事 爱因斯坦小时候十分贪玩。他的母亲常常为此忧心忡忡再三告诫他应该怎样怎样然而对他来讲如同耳边风。这样一直到16岁的那年秋天一天上午父亲将正要去河边钓鱼的爱因斯坦拦住并给他讲了一个故事正是这个故事改变了爱因斯坦的一生。故事是这样的 “昨天”爱因斯坦父亲说“我和咱们的邻居杰克大叔清扫南边工厂的一个大烟囱。那烟囱只有踩着里边的钢筋踏梯才能上去。你杰克大叔在前面我在后面。我们抓着扶手一阶一阶地终于爬上去了。下来时你杰克大叔依旧走在前面我还是跟在他的后面。后来钻出烟囱我发现一个奇怪的事情你杰克大叔的后背、脸上全都被烟囱里的烟灰蹭黑了而我身上竟连一点烟灰也没有。”爱因斯坦的父亲继续微笑着说“我看见你杰克大叔的模样心想我肯定和他一样脸脏得像个小丑于是我就到附近的小河里去洗了又洗。而你杰克大叔呢他看见我钻出烟囱时干干净净的就以为他也和我一样干净呢于是就只草草洗了洗手就大模大样上街了。结果街上的人都笑痛了肚子还以为你杰克大叔是个疯子呢。” 爱因斯坦听罢忍不住和父亲一起大笑起来。父亲笑完了郑重地对他说“其实别人谁也不能做你的镜子只有自己才是自己的镜子。拿别人做镜子白痴或许会把自己照成天才的。” 爱因斯坦听了顿时满脸愧色。 爱因斯坦从此离开了那群顽皮的孩子们。他时时用自己做镜子来审视和映照自己终于映照出生命中的熠熠光辉。 盲目地与别人相比较以为自己比身边的人聪明就满足了或者觉得自己不如别人就沮丧了。这多么愚蠢啊每一个人都有其不同的人生目标和生活方式自己才是自己在这个世界上最可靠的人生向导。 名人小故事 巴尔扎克的童年故事 巴尔扎克小时候很爱好文学 父亲却硬要他学习法律。他就是不服从父亲的旨意 父子之间常为此事发生冲突。 一天 父亲再也按捺不住气愤 质问巴尔扎克 “我让你学习法律 你为什么要学习文学” “爸爸 您知道 我对法律是毫无兴趣的。”巴尔扎克非常亲切地对父亲说。 “毫无兴趣 ”父亲暴怒地快要跳起来 “你有兴趣的是什么是文学 搞文学谈何容易 我看你根本不是搞文学的料 ” “那不一定 ”巴尔扎克摇摇头 非常自信地说 “一个人的成功 往往取决於他的信心和努力。” “信心和努力那好 从今天起 给你两年的期限 搞不成 就得学习法律 你敢答应吗” “敢 ”巴尔扎克斩钉截铁地回答。 从此 巴尔扎克被父亲关在房子里 整天埋头写作。这期间 他写了一个历史剧 由於自己的阅历有限 对剧本的特点了解不够 没有成功。但巴尔扎克并没有丧失信心 他坚信 只要有决心、肯努力 一定能在文学上取得成绩。 一段时间的写作实践 使巴尔扎克感到自己的知识和经验都很浅薄。於是 他拼命阅读世界文学名着 广泛地接触社会和了解人生。他天天出入於图书馆和书店 总是来得最早 离开最晚。有一次 他在图书馆里翻阅资料 边看边记 忘记了时间的早晚。图书馆的人员下班了 也忘记招呼巴尔扎克一声。第二天早晨 图书馆的人员来上班了 发现巴尔扎克还在边看边记。为了读书 巴尔扎克真到了废寝忘食的地步。 巴尔扎克在一部小说中需一打架斗殴的情节 就到街上去观察。好容易遇到两个青年人争执 他就故意从中煽风点火 想让两个人打起来。谁知两人看穿了他的“诡计” 合起来把他轰走了。 巴尔扎克写起文章来就闭门谢客 甚至家里人也不让进他的书房。有一次他把屋门锁了 从窗户跳进屋里 再的把窗紧闭上。来访的人见门上落了锁就自动回去了。 经过几年的努力 巴尔扎克出版了小说《朱安党》 赢得了法国文学界的一致赞扬。以后他又陆续完成了《人间喜剧》等 部小说 确立了他在法国文学史和世界文学史上的地位。 名人小故事 亚历山大·格雷厄姆·贝尔--电话发明者的故事 Bell and his legacy It is such a common occurrence that no one ever wonders from whence it came. But the telephone has a fascinating story behind it one that could be entitled. The Conquest of Solitude. It is the story of Alexander Graham Bell. 这件事太不足为奇了所以没有人会去猜想它是怎么发生的。但是电话的背后却有一个引人入胜的故事可以题名为“征服孤寂”。这就是亚历山大·格雷厄姆·贝尔的故事。 He was born in Edinburgh Scotland. In 1847 the son of a man who was consumed passionately consumed with the workings of the human voice how it is produced and used and

especially in teaching the deaf how to use it. For in those days you see the deaf lived in permanent solitude. Not only could they not hear they could not speak. After all how could they pronounce words they couldnt hear Perhaps this obsession of the elder Bell was one of the reasons he married whom he did. For the woman who would give birth to the inventor of the telephone…… was deaf 1847年他生于苏格兰的爱丁堡市。他的父亲全神贯注、满怀激情地全神贯注于研究人的声音的发生和作用过程特别是教耳聋的人如何运用声音。因为那个时候耳聋的人生活在永恒的孤寂之中。他们不仅听不见而且也不会说话。毕竟他们听不见说的话又怎么能发得出声来呢也许老贝尔的这一执着爱好是促使他日后同成为自己妻子的人结婚的原因之一。因为后来生下电话的发明者的那位妇女????是个聋人 Young Alexander Graham Bell grew up with his fathers passions. In 1870 because of poor health he migrated to Canada. It was not long before his success in teaching the deal to speak brought him to the attention of a wealthy merchant in Boston who had a deaf daughter Mabel. Would Mr. Bell please teach Mabel how to speak Yes he would. And did. And they fell in love. It was she who inspired him through an of the exhausting experiments. who pulled him through the clepressioljs that often irtflict those whose drive to succeed is so intense while he developed the then remarkable instrument that transformed speech into electrical impulses that could then be converted back into human speech at the end of a wire. he had pierced yet another solitude the one that up until then had denied human speech between people distant from one another. A year later in 1877 he and Mabel were married. He later became an American citizen. 年轻的亚历山大·格雷厄姆。贝尔带着自己父亲的执着爱好长本。1870年他由于健康不佳移居加拿大。不久之后他就以成功地教会耳聋者说话而引起波士顿一位富商的注意。这位商人有个耳聋的女儿梅布尔。可否请贝尔先生教梅布尔说话呢可以。他愿意教。他教了梅布尔。他们相爱了。是梅布尔鼓舞他进行了所有那些使人精疲力竭的实验也是梅布尔使他克服了不时产生的沮丧情绪——那种常常困扰着紧张工作去夺取成功的人们的沮丧情绪——使他得以研制出当时很了不起的一种工具。它能把人说的话转变为电脉冲之后又在金属丝的末端使之还原成人说的话。这样他就打破了又一种孤寂那种在此之前一直使相距遥远的人无法通话的孤寂。一年之后1877年他同梅布尔结为夫妻他后来成为美国公民。 Oh ALexander Grahahl Bell was showered with the praise of the world. Honors came to him from all the points of the compass. Yes he would go on to other discoveries many of them. But in his own view he was most proud of his efforts to help the deaf. 啊全世界的赞美如雨点般倾注下来荣誉来自四面八方。是的他后来继续做出发明多项发明。但是他本人认为他为帮助聋人所做的努力最使他自豪。 So when the government of France awarded him the Volta Prize for inventing the telephone he combined this monetary award with the money hye made from selling the patent on another invention to establish the Volta Bureau in Washington D. C. . Its purpose was to fund research on deafness. Today it is called the Alexander Graham Bell Association. Its role has been changed to providing the latest information to the deaf of the world on how best to cope with their disability. 所以当法国政府因为他发明了电话而授与他沃尔塔奖金时他用这笔奖金再加上他通过出售另一项发明所得到的钱在华盛顿建立起沃尔塔办事处其目的就是为医治耳聋提供资金。今天这—机构称作“亚历山大·格雷厄姆·贝尔协会”它的作用已改为向全世界的聋人提供如何最有效地对付耳聋的最新资料。 Alexander Graham Bell died in 1922: Mabel five months later. She loved him that much. His name is likely to live as long as man recalls history. After all there is this constant reminder of how he brought the human family into closer touch. 亚历山大·格雷厄姆·贝尔死于1922年梅布尔在他去世5个月后也死了因为她太爱贝尔了。贝尔的名字很可能。会像人类记忆历史那样永世长存。毕竟有了这样一件物品它经常提醒人们是贝尔使人类大家庭彼此得以保持更密切的联系。 The first voice to travel over a wire

was even a surprise for its inventor. Alexander Graham Bell. He was experimenting in his laboratory late one night and quite by accident he succeeded in transmitting a message to his assistant in the next room. What Mr. Bell could not know at the time was that that night in 1876 would mark the start of a revolution in communications. 通过电线传送的第一个声音甚至使它的发明人亚历山大·格雷厄姆·贝尔都感到惊讶。一天深夜贝尔正在实验室里做实验他向在隔壁房间里的助手偶然传递的一个口信获得了成功。贝尔先生当时无法知道的是1876年的那个夜晚将标志着通信革命的开始。 At first two iron wires connected each pair of telephones. Then switchboards brought phone wires into one location. Other inventions - the vacuum tube to amplify sound and coaxial cables to link long distances on land and under the seas -- greatly expanded phone service. Transistors replaced the old vacuum tubes and by the 1960s communications satellites eliminated the necessity of landlines. Today bundles of glass fibers carry calls on laser beams of light. 最初每一对电话是用两根铁丝连接起来的。然后交换台使电话线集中到一个地点、其他的发明——如放大声音的真空管和在陆上及海底连接长距离的同轴电缆一一极大地扩展了电话服务。晶体管取代了真空管。到了60年代通信卫星又消除了对地面线路的需要。今天一束束的玻璃纤维用激光传递人们彼此间的通话。 Many of these inventions—including sound motion pictures and stereo recording along with 2300 other patents—come from ATT Bell Laboratories founded in 1925. John Davis is executive director of Bell Laboratories Consumer Products Division. He says as we move into the 1900s we can expect even greater flexibility in telecommunications. 这些发明当中有许多项发明——包括有声电影和立体声录音随同23000项其他专利——来自1925年建立的ATT贝尔实验室。约翰·戴维斯是贝尔实验室消费产品部执行主任。他说当我们进入90年代的时候可以预期电信将具有更大的灵活性。 It is hard to imagine a world without the telephone. Our lives have grown to depend on computers linked into phone lines to do our shopping our banking or helping us through a typical day work. 很难想象没有电话的世界是什么样子。我们的生活已变得要依靠把电脑同电话线连接在一起来购物、办理银行存款、取款手续或者帮助我们完成一天的工作了。 When you walk into your office the first thing you do is to turn on the computer and pull up your electronic mail for the day. Of course your electronic mail does not come in through the mailbox bit comes in through telephone lines. The nice thing is you can turn them around by simply forwarding back without having to worry about addressing or stamping or enveloping the information to the person that sent you the message. 当你走进办公室后所做的第一件事就是把电脑打开提取出当天的电子信件。当然你的电子信件不是通过邮箱送进来的而是通过电话线输送进来的。好处是你只需向回输送就能掉转方向把信息发给来信者而不用费事写地址贴邮票装信封。