Thomas Edison was the greatest inventor not merely in the USA, but also in the whole world. He was born in 1847, in a little town of Milan, Ohio, in the middle west of the United States. In his life time of eighty-four years, he had 1093 patents1, which played an important role in America's industrial development. Of all these patents, some affected the lives of every person in the world.
Perhaps one of his most important inventions was the light bulb. Electric light changed our way of living, and so he is honored to be the man who lighted the world.
Yet, Edison was not a “docile2” student in his boyhood. The curiosity of the young boy caused his first teacher to be nervous with his constant silly questions. When his mother heard of this difficulty, she decided to take him out of school and teach him at home. Therefore, Edison's formal schooling was not more than three months long.
As a boy, Edison was interested in everything. He seemed to think that all nature was full of unknown things, and it was his job to discover them. Here goes a story about his interest and curiosity:
Edison was helping his mother one day, when they found a goose3 sitting on its eggs.
“Why is it sitting on its eggs?” asked Edison.
“To keep them warm,” his mother said.
“Why does it want to keep them warm?”
“So they will hatch.4”
“What does 'hatch' mean?”
“A baby goose hatches when it breaks the egg it is born in, and comes out of it.”
“If I sat on the eggs and kept them warm, would baby geese come out of them?”
His mother got puzzled and cried, “What a silly boy!”
It was because of his curiosity and his hard work that he could be able to make more than 3,000 inventions. As mentioned above5, electric light is one of his most important inventions. His other inventions include microphone6, phonograph7, movie projector8, storage battery9, cement mixer10, synthetic rubber11, etc. Most of his inventions were the results of hundreds of experiments. Once he said how difficult it was to invent the storage battery. He succeeded only after 10,000 experiments that failed. Yet he said humorously12, “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.”
Edison received many honors during his life for his contributions to the progress of mankind. US government gave him its highest award13, a special Congressional Medal of Honors14. Yet, in spite of all his fame, Edison remained a modest man. He preferred to continue his work, rather than rest on his achievements. His motto15 was: “I find what the world needs, then I go ahead and try to invent it.” His other famous sayings considered to be helpful and instructive in your road to success are as follows:
1) A strong man will struggle with the storms of fate16.
2) Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration17.
3) If you do not learn to think when you are young, you may never learn.
4) Learning is not playing, and should not be made to seem like play. Hard work is hard, but it could be interesting work.
5) My philosophy of life is work. I want to bring out the secrets of nature and apply them for the happiness of man. I know no better service to render for the short time we are in this world18.
1． patent n．专利，发明专利权
2． docile adj．听话的
3． goose n． 鹅（复数为geese
4． hatch v．孵，孵化
5． As mentioned above．．．如上所述……
6． microphone n．麦克风，扩音器
7． phonograph n．留声机，唱机
8． movie projector 电影放映机
9． storage battery蓄电池
10． cement mixer 水泥搅拌机
11． synthetic rubber 合成橡胶
12． humorously adv．幽默地
13． award n．奖，奖品
14． Congressional Medal of Honors 国会荣誉奖章
15． motto n．座右铭，格言
16． A strong man．．． fate坚强者将与命运的风暴博斗。
17． Genius is．．． perspiration天才是百分之一的灵感，加上百分之九十九的汗水。
18． My philosophy of life．．．in this world．我的人生哲学是工作，我要揭示大自然的奥秘，并应用它们为人类造福。我们在世的短暂一生中，我不知道还有什么比这种贡献更好的了。