發明大王愛迪生的十大趣聞(下)

on Creates The First Phonograph

5.愛迪生髮明瞭第一部留聲機

Edison had his first Menlo Park success in November of 1877. He had been attempting to record human sound since his breakthrough improvement on Alexander Graham Bell's telephone. Edison was not adverse to taking another's invention and improving on it and in no time at all had improved on Bell's product. Graham had been unable to strengthen the weak signal of his device before introducing it. Edison seized the opportunity to make the device better by improving the quality and distance of the voices sent. Edison discovered that substituting acarbon disc for the parchment membrane used by Bell did just that.

1877年11月愛迪生取得了在門洛園的第一次成功，自從他在亞歷山大·格雷厄姆·貝爾的電話上取得突破性進展就一直在嘗試記錄人聲。愛迪生並不反對改良其他人的發明，於是很快就對貝爾的發明進行改造。在引進格雷厄姆的發明之前一直無法加強裝置的信號。愛迪生抓住機會，通過提高質量和縮短收發聲音的距離改良裝置。他發現用二氧化碳光盤替代之前貝爾用的羊皮紙膜即可達到效果。

In February of 1878, Edison submitted a patent request for what he termed a phonograph or speaking machine. Made from two tubes, a diaphragm, a scribing and a detecting stylus, a small metal drum and tin foil, the phonograph successfully recorded his voice reciting the popular children's poem "Mary Had a Little Lamb." By taking the vibrations of the diaphragm and carving grooves into the tin foil, Edison's invention worked. As Edison had done to Bell with the telephone, Bell was able to improve on the phonograph by replacing the flimsy tin foil with discs of wax so the machine could be sold commercially. This original invention catapulted Edison into world-wide fame as one of the greatest inventors ever.

1878年2月，愛迪生爲留聲機呈交了專利申請。由兩根電子管，一個膜片，劃片和檢測筆，一個小金屬鼓和錫箔組成的留聲機成功地記錄下他背誦流行兒童詩歌《瑪麗有隻小羔羊》的聲音。這項發明的工作原理是將膜片的震動和雕刻的凹槽記錄在錫箔上以錄下聲音。因爲愛迪生幫助貝爾發明了電話，貝爾才能用盤蠟取代錫箔紙改良留聲機，並進行商業出售。這種獨創性發明使得愛迪生在全世界獲得"有史以來最偉大的發明家之一"的稱號。

on Invents The Light Bulb

4.愛迪生髮明瞭電燈泡

After working on his idea of electric lights for some time, Edison was finally able to introduce his first attempt in 1878. He had discovered that when placed in a vacuum of air, a paper filament, attached to wires, would burn and glow for a very short duration while the paper burned out. The short illumination time was impractical and not worth the expense of production. Dissatisfied with his original prototype and losing investors' money because of the delay, Edison and his employees kept working on it. Finally, an associate named Lattimer, after numerous tests, discovered that if the filament was made of thread that was carbonized, the light would last a lot longer. Still not satisfied, Edison tested over 6000 various materials until he found what he was looking for. After much testing, Edison settled on carbonized bamboo for his filaments, allowing his light bulbs to burn for close to 600 hours. His dream of inventing a consumer practical electric light bulb was finally a reality. Edison went on to first light all of his own facilities with these new electric bulbs and then turned his attention towards doing the same in the financial district of Manhattan. Edison's lighting system was based on direct current only, limiting its distance to three miles for each section. After the discoveries of Westinghouse and Tesla, an alternating current system was put into place.

在思索如何改良電燈之後，愛迪生終於在1878年初次嘗試實施這一想法。他發現，在真空中，把紙質細線系在金屬絲上點燃可發光，直至紙燃盡。這種短時間照明燈泡並不值得投資生產。不滿足於燈泡雛形的愛迪生因爲發明進度緩慢虧掉了不少投資者的經費。但他和員工仍堅持不懈、努力嘗試。最終，愛迪生的同事拉蒂默經多次試驗之後發現，如果用碳化的線作燈絲，可延長燈光的照明時間。然而愛迪生對此並不滿意，他試驗了6000多種各種各樣的材料，終於發現了他一直苦苦尋找的那一種。在多次試驗後，愛迪生選用碳化竹子做的燈絲。這種燈絲可以讓他的電燈泡持續照明近600小時。他的發明實現了人們對使用長效電燈泡的夢想。愛迪生想將這些改良過的電燈泡用於所有他自己的設備中，於是他來到曼哈頓金融區將此想法付諸實踐。愛迪生的照明系統必須使用直流電，這就把每部分電流傳輸的距離限制在3英里之內。在威斯汀豪斯和斯特拉的努力探索後，交流電系統終於問世，並投入電燈的使用中。

on's First Wife Dies From Possible Morphine Overdose

3.愛迪生的第一任妻子或死於服用過量嗎啡

In 1884, Edison and his children suffered an unbearable tragedy. His wife, Mary, died at the age of 29. While there were reports that Mary died of typhoid fever, the official cause of death was listed as "congestion of the brain." This type of diagnosis could point to a possible overdose of morphine administered to Edison's wife at that time.

1884年，愛迪生和他的孩子們經歷了一場難以忍受的悲劇。他的妻子瑪麗年僅29歲便闔然長逝。雖然有報道稱瑪麗死於傷寒，但官方公佈的原因是腦充血致死。該診斷表明他的妻子可能服藥過量導致攝入過量嗎啡。

New information, uncovered in 2006 by the authors of "The Edison Papers," a group based at Rutgers University in New Jersey, though circumstantial, tells of the common practice in the 1880s of using morphine, as well as other similar type drugs, to treat ailments claimed by young women of the time. Morphine was not the controlled substance it is today. It was available everywhere and used as a treatment for numerous medical issues. Information recently found in digital online resources indicate that doctors believed that the side effects of opiate type drugs could result in congestion of the brain and could explain the death of someone so young. Although not confirmed, researchers have uncovered information pointing to the possibility that Mary Edison was an abuser of morphine. There is evidence that Edison attempted to revive his wife with shock treatments once she became comatose. While it is unclear whether or not he was aware of her possible addiction, it is a strange coincidence that he chose to try a medically suggested remedy for morphine overdose to help her. Edison was reportedly devastated by the loss of his wife and blamed himself for being away from home so often. It became a motivating factor later in his life.

2006年，撰寫"愛迪生的論文"的作者們（來自美國新澤西州羅格斯大學）詳細地講述了嗎啡及其他同類藥品在19世紀80年代是如何治療年輕女子的疾病的。嗎啡在當時不像今天這樣受到嚴格控制。人們很容易就買到嗎啡以治療各種疾病。最近，數字在線資源表明，有醫生認爲催眠類藥物的副作用或導致腦充血。這也就解釋了爲什麼一些人年紀輕輕便會死去。研究人員發現瑪麗·愛迪生可能濫用嗎啡（儘管還未確定）。有證據表明，愛迪生曾經在瑪麗昏迷不醒的時候嘗試過使用電擊療法挽救她。對於愛迪生是否瞭解他的妻子可能嗎啡成癮已難以考證，但他選擇用醫學上治療服用嗎啡過量的療法挽救妻子未免也太巧了。據說，愛迪生因爲痛失妻子而意志消沉，萎靡不振。他責備自己以前經常不回家。但是這也成爲他日後人生中的重要推動力。

on Remarries And Forms Edison General Electric Company

2.愛迪生再婚併成立了愛迪生通用電氣公司

In 1886, 39 year-old Thomas Edison married 20 year-old Mina Miller. The next year, Edison closed his laboratory in Menlo Park and opened a new facility in West Orange, New Jersey. He also purchased a home in the country's first planned community, Llewellyn Estates. A new life began for Edison. He had three more children with his second wife. Not wanting to make the same mistakes he made with his older children, Edison made a point to spend more time at home with his family.

1886年，39歲的愛迪生與26歲的米娜·米勒成婚。次年，愛迪生關閉了門洛園的實驗室，遷至新澤西州的西奧蘭治成立了一家新公司，同時在盧埃林房地產購置了新居。愛迪生開始了新生活，他的第二任妻子爲他添了三個孩子。爲了避免在前兩個孩子身上犯過的錯誤，愛迪生決心要爲家庭付出更多的時間。

In 1890, Edison formed the Edison General Electric Company. The following year, Edison merged with his major competitor, the Thomson-Houston Company. The competition for business proved to be too much for each company to stand alone. This could be described as one of the greatest mergers of all time as the General Electric Co. was born. General Electric remains today as one of the most successful businesses of all time. The following year, Edison patented both a kinetegraph camera and a kinetescope viewer allowing a single individual to view moving pictures using a crank. Edison's presence in the motion picture industry was short-lived however. Edison continued to invent and perfect existing inventions up until his death. He filed his final patent request on January 31, 1931.

1890年愛迪生創建了愛迪生通用電氣公司，次年便與他最大的競爭對手托馬遜-休斯頓公司合併了。由於獨立的兩家公司生意競爭太過激烈，所以這次合併可以算得上一次壯舉，由此通用電氣公司應運而生。直到今天該公司依然是生意場上的龍頭產業。第二年，愛迪生獲得了活動電影攝影機和活動電影放映機的專利。人們通過搖晃一個曲柄可以看見活動的相片。然而愛迪生的活動相片產業並沒有存活多久。直到生命的最後一刻愛迪生都堅持發明創造以及完善改進自己的發明。在1931年1月31日，他最後一次提出了專利申請。

on's Company Provides Construction Material For Yankee Stadium

1.愛迪生的公司爲洋基體育場提供了建築材料

Edison spent a great deal of time in his later years trying to develop an effective ore-milling system. In 1881 he founded the Edison Ore-Milling Company, confident that his patented process of separating iron from rock using an electromagnet would prove successful. Working with his associate William Dickson and expert in the mining field John Birkinbine, Edison tried to refine his processes so that there would be a market for the iron produced. The process proved to be too expensive and Edison closed the company after only a few years in operation.

後來愛迪生在礦物碾磨工業上耗時頗多。1881年，他創辦了愛迪生礦物碾磨公司，並自信利用他從岩石中分離鋼鐵的專利使他的公司前程大好。於是他與助手威廉·迪克森以及礦物專家約翰·貝爾金賓一起研究，他負責改善生產結構，從而打造鋼鐵生產市場。然而事實證明這項工程耗資過多，於是愛迪生在公司成立不久後就將其關閉了。

Not one to give up easily, Edison made another attempt in the late 1880s. He first built a plant in Pennsylvania close to the mines he was trying to extract ore from. In 1889 he built a very large ore crushing plant in Ogdensburg, New Jersey. Production problems persisted in spite of all his efforts, and the company closed its doors for good in 1899. Through all the frustration he faced trying to make his ore-milling business profitable, Edison learned that there was a market for the waste sand that resulted. Originally selling the waste sand to other cement companies, Edison decided to go into that business for himself and in 1899 founded the Edison Portland Cement Company. Edison made great strides in streamlining the production of cement using kilns twice the size of those previously used. He chose to rent the larger kilns to his competitors, increasing their production and making his competition much stiffer. Edison thought there would be many uses for his cement, especially in home construction. While there was some interest initially, the process proved to be too complicated and costly for most home builders. Struggling financially, the Edison Portland Cement Company was awarded the contract for materials to be used in the construction of the original Yankee Stadium, which was completed in 1923. The Edison Portland Cement Company was unable to stay in business and closed a few years later. Thomas Edison never felt that he failed at anything. Although a number of his inventions were unsuccessful, Edison always pointed to what he learned during the process and how it would help him going forward. Although he demanded much from his employees, he was always open to their suggestions and did not hesitate to implement them where he saw fit. Edison's tenacity, work ethic and attention to detail was inspirational to all he came in contact with. Although he received the most acclaim for perfecting the electric light bulb, Edison said his favorite invention was the phonograph. Although a disappointment to his older children with his frequent absence, Edison learned from this as well and made sure he made his family a top priority in his later life. Thomas Alva Edison died on October 18, 1931 leaving behind an unbelievable legacy of improving the lives of people all over the world with his numerous inventions. Not everyone considers Thomas Edison to be the grand inventor described above. Read about Thomas Edison's long-running feud with Nicola Tesla.

愛迪生從來不是一個輕言放棄的人。十九世紀八十年代末，愛迪生再次嘗試經商。起先他計劃在賓夕法尼亞發展，因爲那裏靠近他所需要提純的礦物原材料。1889年，在新澤西州的奧格登斯堡建立了一所大型的礦物碾磨公司。儘管做了大量努力，產品依然存在問題。1889年，公司就關門大吉了。在經歷了諸多挫折與打擊之後，爲了讓自己的礦物碾磨產業有發展前景，愛迪生髮現廢棄砂石的潛在市場。一改之前向其他水泥公司銷售原材料，愛迪生決定自己進軍這個領域。1899年，他建立了愛迪生波蘭水泥公司。他使用較之前大兩倍的爐窯，從而實現了水泥批量生產這樣的質的飛躍。他決定給競爭對手們租賃自己的大爐窯，以提高他們的產量，但同時也使他的競爭對手更加競爭性。愛迪生認爲他的水泥用處良多，尤其是在房屋建造上。最初一些人對此比較感興趣，但對於大多數房屋建設者來說工序太過複雜且造價太過昂貴。迫於經濟狀況，愛迪生波蘭水泥公司被迫簽訂爲洋基體育場提供建築材料的合同，並於1923年完工。愛迪生的波蘭水泥公司無法繼續經營，幾年後就倒閉了。托馬斯·愛迪生認爲他從未有過失敗。即使他的很多發明都不甚成功，但他經常強調在實踐過程中所獲取的經驗教訓以及這些經驗教訓是如何促使他不斷進步。儘管他對員工要求非常嚴格，但他常常聽取他們的建議。一旦建議合理，就會毫不猶豫地採納實施。愛迪生的不屈不撓、職業道德以及事無鉅細的精神成就了他的一切。雖然他因改良電燈泡備受稱讚，但他最喜歡的發明卻是留聲機。由於他在前兩個孩子生活中的頻繁缺席致使孩子們對他很失望，愛迪生在他後續的生活中特別注意這一點，也因此，一直將家庭放在首位。托馬斯·阿爾瓦·愛迪生於1931年與世長辭，留下了改變人類生活的傳世發明。但並不是每個人都認爲托馬斯·愛迪生是以上描述的那樣的發明大王，如果你瞭解了他與尼克拉·特拉斯的長久紛爭便知緣由。

審校：哎呀 編輯：Freya然 來源：前十網