Listening and Reading Practice - British English Podcast (no.75 Amazing Inventions)

Hello, and welcome to the English Like a Native Podcast.

您好，欢迎来到像母语一样的英语播客。

This is not your typical English language learning resource.

这不是典型的英语学习资源。

Just the weird and wonderful version of English that you'll hear spoken in the UK.

这就是您在英国听到的奇怪而美妙的英语版本。

So tune in for your daily dose of very ordinary English chatter

因此，请收看来自一个非常普通的英国女孩的日常英语聊天

from a very ordinary English girl.

。

I'm your host, Anna, and today we are talking about inventions.

我是主持人安娜，今天我们谈论的是发明。

History is brimming with tales of brilliance, creativity, and

历史充满了辉煌、创造力的故事，

at times, sheer serendipity.

有时甚至是纯粹的机缘巧合。

It's a story of human innovation that has unfolded over centuries and continues

这是一个人类创新的故事，已经展开了几个世纪，并继续

to shape the world we live in today.

塑造着我们今天生活的世界。

Welcome to an entertaining adventure through the dazzling realm of inventions.

欢迎来到令人眼花缭乱的发明领域进行有趣的冒险。

Think about it.

想一想。

Once upon a time, our ancestors were chiselling tools from rocks,

曾几何时，我们的祖先在岩石上凿出工具，

and now we are planning to send robots to explore distant planets.

现在我们正计划派遣机器人探索遥远的行星。

How did we get here?

我们是怎么来到这里的？

Well, it's all thanks to the incredible power of invention.

嗯，这一切都归功于发明的不可思议的力量。

Today, we're setting off on a journey to explore the ingenious creations that

今天，我们将踏上一段旅程，探索那些

have defined eras, changed societies, and fundamentally altered the way

定义了时代、改变了社会并从根本上改变了 我们感知世界的

we perceive the world, from ancient marvels like the wheel, to the cutting

方式的 巧妙创造，从像轮子这样的古老奇迹到

edge technologies of the 21st century.

21 世纪的尖端技术。

We'll witness the captivating evolution of human thought and engineering prowess.

我们将见证人类思想和工程能力的迷人演变。

We'll uncover the quirks, the eureka moments, and the pioneers who

我们将揭开怪癖、灵光一现的时刻，以及那些

dared to dream beyond the ordinary.

敢于超越平凡梦想的先驱者。

So get ready to be absorbed, amused, and perhaps even amazed, as we delve

因此，当我们 从字母 A 开始

into the stories behind these remarkable innovations, starting with the letter A.

深入研究这些非凡创新背后的故事时，请准备好被吸引、被逗乐，甚至可能会感到惊讶。

So that's in this episode.

这就是本集的内容。

In this episode, we're covering letter A.

在这一集中，我们将介绍字母 A。

I'm not going to go through the entire alphabet in this one episode.

我不会在这一集中介绍整个字母表。

Don't panic, don't turn off and go,

不要惊慌，不要关闭并说：

"Oh no, this is going to take forever."

“哦，不，这将需要很长时间。”

I promise you.

我答应你。

Short and sweet.

简短而甜蜜。

Today we're just doing A, my favourite letter.

今天我们只写A，我最喜欢的字母。

Can you guess why?

你能猜出为什么吗？

A for Anna.

A 代表安娜。

Well, A is for aeroplane.

嗯，A 代表飞机。

Yes, listeners, prepare to take flight into the mesmerising

是的，听众们，准备好飞入迷人的

world of the aeroplane.

飞机世界吧。

The winged wonder that turned our dreams of soaring through

这个带翅膀的奇迹将我们翱翔

the skies into a reality.

天空的梦想变成了现实。

Imagine a time when our ancestors could only look up at the birds and wish,

想象一下，有一天，我们的祖先只能抬头看着鸟儿，祈祷：

"Oh, if only we could fly like that."

“哦，如果我们能像那样飞翔就好了。”

Then along came two brothers, Orville and Wilbur Wright, who decided,

然后奥维尔·赖特和威尔伯·赖特两兄弟出现了，他们决定：

"Hey, why not?"

“嘿，为什么不呢？”

In December 1903, they climbed aboard the Wright Flyer, which was

1903 年 12 月，他们登上了莱特飞行器，这是

a contraption that looked like a cross between a bicycle and a kite.

一种看起来像是自行车和风筝的结合体的装置。

And with a leap of faith, they changed the world forever.

凭借信念的飞跃，他们永远改变了世界。

Think about it, before the aeroplane, if you wanted to travel from London to

想想看，在飞机出现之前，如果你想从伦敦去

New York for a weekend, you'd have to spend all of that working week on a boat.

纽约度周末，你必须在船上度过整个工作周。

Trust me, it's a very long journey.

相信我，这是一个非常漫长的旅程。

I've done it.

我已经做到了。

I've done UK to New York on a boat.

我乘船从英国到纽约。

It takes ages.

这需要很长时间。

But now, thanks to these flying pioneers, you can hop on a plane and

但现在，多亏了这些飞行先驱，您可以跳上飞机，

fasten your seatbelts for breakfast and with a little help from the time

系好安全带吃早餐，并在时差的帮助下

difference, arrive in the city that never sleeps, in time for lunch.

，及时到达这座不夜城，吃午餐。

The aeroplane, my friend, is a masterclass in human audacity.

我的朋友，飞机是人类勇气的大师班。

It's like saying,

这就像在说：

"Hey, gravity, you're not the boss of us."

“嘿，重力，你不是我们的老板。”

It defies the laws of nature with style and grace.

它以风格和优雅挑战自然法则。

But it's not just about getting from A to B.

但这不仅仅是从 A 点到 B 点。

The aeroplane has taken us on incredible adventures.

飞机带我们经历了令人难以置信的冒险。

It's brought exotic destinations, diverse cultures, and unforgettable

它让异国情调的目的地、多元的文化和难忘的

experiences within reach.

经历触手可及。

It's made the world smaller.

它让世界变得更小。

And our dreams, bigger.

我们的梦想更大。

So, whether you're a thrill-seeker who loves turbulence, or a nervous

所以，无论你是一个喜欢湍流的寻求刺激的人，还是一个紧握扶手的紧张的

flyer clutching your armrest, that's me, the aeroplane is a symbol of

飞行者，这就是我，飞机是

human ingenuity, daring, and an unquenchable thirst for exploration.

人类聪明才智、大胆和对探索不可抑制的渴望 的象征

It's the closest thing we have to magic in the 21st century.

。 这是 21 世纪最接近魔法的事情。

So the next time you board a plane, remember that you're part of a legacy

因此，下次登上飞机时，请记住，您是

that began with two brothers, a wild idea and a dream of soaring among the clouds.

两兄弟遗产的一部分，是一个疯狂的想法和翱翔云端的梦想。

Oh, get ready for takeoff.

噢，准备起飞吧。

And A is for alarm clock.

A 代表闹钟。

All right, folks, it's time to wake up and smell the coffee.

好了，伙计们，是时候起床闻咖啡香了。

And what better way to do it than with the unsung hero of

还有什么比与无名英雄一起做到这一点更好的方法呢？

our mornings, the alarm clock.

我们的早晨，闹钟。

Picture this, you're in dreamland, having the wildest adventures, or maybe

想象一下，您正处于梦境中，正在经历最疯狂的冒险，或者只是

just snuggling cosily under blankets.

舒适地依偎在毯子下。

Suddenly, an explosion of sound.

突然，一声爆炸声响起。

And your trusty alarm tone shatters it all, demanding that you greet the day.

你信任的闹钟铃声打破了这一切，要求你迎接这一天。

It's like a mini drill sergeant and barely any more polite.

这就像一个迷你教官，几乎没有什么礼貌。

The alarm clock, though, has been our saviour for ages.

然而，闹钟多年来一直是我们的救星。

Before it came along, folks had to rely on cockerels or an early rising spouse

在它出现之前，人们不得不依靠公鸡或早起的配偶

to rouse them from their beauty sleep.

来唤醒他们的美容觉。

If you were well off, you could even employ someone to come and tap on your

如果你很富裕，你甚至可以雇人来敲你的

window or shoot peas at it through straws.

窗户，或者用吸管向窗户射豌豆。

But thanks to the genius minds of inventors we've got this

但多亏了发明家的天才头脑，我们有了这个

nifty little gadget that won't disturb the whole neighbourhood.

不会打扰整个社区的漂亮小玩意。

Just you.

只有你。

For those of us that prefer to keep mobile phones out of the bedroom, we

对于我们这些喜欢把手机放在卧室之外的人来说，我们

can find all sorts of alarm clocks.

可以找到各种闹钟。

There are the classic analog ones, with those soothing ticking sounds that make

有经典的模拟声音，带有舒缓的滴答声，让

you feel like you're in a cosy library.

您感觉自己身处舒适的图书馆。

Then there are the digital ones, sleek and futuristic, with customisable

然后是数字铃声，时尚且充满未来感，带有可定制的

ringtones that alongside your favourite rock riff or pop chorus,

铃声，与您最喜欢的摇滚连复段或流行合唱一起，

can be anything from the chirping of birds to the roar of a chainsaw, if

可以是任何声音，从鸟儿的鸣叫声到电锯的轰鸣声，如果

you're into a jarring wake up call.

您喜欢刺耳的叫醒电话的话。

Personally, it gives me palpitations.

就我个人而言，这让我心悸。

I like a nice, gentle wake up.

我喜欢美好、温柔的醒来。

But the true magic of an alarm clock lies in its ability to be your trusty sidekick,

但闹钟的真正魔力在于它能够成为您值得信赖的伙伴，

faithfully waking you up for school, work, or that sunrise hike you've been planning.

忠实地叫醒您上学、工作或您一直计划的日出远足。

It doesn't matter if it's a simple two bell design or a high-tech app

无论是简单的两铃设计还是高科技应用

controlled marvel, it's got your back.

程序控制的奇迹，它都会为您提供支持。

In fact, we have one of those dawn alarms.

事实上，我们有一个黎明警报。

It slowly lights up bit by bit, getting brighter and brighter

它慢慢地一点一点亮起来，越来越亮，并

with a little sound along with it.

伴随着轻微的声音。

So it gently wakes you up as if the sun is rising.

所以它会像太阳升起一样轻轻地叫醒你。

And the sound that we have on this alarm clock is the sound of chirping birds.

这个闹钟上的声音是鸟儿的鸣叫声。

And one time my mum was staying over so I allowed her to have our bed, because

有一次我妈妈留下来，所以我允许她睡我们的床，因为

our bed is the best bed in the house.

我们的床是家里最好的床。

So we slept on the floor mattress and gave mum our bed.

所以我们睡在地板床垫上，把床给了妈妈。

And she said the next day,

第二天她说：

"Oh, I think you've got birds nesting in

“哦，我想鸟儿在

the attic."

阁楼里筑巢了。”

"Why would you

“你为什么这么

say that?

I don't think we do."

说？

我想我们不会这么说。”

And she said,

她说：

"No, in the middle of the night I was awoken to the sound of birds.

“不，半夜我被鸟儿的声音吵醒了。

And also the electrics have gone all funny all these lights started coming on."

而且电器也变得很奇怪，所有这些灯都开始亮起来。”

In fact, what had happened was she'd accidentally set the alarm.

事实上，发生的事情是她不小心设置了闹钟。

Don't ask me how.

别问我怎么做。

So the alarm had gone off in the middle of the night, turned on

所以半夜闹钟响了，

the lights and chirping birds were ringing through the room.

灯亮了，鸟儿在房间里叽叽喳喳地叫着。

Anyway, I can't leave this particular invention without

无论如何，我不能在不

mentioning the snooze button.

提及贪睡按钮的情况下离开这个特殊的发明。

That little slice of heaven that lets you steal an extra

那一小片天堂可以让您多偷一些

few moments of sweet slumber.

甜蜜的睡眠。

It's a guilty pleasure that we're all familiar with.

这是一种我们都熟悉的罪恶感。

How many times do you hit it?

你打了多少次？

So next time that your alarm goes off in the morning, take a moment to

因此，下次早上闹钟响起时，请花点时间欣赏

appreciate this little alarm clock.

一下这个小闹钟。

It's literally on your side, ensuring that you are up, on time,

它确实就在您身边，确保您按时起床

and ready to conquer the world.

并准备好征服世界。

One cup of coffee at a time.

一次一杯咖啡。

Time to seize the day!

抓紧时间！

And A is also for alphabet.

A 也代表字母表。

Picture this, it's 2000 BCE in the ancient Middle East, and

想象一下，这是公元前 2000 年的古代中东，

our ancestors are doodling away with complex pictorial scripts.

我们的祖先正在涂鸦复杂的图画文字。

It's like they're trying to write a novel with emojis.

就像他们试图用表情符号写一本小说一样。

And it's not going too well.

而且进展不太顺利。

But then, in the Sinai Peninsula, a brilliant mind has an 'aha' moment.

但在西奈半岛，聪明的头脑也会有一个“恍然大悟”的时刻。

The Proto-Sinaitic script is born.

原始西奈文字诞生了。

It's got about 30 symbols, mostly consonants, and, despite

它有大约 30 个符号，大部分是辅音，尽管很

the heat, it's the coolest of scripts, way ahead of its time.

热门，但它是最酷的脚本，远远领先于它的时代。

But hold on to your sandals because around 1200 BCE, the Phoenicians saunter in.

但请抓紧你的凉鞋，因为大约公元前 1200 年，腓尼基人漫步而来。

They look at the Proto-Sinaitic script and say,

他们看着原始西奈文字说：

"Nice try, but let's simplify this party."

“不错的尝试，但让我们简化一下这个聚会。”

Technically speaking, Phoenician is really an abjad.

从技术上来说，腓尼基语确实是一个辅音元。

A writing system where the sounds represented are consonants only.

所代表的声音仅是辅音的书写系统。

They slashed the Proto-Sinaitic script down to 22 characters.

他们将原始西奈文字削减至 22 个字符。

Think of it as the original Twitter.

可以将其视为最初的 Twitter。

Brevity is the soul of wit.

简洁是智慧的灵魂。

Now, fast forward to ancient Greece, around 800 BCE.

现在，快进到公元前 800 年左右的古希腊。

The Greeks decide to spice things up.

希腊人决定让事情变得更有趣。

They throw in some vowels and turn the alphabet into the linguistic

他们添加了一些元音，将字母表变成了

superstar that we know today.

我们今天所知道的语言巨星。

It's like they added colour to a black and white movie.

就像他们为黑白电影增添了色彩。

The ancient Greek alphabet spreads like wildfire.

古希腊字母像野火一样传播开来。

Rome gets a taste and turns it into the Latin alphabet, the ultimate

罗马尝到了滋味，并将其转化为拉丁字母，这是一种终极的

blockbuster script that stars in numerous modern languages from

轰动文字，在

English to Spanish to French.

英语、西班牙语和法语等多种现代语言中占有一席之地。

But wait, there's more.

但等等，还有更多。

Over in Eastern Europe, saints and brothers Cyril and Methodius are like,

在东欧，圣人和兄弟西里尔和迪乌斯就像是，

"We want in on this alphabet action."

“我们想要参与这个字母行动。”

So they invent the Cyrillic alphabet in the 9th century,

于是他们在9世纪发明了西里尔字母，

tailor-made for the Slavic peoples.

为斯拉夫民族量身定做。

It's like creating a spin-off series that becomes a hit.

这就像制作一部大受欢迎的衍生剧一样。

In the end, the invention of alphabets is like the ultimate language makeover.

最终，字母表的发明就像是语言的终极改造。

It revolutionises how we communicate, making it efficient and flexible.

它彻底改变了我们的沟通方式，使其高效且灵活。

It's like upgrading from carrier pigeons to high-speed internet.

这就像从信鸽升级到高速互联网一样。

It empowers literacy, preserves knowledge, and helps ideas and cultures reach

它增强识字能力，保存知识，并帮助思想和文化传播到

people and places both near and far.

远近的人们和地方。

Today, it's the rock star of communication tools, connecting people across the globe.

如今，它已成为通讯工具的摇滚明星，将全球各地的人们联系起来。

So let's give a standing ovation to the alphabet.

让我们起立为字母表鼓掌。

Wheey!

哎呀！

The true star of the linguistics show.

语言学表演中真正的明星。

Well, what do you think?

那么你觉得呢？

Which invention is the most important to humanity?

哪项发明对人类最重要？

And to you, as an individual?

对于你个人来说呢？

Could you get by without the luxury of flight?

如果没有奢侈的飞行，你还能过得去吗？

Or do you look forward to those special trips abroad that you

或者您是否期待那些

wouldn't otherwise be able to fit in?

原本无法参加的特殊出国旅行？

Would you sleep until noon without an alarm clock?

没有闹钟你会睡到中午吗？

Or have you simply trained your body to wake up on time every single day?

或者您只是训练自己的身体每天准时起床？

Yes, 6:32 every single morning without fail, my eyes automatically

是的，每天早上6点32分，我的眼睛都会自动

open without an alarm clock.

睁开，没有闹钟。

And last but not least, the alphabet.

最后但并非最不重要的一点是字母表。

Should we just accept that so much information is

我们是否应该接受 现在

spoken and visual these days?

有如此多的信息是

Or does it pain you to know that ever fewer people are reading and

口头和视觉的？ 或者，当你知道阅读和

writing much more than a few quick instant messages filled with emojis?

写作的人越来越少，而不仅仅是一些充满表情符号的快速即时消息时，你会感到痛苦吗？

In the next instalment of this inventions series, inventions beginning with

在本发明系列的下一部分中，

the letter B will have their turn.

将轮到以字母 B 开头的发明。

What do you think could be in that episode?

你认为那一集可能是什么？

Stay tuned to find out.

请继续关注以找出答案。

Until next time.

直到下一次。

Take good care and goodbye.

好好照顾，再见。