节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2013-02-12
难易度:High
关键字:compensation, conceive, endeavor, on file
Well, we are learning about Margaret E. Knight, and many factories liked her
inventions.
But she was not able to get her inventions patented the way that she wanted to.
We do see that she created something very useful - a flat-bottomed paper bag.
And we're going to learn a little bit more about this in the second reading of
our lesson today.
Margaret E. Knight.
Then she endeavored to invent a machine that would manufacture them, and she
succeeded.
Knight's one machine could perform the work of 30 people, cutting, folding and
gluing the bags together.
Knight worked for months to perfect her masterpiece, but when she applied for a
patent, one was already on file!
A man named Charles Annan had seen an early prototype of Knight's idea and had
attempted to patent the machine as his own.
(Music).
Well, we did learn before the break that she was going to invent these
flat-bottomed paper bags.
We see here:
Then she endeavored to invent a machine that would manufacture them, and she
succeeded.
Well, I see a good word right there.
It's from the Word Bank.
And it's the word "endeavor." When you endeavor to do something, that means you
have an idea and you want to carry it out.
Maybe it's an idea that's a little more challenging, it's not an easy thing to
do, but you want to try and do it.
You endeavor to do something.
How could you use this word, Carolyn?
Well, it's a very brave endeavor to try to open a business in another country.
That is not an easy thing to do, so it's quite a challenging endeavor.
All right.
That's a challenging endeavor.
So as you can see, you can use this word as a noun as well.
It's a challenging endeavor.
You can endeavor to do something.
Nathanael, how else can you use that word?
Well, yeah, I was also thinking of it as a noun.
It was a difficult endeavor, but nothing could stop her.
She was determined to do it even if it was hard.
All right.
It was a difficult endeavor.
And nothing was going to stop Knight as well.
She endeavored to create something that would help... she was going to
manufacture these bags, and then she succeeded.
She didn't just endeavor to do something.
That means you have the idea to do something, you want to do something.
It doesn't always mean you will succeed.
But we find out that Knight did succeed.
Knight's one machine could form the work... or perform the work of 30 people,
cutting, folding and gluing the bags together.
It could perform the work of 30 people.
Carolyn, what does that phrase mean?
Well, if it can do the work of 30 people, that means that 30 people would have
been needed to cut, fold and glue the paper bags together,
but now her one machine could do all of that work.
So those 30 people don't have to do the paper bag making anymore.
All right, so 30 people.
You could also use this phrase to talk about things like animals.
A car might have 50 horsepower, a 50 horsepower engine.
That means it can perform the work of 50 horses, 50 horsepower engine.
So you can use this phrase in different ways.
Well, Nathanael, how does our article continue?
It continues by saying: Knight worked for months to perfect her masterpiece.
Perfect her masterpiece.
But what is a masterpiece?
It's kind of a strange word.
Yeah, it is a kind of a strange word.
A masterpiece, it's... it's like you are a master at something, you are really
good at something, and then this is like your... your work of art.
You perfect your masterpiece.
Something that you had a great idea about, you endeavored to do it, and you were
successful.
So Knight worked for months to perfect her masterpiece.
Nathanael, what does it mean to perfect something?
Well, perfecting something is like making it perfect.
Going on in the sentence, we see that but when she applied for a patent, one was
already on file!
That's strange.
And "on file" now is a word that we're going... a phrase that we're going to
look at for today.
On file, what does this phrase mean, Carolyn?
Well, if something is on file, that means it's already been recorded.
There's already a file for this idea.
That's right. Something is on file.
Maybe your co-worker is looking for something, you need to research something.
Well, they already have something on file for you to look at.
That is really helpful.
So it can be really helpful if something is on file.
But in this case, Nathanael, was it helpful that this kind of an invention or
patent was already on file?
No, not at all.
It was not helpful to Margaret E. Knight.
She was going to submit it, to put it in a file, but it was already there.
So we know that something must be wrong in this situation.
Well, now friends, it is time to go to a review skit.
Let's see what they're doing over there.
Margaret, how are you going?
Very well, Charles.
I'm working on another invention.
You are revolutionizing the world.
No one could have predicted that.
True.
I'm not wealthy, and I received little education.
And women today aren't expected to accomplish much.
True, but I have intelligence and persistence.
Yes. And that has enabled you to invent many devices with great significance.
You are so right.
What was your first invention, Margaret?
I designed a safety feature to prevent accidents.
It became common in textile mills.
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to patent it.
So you didn't receive compensation for your effort.
No. But now I have a new invention, a most enduring creation.
Really? What is it this time?
Take a look, Charles.
Oh, my! It's... it's uh...
It's a paper bag, with a flat, rectangular bottom.
It's stronger... and more practical.
It's... it's a masterpiece.
But cutting, folding and gluing them will take a lot of effort.
That's why I invented a machine to do those things.
Oh.
It performs the work of 30 people.
Your invention is worth a fortune.
Yes.
Did you apply for a patent yet?
Not yet.
I'm still working on the prototype.
May I see it?
Well, certainly, Charles.
Why not.
Yes, why not.
(Music).
I just love those review skits.
Well, back to that sentence earlier.
We see that she applied for a patent, but one was already on file.
Now we want to talk about that word "patent" because you saw it in today's
lesson as a noun and a verb, a patent.
Nathanael, what is a patent?
A patent is something that you can apply for that gives you rights to something
that you have created - often some kind of an invention.
All right, an invention.
Well, Carolyn, how is the word "patent" different from the verb "patent"?
Well, you can patent something.
So that means that you apply for a patent.
And the patent is an actual document that says that this invention is yours, you
have the rights to it.
And if something is patented, then you will have to pay if you want to use it.
All right.
Well, remember that.
If you invent something, make sure to get it patented.
Don't let someone else steal your idea.
The same thing if you write a song or do something creative like that, it's not
called a patent.
That's called a copyright.
But it's the same idea.
Well, we continue in our lesson.
A man named Charles Annan has seen an early prototype of Knight's idea and had
attempted to patent the machine as his own.
Not a good idea.
It looks like he was trying to steal her idea.
Well, let's continue right now with Michelle in the Language Lab.
OK.
(Chinese).
And back to the program.
Well, Margaret E. Knight was a very wonderful inventor.
She invented lots of different things, but unfortunately, some of her ideas were
stolen by other people.
Or at least one that we found out about today was stolen by a man named Charles
Annan.
Now that just makes me think.
She's not the only one that has had her ideas stolen, right, Carolyn?
I mean, does this happen to other people?
It does happen to other people; and it's still a very common problem in business
today.
A lot of businesses will hire people to try to find out what other companies are
doing so that they can do it first.
Well, that's true.
How else might someone steal your idea, Nathanael?
Well, where I see this happening a lot is sometimes in movies and books, people
claim that their ideas are being used somewhere else.
They had a book long time before, and now someone's made a movie of it without
crediting them; maybe something like that.
That's right.
Well, friends, a stolen idea is a bad idea.
Right now it's time for us to say goodbye. But we'll see you next time right
here onStudio Classroom. Goodbye.