Benjamin Franklin 本杰明·富兰克林

(3) Franklin’s Electrostatic theory

博主改写英语原文并翻译成汉语，对照发帖于此，供网友参考。

Franklin began his scientific work when he was about thirty-eight. He already had had a successful career in business and in public service. His most important work was done in electrostatics, the study of electricity at rest. (1) 富兰克林大约48岁时，开始科学工作。他在商场和公益服务方面已经事业有成。他所做的最重要的工作在静电学上，即研究静止状态的电。

    All of us may know how Franklin flew a kite in an electrical storm and proved that lightning is electricity. (2) 我们大家可能知道，富兰克林是怎样在雷暴中放风筝，证明闪电就是电。

This story is one of the most popular stories in the American legend. Unlike many stories that have come down to us, this one is true. Franklin published it in the Scientific Journal of the day, (3) and many scientists all over the world repeated the experiment. 这个故事是美国传说中流传最广的故事之一。它与许多流传至今的故事不同，它是真实的。富兰克林将此事发表在当时的《科学杂志》上，全世界的许多科学家重复了这个实验。

   Franklin’s electrostatic theory is fundamentally simple and has remained with us to the present. He said that all bodies are composed of “common matter” and of “electrical matter” or “electric-fluid.” In its normal condition, every material contains a certain amount of the electric fluid. 富兰克林的静电理论极其简单，我们一直沿用至今。他说，所有的物体都由“普通物质”和“电质”或“电流质”组成。在正常情况下，每种材料都包含一定量的电流质。

   Franklin stated that a body may gain or may lose some of the electric fluid. If it has gained or lost “fluid” the body will be charged, or “electrified.” If it has gained “electric fluid” it will be charged positive. (4) If it has lost “electric fluid” it will be charged negative. 富兰克林叙述道，物体可能得到或释放出一些电流质。如果物体得到或释放“流质”，它就会充电，或“带电”。如果它得到“电流质”，就是充正电。如果它释放“电流质”，它就是充负电。

   Today we would say that all bodies are composed of protons and electrons, and that in an uncharged body the number of electrons equals the number of protons, but the idea is the same as Franklin’s theory. 现在，我们会说：所有的物体是由质子和电子构成；在不带电的物体中，电子的数量与质子的数量相等，但是，这个看法与富兰克林的理论相同。

   Franklin developed experiments to support his theory. When a piece of glass is rubbed with a silk cloth, the glass has a positive charge and the silk has a negative charge. Many scientists thought that the friction created the electric charge. Franklin correctly insisted that the electricity was not created but that the electric fluid was moved from the silk to the glass. 富兰克林进行实验来证明他的理论。用一块丝绸擦一块玻璃，玻璃便带正电，丝绸带负电。许多科学家认为，摩擦产生电荷。富兰克林持之有理地认为，电不是产生的，而是电流质从丝绸移动到了玻璃。

   Franklin made his demonstration of this electric fluid theory dramatic. (5) He placed two men on stools, insulated from ground by means of glass. One man was charged positive, an excess of “electric fluid.” The other was charged negative, a deficiency of “electric fluid.” 富兰克林非常生动地演示了这个电流质理论。他让两个人站在长凳子上，用玻璃使凳子与地面绝缘。使一个人带正电荷，即带过量的“电流质”。另外一人带负电荷，即“电流质”不足。

   When the two men touched each other, both men lost their charge and got a shock. The excess “electric fluid” of one supplied the lack in the other. 当两人相互接触时，两人都失去电荷，被电击一下。一个人的过量的“电流质”供给缺少“电流质”的另一个人。

If an uncharged person touched either the positively or the negatively charged person, he, too, got a spark or a shock, because he had more electric fluid than the man charged negative and less than man charged positive. 如果一个不带电荷的人接触带正电荷或负电荷的人，他也会引起火花，或被电击一下，因为他比带负电荷的人的电流质多，比带正电荷的人的电流质少。

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

注释：

1.       His most important work was done in electrostatics, the study of electricity at rest.

句子中的名词性短语the study of electricity at rest是electrostatics的同位语，对electrostatics作详细的说明。

2.       All of us may know how Franklin flew a kite …and proved that lightning is electricity.

句子中的关系副词how引导一个宾语从句。how在宾语从句中作状语，表示方式。宾语从句中的flew和proved是两个并立的谓语动词。

3.       of the day:

这个短语表示“当时的; 当代的”。day在这里的意思是“时期，时代”。比如：The initiative was in the hands of the government of the day. (主动权掌握在当时的政府手里。) / He is the man of the day. (他是眼下的红人。)

4.       …it will be charged positive.

句子中的charged不是过去分词，是形容词，作表语。因为charge只有作不及物动词时才有“充电”的意思。形容词positive作补足语，修饰charged。

5.       Franklin made his demonstration of this electric fluid theory dramatic.

句子中的谓语动词made后面是一个复合宾语。宾语很长：his demonstration of this electric fluid theory。宾语补足语是dramatic。

中考、高考模拟题

1.       Which of the following statements is false according to the passage?

A.      Franklin began his scientific work when he was about thirty-eight.

B.      Franklin had succeeded in business and public service.

C.      Franklin made great contributions to electrostatics.

D.     Franklin’s electrostatic theory is rather complicated.

2.       How did Franklin find the electricity according to the passage?

A.      He flew the kite in an electrical storm and found that lightning is electricity. 

B.      He used a silk cloth to rub a piece of glass and got a shock.

C.      He asked two men to stand on stools and made them charged differently.

D.     He let electric fluid move from one body to another.

3.       Why does the uncharged person get a shock when he touches a charged person?

A.      Because he has more electric fluid than the man charged negative.

B.      Because he has less electric fluid than the man charged positive.

C.      Because he has more or less electric fluid than the man charged. 

D.     Because he has not charge at all.

4.       The underlined word “dramatic” used in the passage means _______.

A.      playful

B.      vivid 

C.      mischievous

D.     lively

参考答案：

1. D    2. A    3. C    4. B