Ringing in a New Era: The First Cellphone Call
#数位·科技·科学 #人物
4/3 解析英语
作者 Marcus Maurice
阅读时间 4分钟
听讲解 听朗读
本图文出处:[url=https://www.ivy.com.tw/newsLetter/analysis_cont/2023121413082583267[/url]
MP3:
首次手机通话 划下通讯史重要的一「话」Ringing in a New Era: The First Cellphone Call
1973 年四月三日，马丁．库柏的声音回荡在纽约市的街道上。
目录 / More to Learn / 中文翻译(& 答案)
历史回廊
On April 3, 1973, Martin Cooper’s voice echoed through the streets of New York City. This marked the birth of a new era in communication with the first-ever cellphone call. Cooper held a device the size of a brick. He called his rival, Bell Labs’ Joel Engel, to declare that his Motorola team had built a functional, portable phone. Before the first call, Motorola and Bell Labs were racing to build a cellphone. The intense rivalry fueled mobile communication advancements.
After the first cellphone call, it still took another decade for personal cellphones to reach consumers’ hands. Production challenges and government regulations delayed the devices’ arrival to the public market. The first cellphones to hit the market allowed for conversations of 30 minutes but required a 10-hour recharge period. They cost US$3,900, measured about a foot long, and weighed around two to three pounds. The bulkiness and expense of these early phones kept them from widespread use. However, as technology progressed, mobile phones became lighter and more affordable. These days, cellphones have become an essential part of many people’s lives.
Cooper, who is now 95 years old, knew back in the 1970s that cellphones would affect just about everyone. He said in an interview that he and his team used to joke that someday, phone numbers would be assigned at birth and missed calls would come with deadly consequences. Their predictions hinted at how important their invention would become. The first cellphone call ushered in a new age of communication, one that would connect us in ways we never imagined.
What Did You Learn ?
What was the purpose behind Martin Cooper’s historic call?
What slowed down the process of bringing the first cellphone to the public?
单字片语整理
Words in Use
●
communication [kə͵mjunəˋkeʃən]
n. 联络，通讯；传播，传播学（恒用复数）
●
widespread [ˋwaɪd͵sprɛd]
a. 普遍的；广泛的
●
assign [əˋsaɪn]
vt. 分配，分派
●
consequence [ˋkɑnsə͵kwɛns]
n. 结果；重要性（= importance）
●
intense [ɪnˋtɛns]
a. 强烈的
●
consumer [kənˋsjumɚ]
n. 消费者
●
regulation [͵rɛgjəˋleʃən]
n. 规定，法规
●
prediction [prɪˋdɪkʃən]
n. 预测
●
era [ˋɪrə]
n. 年代，时代
●
functional [ˋfʌŋkʃən!]
a. 功用的；实用的
●
portable [ˋportəb!]
a. 可携带的，手提的
●
rival [ˋraɪv!]
a. 竞争的
n. 竞争者，对手
vt. 与......匹敌
●
fuel [ˋfjʊəl]
vt. 激起（愤怒等）
n. 燃料
vi. & vt. 填加燃料
●
rivalry [ˋraɪv!rɪ]
n. 竞争
●
usher [ˋʌʃɚ]
n. . 带路的人，引座员
vt. 带路
●
hint [hɪnt]
vt. & n. & vi. 暗示
●
echo [ˋɛko]
vt. 重复
n. 回音
●
affordable [əˋfɔrdəb!]
a. 负担得起的
●
recharge [riˋtʃɑrdʒ]
n. 充电
●
bulkiness [ˋbʌlkɪnɪs]
n. 厚重
Practical Phrases
●
at birth 出生时
My sister’s son weighed 3,000 grams at birth.
我妹妹的儿子出生时重达 3 千公克。
●
usher in... 带来了（革命、新时代等）
The invention of the copy machine ushered in a
revolution in the printing industry.
影印机的发明带来了印刷业的革新。
●
allow for 使⋯⋯发生／成为可能
The design of the system allows for secure transactions.
那个系统的设计使得交易能够安全地进行。
●
hint at... 暗示／示意着⋯⋯
The general manager hinted at the possibility of opening a new branch next summer.
总经理暗示来年夏天开设新分公司的可能性。
●
hit the market 上市
The brand announced that its new product would hit the market in May.
该品牌宣布新产品将于五月上市。
More to Learn
ring in... 迎接⋯⋯
• Friends and family come together to ring in birthdays with joy.
亲朋好友齐聚一堂快乐迎接生日。
以下介绍与动词 ring 搭配的片语：
a. ring in one’s ears / head 在耳边／脑海回荡
• After the concert, the music continued to ring in my ears.
演唱会过后，音乐仍持续在我耳边回荡。
• The song was catchy and rang in my head for the entire day.
那首歌很洗脑，一整天在我的脑海回荡。
b. ring a bell 有印象
• Mike’s face doesn’t ring a bell. I don’t think I’ve met him before.
我对麦克的脸没印象。我不认为之前有见过他。
c. ring off the hook （电话）响个不停
• A lot of customers called for reservations, so the phone rang off the hook.
许多顾客打来预约，所以电话响个不停。
d. ring true / hollow 似乎是真的／假的
• Patricia’s apology didn’t ring true; it felt insincere.
派翠莎的道歉应该不是真心的；感觉不真诚。
• Sid’s promise seems to ring hollow due to his lack of actions.
席德的承诺可能是假的，因为他没采取任何行动。
e. ring with... 回荡着⋯⋯的声音
• The theater rang with laughter during the comedy show.
喜剧表演进行时，剧场回荡着笑声。
中文翻译(& 答案)
1973 年四月三日，马丁．库柏的声音回荡在纽约市的街道上。伴随着首次手机通话，这标志着通讯新时代的诞生。库柏拿着一部砖块大小的装置。他打给竞争对手贝尔实验室的乔尔．恩格尔，宣称他的摩托罗拉团队已经打造出一款可正常运作的携带型电话。在首次通话之前，摩托罗拉和贝尔实验室在手机制造方面竞争着。这场激烈的竞争推动了行动通讯的进步。
首次手机通话后，个人手机又过了十年才到消费者手中。在生产上面临的挑战和政府法规延后了这些装置上市的时间。第一批发售的手机可以通话三十分钟，但需要充电十小时。其售价为三千九百美元，长约一英尺、重约两到三磅。这些古早手机的厚重和费用导致手机无法被广泛使用。然而，随着科技的进步，手机变得更轻、价格较能负担得起。如今，手机已经成为许多人生活中不可或缺的一部分。
现年九十五岁的库柏早在 1970 年代就知道手机会影响几乎每个人。他在接受采访时表示，他和他的团队曾经开玩笑说，有一天人们出生时就会被分配电话号码，且漏接电话会带来致命的后果。他们的预测暗示了他们的发明会变得多么重要。首次手机通话开创了通讯新时代，这个时代以我们从未想过的方式将我们连结起来。
参考答案:
1. To tell his rival that his (Motorola) team had built a functional, portable phone.
2. Production challenges and government regulations.
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