評論
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Elementary Schools in Early America
早期美國教育
What propelled the great outbreak of major inventions in early America—breakthroughs such as the fridge, the telegraph, the steamboat or the weaving machine?
是什么推動了美國早期重要發明的涌現——諸如冰箱、電報，蒸汽船和織布機這樣的突破?
Speaking of their shaping factors, I take pride in believing that those inventions are mainly ascribed to three premises: excellent elementary schools in this country; a native labor force that welcomes the new technology; the tentative system of giving premiums to inventors.
在諸多形成因素中，我自豪地認為這主要歸因于：美國優秀的小學；當地接受新技術并愿意嘗試新技術的勞動大軍；對發明者進行獎勵的嘗試性制度。
Why mention the elementary schools? The reason is that, thanks to these schools, our early mechanics got the chance to receive basic education and be good at arithmetic and some knowledge of geometry and equation.
為什么要提到小學呢？因為全靠這些學校，我們早期的機械工人才能讀會寫，并精通算術以及一些幾何學和方程式的知識。
It's a coincidence that a diplomat (ambassador) of Commonwealth also believes that this educational advantage is profitable to American inventiveness.
一名英聯邦的外交官(大使)也有一致的觀點，認為美國人的創造性得益于這種教育的優勢。
A further stimulus to invention came from the "premium" system, which preceded the patent system and for years ran parallel with it. This assistant system, originated abroad, conferred medals and sufficient subsidy and other incentives on the inventors.
對發明的進一步激勵來自于“獎勵”制度，這種制度在專利制度之前產生，并與其共存了數年。這種起源于國外的制度，通過向發明者授予獎章、足夠的補助金和其他獎勵，對激勵發明起著輔助作用。
In the United States, multitudes of premiums for new devices were awarded at country expositions in major cities. Given this incentive scheme, American workers took readily to that special kind of nonverbal thinking necessitated in mechanical technology. This nonverbal thinking is a visual process which transcends verbal descriptions and thus cannot be generalized by unambiguous verbal descriptions.
對發明的進一步激勵來自于“獎勵”制度，這種制度在專利制度之前產生，并與其共存了數年。這種起源于國外的制度，通過向發明者授予獎章、足夠的補助金和其他獎勵，對激勵發明起著輔助作用。
This special thinking can be just as creative as painting and writing, which of the essence for the designer and the inventor. With this thinking, the designer and the inventor are able to contrive (formulate) a locomotive accessory or analyze the configuration of an apparatus in their minds.
對發明的進一步激勵來自于“獎勵”制度，這種制度在專利制度之前產生，并與其共存了數年。這種起源于國外的制度，通過向發明者授予獎章、足夠的補助金和其他獎勵，對激勵發明起著輔助作用。
They should sit down in the midst of levers, wedges, hinges, gears, etc. with clamping fixture, wrench gauge and other tools, like a poet immersed in the letters of the alphabet, considering a gracious verse.
他們應該在杠桿，楔子，鉸鏈、齒輪等之間坐下，使用夾縣，扳手，量規等工具，像一個詩人沉浸在字母表的字母中一樣，構思著優美的詩篇。
