Robert Fulton -  November 14：美国历史上的今天

内容提要：罗伯特•富尔顿为美国知名的工程师和发明家，18世纪末年到19世纪初他在巴黎试验用人力旋转螺旋桨的潜水艇和用蒸汽机作为动力的船……想要了解他辉煌的一生就来欣赏今天的内容吧~

On November 14, 1765, Robert Fulton 罗伯特•富尔顿 was born on a small farm in Pennsylvania.

As a small boy, Fulton enjoyed making things. At the age of 13, he made a skyrocket 烟花，焰火 and set it off 燃放；使爆炸 on the Fourth of July.

Robert Fulton was a good painter and even went to England to study art. His interest turned from art to mechanical things. He became more interested in boats.

While Fulton was working to build a steamboat 汽船, many people were laughing at him. They didn’t believe the steamboat would run. They called it “Fulton’s Folly蠢事.” Those people who didn’t believe in his steamboat were wrong.

On August 17, 1807, a group of men and women boarded Fulton’s steamboat. They planned to travel from New York Harbor to Albany 奥尔巴尼，纽约州首府, New York. At first, it didn't look as if the boat would be able to begin the trip. The engine started, then stopped. Finally, the engine started, and the steamboat was on its way.

Fulton’s steamboat was named Clermont 克莱蒙特号.The Clermont wasn’t the first steamboat that Fulton built. His first one sank when it was launched 使船下水；发动. The frame of the boat wasn’t strong enough, so he made the Clermont larger and stronger.

The success of the Clermont led to the age of the steamboat.

Fulton was also interested in submarines 潜艇. A submarine is a watertight 密闭的，不漏水的 tank that can stay deep under water for a long period of time. In 1800, he designed a submarine he called the Nautilus 鹦鹉螺号.

本文内容选自上海外语教育出版社引进出版的《听读美国小故事》第11册（11月）。如需购买，可到当当、亚马逊、京东等网上书城去看看。