美国名人电视机发明人菲罗·法恩斯沃斯.docx

美国名人电视机发明人菲罗法恩斯沃斯PhiloFarnsworth,1906-1971:TheFatherOfTeIevisionplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-15:16repeatByPaulThompson2008-12-6VOICEONE:mPhoebeZimmermann.VOICETWO:AndmSteveEmberwithPeopleinAmericainVOASpecialEnglish.Todaywetellaboutamanwhomadepossibleoneofthemostimportantcommunicationsdevicesevercreated-television.HisnamewasPhiloFarnsworth.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:TelevisionmadeitpossibleforhundredsofmillionsofpeopletowatchNeilArmstrongsteppingontothesurfaceofthemoonInnineteensixty-nine,AmericanastronautNeilArmstrongclimbeddownthesideofthespacevehiclethathadtakenhimtothemoon.Ashisfoottouchedthesurfaceofthemoon,picturesoftheeventweresentbacktotelevisionsonEarth.Thepictureswerenotverygood.ItwashardtoseeastronautArmstrongclearly.Thesurfaceofthemoonwasextremelybright.Andthemoonlandervehiclecreatedaverydarkzblackshadow.Butthequalityofthetelevisionpictureswasnotimportant.Everyman,womanandchildwhosawthetelevisionpicturesunderstoodtheywerewatchinganimportantevent.Theywerewatchinghistorytakeplaceasitwashappeningmanyhundredsofthousandsofkilometersaway.VOICETWO:Forafewminutes,thepoorqualitytelevisionpicturescapturedtheimaginationofmillionsofpeoplethroughouttheworld.ExpertsbelieveaboutsixhundredmillionpeoplearoundtheworldwatchedasNeilArmstrongsteppedfromthespacevehicletothesurfaceofthemoon.Intheyearssincethen,peoplearoundtheworldhavesharedinmanyevents.Televisionhasmadeitpossibleforpeopleindistantplacestoshareasingleexperience.VOICEONE:Atelevisionsystemchangeslightandsoundwavesfromamovingpictureintoelectronicsignalsthattravelthroughtheair.Thesignalsarechangedbackintosoundandpicturesinatelevisionreceiver.ScientistsinBritain,Germany,France,Japan,theformerSovietUnionandtheUnitedStatesallmadeimportantdiscoveriesthatledtothedevelopmentofmoderntelevision.YetitwasayoungboylivingonanAmericanfarmwhowasthefirstpersontoinventanddesignwhatbecametelevision.Hefirstthoughtoftheideaofanelectronictelevisionwhenhewasonlyfourteenyearsold.HisnamewasPhiloTaylorFarnsworth.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:PhiloFarnsworthwasbornonAugustnineteenth,nineteen-oh-six,nearIndianCreekinthewesternstateofUtah.Thehousehelivedinforthefirstfewyearsofhislifehadnoelectricpower.ButPhiloreadaboutelectricity.HewasveryexcitedwhenhisfamilymovedtoanewhouseinIdahothathadelectricpower.Hequicklybegantoexperimentwithelectricity.Hebuiltanelectricmotorwhenhewastwelve.Thenhebuiltthefirstelectricwashingmachineforclothesthathisfamilyhadeverowned.PhiloFarnsworthattendedaverysmallschoolnearhisfamily'sfarm.Hedidverywellinschool.Heaskedhisteacherforspecialhelpinscience.TheteacherbeganhelpingPhilolearnagreatdealmorethanmostyoungstudentscouldunderstand.VOICEONE:Onenight,Philoreadamagazinestoryabouttheideaofsendingpicturesandsoundthroughtheair.Anyonewithadevicethatcouldreceivethiselectronicinformationcouldwatchthepictures.Themagazinestorysaidsomeoftheworld'sbestscientistswereworkingontheidea.Itsaidthesescientistswereusingspecialmachinestotrytomakeakindofdevicetosendpictures.ThestorymadePhilothink.Fourteen-year-oldPhilodecidedthesefamousscientistswerewrong.Hedecidedthatmechanicaldeviceswouldneverwork.Theycouldneverbemadetomovefastenoughtoclearlycaptureandreproduceanelectronicpicturesentthroughtheair.Philodecidedthatsuchadevicewouldhavetobeelectronic,notmechanical.Philoknewelectronscouldbemadetomoveextremelyfast.Allhewouldhavetodowasfindawaytomakeelectronsdothework.VeryquicklyPhilohadanideaforsuchareceiver.Itwouldtraplightinacontainerandsendthelightonalineofelectrons.Philocalledit"lightinabottle."VOICETWO:Severaldayslater;Philotoldhisteacheraboutadevicethatcouldcapturepictures.Hedrewaplanforitthathegavehisteacher.Philo'sdrawingseemsverysimple.Butitstillclearlyshowstheinformationneededtobuildatelevision.Infact,alltelevisionequipmenttodaystillusesPhilo'searlyidea.Philo'steacherwasJustinTolman.ManyyearslaterPhilowouldsayMisterTolmanguidedhisimaginationandopenedthedoorsofscienceforhim.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:PhiloFarnsworthhadtosolveseveralproblemsbeforehecouldproduceaworkingtelevisionsystem.Onewasthathewasonlyfourteenyearsold.Heknewnoonewouldlistentoachild.Infact,expertssaythatprobablyonlytenscientistsintheworldatthattimecouldhaveunderstoodhisidea.Philoalsohadnomoneytodevelophisideas.Hisideaforaworkingtelevisionwouldhavetowait.Afteronlytwoyearsofhighschool,PhiloenteredBrighamYoungUniversityinUtah.Buthedidnotfinishhiseducation.Hewasforcedtoleaveschoolwhenhisfatherdied.Philodidnotgiveuphisideaforcreatingatelevision.HebeganseriousworkonitwhenhemovedtoSanFranciscozCaliforniaafewyearslater.Hewastwenty-oneyearsold.VOICETWO:PhiloFarnsworthwithhistelevisioncameratubeanditsreceiverOnSeptemberseventh,nineteentwenty-seven,Philoturnedonadevicethatwasthefirstworkingtelevisionreceiver.Inanotherroomwasthefirsttelevisioncamera.Philohadinventedthespecialcameratubeearlierthatyear.Theimageproducedonthereceiverwasnotveryclear;butthedeviceworked.Withinafewmonths,PhiloFarnsworthhadfoundseveralpeoplewhowantedtoinvestmoneyinhisinvention.InAugustznineteenthirty,theUnitedStatesgovernmentgavePhilopatentdocuments.Thesewouldprotecthisinventionfrombeingcopiedbyothers.Verysoon,however;severalotherinventorsclaimedtheyhadinventedatelevisiondevice.Oneoftheseinventors,VladimirZworykinzworkedforthepowerfulRadioCorporationofAmerica.TheRCAcompanybeganlegalactionagainstPhiloFarnsworth.ItsaidMisterZworykinhadinventedhisdeviceinthenineteentwenties.ThebigandpowerfulRCAclaimedthatit,notthesmallPhiloFarnsworthTelevisionCompany,hadtherighttoproduce,developandmarkettelevision.VOICEONE:ThelegalactionbetweenRCAandtheFarnsworthcompanycontinuedforseveralyears.RCAprovedthatMisterZworykindidmakeamechanicaltelevisiondevice.Butitcouldnotdemonstratethatthedeviceworked.Atthesametime,RCAclaimedthatMisterFarnsworthhadproducedhistelevisionimagetubeafterMisterZworykinhaddevelopedhis.WhenMisterFarnsworthsaidhehaddevelopedtheideamuchearlier;RCAsaiditwasimpossibleforafourteen-year-oldboytoproducetheideaforatelevisiondevice.CompanyrepresentativessaidMisterFarnsworthwasnotevenascientist.Hehadneverfinishedcollege.RCAsaidPhiloFarnsworthshouldbeforcedtoprovehehadinventedthetelevisionimagetube.Philocouldnotproveheinventedit.Buthishighschoolteachercould.Incourt,JustinTolmanproducedthedrawingthatPhilohadmadeforhimmanyyearsbeforeasastudent.Atthatmoment,thelegalexpertsforRCAknewtheyhadlost.PhiloFarnsworthwonthelegalactionandtherighttoowntheinventionoftelevision.However,hedidnothavethemoneyorsupporttobuildatelevisionindustry.ItwasthenineteenfiftiesbeforetelevisionbecameamajorforceinAmericanlife.VladimirZworykinandDavidSarnoff,theheadofRCA,becamethenamesconnectedwiththenewindustry.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:PhiloFarnsworthPhiloFarnsworthcontinuedtoinventmorethanonehundreddevicesthathelpedmakemoderntelevisionpossible.Healsodevelopedearlyradar,inventedthefirstelectronicmicroscope,andworkedondevelopingpeacefulusesofatomicenergy.Inhislastyears,MisterFarnsworthbecameastrongcriticoftelevision.Hedidnotlikemostoftheprogramsshownontelevision.YetzashewatchedNeilArmstrong'sfirststeponthemoon,MisterFarnsworthknewtheeventclearlyshowedthepowerofhisinvention.PhiloFarnsworthdiedinMarch,nineteenseventy-one.Today,astatueofhimstandsintheUnitedStatesCapitol.Heisconsideredoneofthemostimportantinventorsofthetwentiethcentury.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:ThisprogramwaswrittenbyPaulThompson.ItwasproducedbyLawanDavis.mPhoebeZimmermann.VOICETWO:AndmSteveEmber.ListenagainnextweekforPeopleinAmericainVOASpecialEnglish.