基础英语轻松学【41】小发明，大贡献——圆珠笔的故事

　　本课您将学到：tiny,small,little的区别，tip（小费）不可不给，give ones name to句型

　　圆珠笔（ballpoint pen）经常被许多人称作biro，这是为什么呢？今天我们就来了解圆珠笔的故事。

　　Not many people have given their names to the English language. Among those who have is Laszlo Josef Biro. He was the maker of the first Biro, a name still used around the world for his most successful invention（发明）, the ballpoint pen.

　　Biro patented（申请专利） his first pen in 1938. It had a tiny ball bearing in the tip which picked up ink as it turned against the paper. During the Second World War, Biro went to Argentina（阿根廷） where he had some success selling his product.

　　However, he never took a patent in the United States. Partly because of this, American companies such as Bic, Parker, and Papermate have dominated（支配、统治） the writing market ever since the ballpoint pen became popular in the 1950s.

　 「读书笔记」

　　人名能成为英文词汇的人并不多，（give ones name to以自己的名字命名）而Laszlo Josef Biro就是其中之一。Among those who have就是指在已经把名字融入英文中的人们之中。

　　他发明了第一支biro，（He was the maker of the first Biro）现在世界上还有人用这个名称来称呼他这项最成功的发明圆珠笔。（a name still used around the world for his most successful invention, the ballpoint pen）

　　patent意思是取得的专利权，Biro于1938年取得他第一支圆珠笔的专利权。（Biro patented his first pen in 1938）笔尖装有一颗细小的铁珠，能在与纸接触的瞬间吸入墨水。（It had a tiny ball bearing in the tip which picked up ink as it turned against the paper.）

　　ball bearing滚珠轴承，tiny意为极小的、细小的，注意它和small, little的区别。Small指外形相对较小，但还能清楚看得见的，如：I put the present in a small box.（我把礼物放在一个小盒子里。）而tiny则可能肉眼看不太清楚，如：Fleas are tiny insects.（跳蚤是很小的昆虫。）little则含有更多情感，表示小巧的，如：The little dog followed the boy everywhere.（那条小狗到处都跟着那男孩。）

　　tip本文指顶部、尖端，那么在这句话中，它指的是什么呢？不妨猜一猜。

　　We gave the taxi driver a tip.（我们付小费给出租车司机。）

　　对了，就是小费，在国外，接受了别人的服务，一定要给小费表示感谢，一般要付15%左右。这是个不成文的规定，入乡随俗嘛，千万别在这里省钱哦，呵呵

　　I gave her a tip on how to concoct a new kind of soup.（我教她配制一种新汤的诀窍。）怎么，学做汤也要给小费，当然不是。这是tip在口语中，另一个常用的意思提示、诀窍。

　　第二次世界大战期间，（During the Second World War）Biro在阿根廷贩卖这项商品取得了一定成就。（Biro went to Argentina where he had some success selling his product）

　　然而他始终无法在美国取得专利权。（However, he never took a patent in the United States）部分是由于这个原因，（Partly because of this）一些如Bic、Parker和Papermate等美国公司在二十世纪五十年代圆珠笔开始流行时，就一直占据着文具市场。（American companies such as Bic, Parker, and Papermate have dominated the writing market ever since the ballpoint pen became popular in the 1950s）

　　ever since从那时到现在，如：She left school three years ago and has worked as a nurse ever since.（她三年前毕业,从那时起便一直当护士。）

　 「句型留言板」

　　give ones name to以自己的名字命名

　　Mrs. Evergreen gave her name to her product, Evergreen Tea.

　　Evergreen太太以自己的名字命名她的产品Evergreen茶。

　　I gave my name to the woman I love, but she remained my wife for the rest of my life without taking it.

　　我想让我爱的女人用我的姓氏，她成了我的终身伴侣，却始终没用我的名字。