Edison's Incessant Search for a Better Raw Material

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  • Edison's exhaustive search for a raw material
  • The variety of materials and samples examined
  • The continuous testing and experimentation
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While the new lamp and its system were being exhibited at Menlo Park(and that continued for months),Edison made a final exhaustive search for a raw material that would be more dense and homogeneous.He said,'In God's almighty warehouse there must certainly be such a material -we have only to hunt for it.' Books on botany and catalogs were studied;Hughes,our purchasing agent,was sent to New York with a list of materials to purchase.Day by day he brought back packages of samples.He called on whosesale drug companies,agents of foreign firms,museums,colleges,and consuls of foreign nations in effort to get almost everything in the vegetable kingdom.He also brought samples from the animal world,such as hoofs,hides,horns,and hair.Botany professors sent in contributions when it leaked out that Edison was making a last search for a better raw material. It would be tedious to name the differnt kinds of woods,grasses,plants,and hair,human and animal,that were tried.Yes,we even plucked the red whiskers of a Scottish guest at Menlo Park and the black ones of a Swiss and made bets on which would prove the better filament.As the thousands of samples came to Menlo Park,Edison examined each under his old verdigris-covered microscope.Those found acceptable for further trials were laid aside,while others that didn't possess the qualities he desired were consigned to the stve.Carbonizing blowing the glass parts,exhausting the air,and,testing continued day and night.

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  • ddeana
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回答No.1

新しい電球とその仕組みをメンロパーク研究所で披露(数ヶ月間続いた)している間、エジソンはより高密度で品質が一定な原料を探す、最後の徹底調査に入っていた。「神が与えたもう無限の可能性をもつこの世界で(※1)、その物は必ずある。我々はただそれを探すだけだ。」と彼は言っていた。 植物学の本や蔵書目録が詳しく調べられた。我々の購買担当者ヒューズは、購入用材料リストを携え、ニューヨークへと送られた。日々彼はサンプルの包みを持ち帰った。彼は植物界のほぼすべてを手にいれることを目指し、卸しの製薬会社、外資系企業、博物館、大学、そして外国の領事たちを訪ねた。また、動物の世界からも、ひづめ、皮、角、そして毛髪といったサンプルを持ってきた。エジソンが、より良い原料を求めて最後の探索をしているということが外部に漏れた際、植物学の教授らは寄付を送った。 違った種類の木々、草、植物体、毛、人間そして動物の名前をあげることは退屈だったが試みられた。そうなのだ、我々はメンロパークを訪れたスコットランド人ゲストの赤い頬髯やスイス人の黒い頬髯さえもむしり取って、より良いフィラメントであることを試す為の賭けに出た。何千ものサンプルがメンロパークに届けられた時、エジソンはそれぞれを自分の古い緑青で覆われた(※2)顕微鏡で調べた。更なる試験に向いているとされたものは残しておかれた一方、彼が望んだ品質を有さなかった他の物は、スティーブに引き渡された(※3)。炭素化し、ガラス部分を吹き上げ、排気しながらテストは昼夜問わずに続けられた。 ※1:God's almighty warehouse 直訳すると、「神の全能の倉庫」ですが、これではなんのこっちゃという感じです。で、自分なりに考えてみたのがこの訳です。エジソンは超自然的なことを信じていたという説もありますので、地球や世界をひとつの大きな倉庫に見立てたのではと考えました。 ※2:verdigris-covered 「緑青(りょくしょう)」とは銅が酸化して出来た錆のことです。19世紀はまだ金属銅が主流素材として使われていました。 ※3:consigned to the stve stveというのが何を指すのかわからなかったので、とりあえず人の名前かと思って訳してみましたが、原文を確認してお知らせいただけますか? それによって再度訳を直してみたいと存じます。

mangifera
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お礼

stove でした。 いつもありがとうございます!

その他の回答 (1)

  • ddeana
  • ベストアンサー率74% (2976/4019)
回答No.2

ddeanaです。ふと思ったのですが、もし >consigned to the stve のstveが、stoveであったならば、「彼が望んだ品質を有さなかった他の物は、ストーブの燃料に回された」という訳になりますので、お知らせします。

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