Inventions 发明
[audio]http://file.24en.com/bbc/tae/assets_6381920/bbc_tae_281_inventions_au_bb.mp3[/audio][font=Verdana, 宋体, helvetica, arial, sans-serif][p=21, 2, left][b]A British Library Exhibition Celebrates Innovation[/b][b]大英图书馆庆祝发明[/b][/p][p=21, 2, left]Have you ever thought of inventing something that could make everyday chores easier? Sam Houghton did and he created a[b]double-headed broom[/b].[/p][p=21, 2, left]Sam was just three years old when he [b]came up with[/b] his idea. He was watching his father [b]sweep up[/b] garden leaves and [b]alternate[/b] between two brushes while trying to gather large leaves and fine [b]debris[/b].[/p][p=21, 2, left]Now he is the [b]poster boy[/b] for a new exhibition at the British Library in London called 'Inventing the 21st Century'.[/p][p=21, 2, left]To [url=http://d.24en.com/s/?wd=celebrate]celebrate[/url] [b]innovation[/b] and inspire [b]buddin[/b][b]g entrepreneurs[/b], the famous library is telling the story behind 15 of what it considers the most[b]ingenious[/b] inventions to come out of Britain in the past 10 years. Sam's broom is surrounded by products developed by big companies, like a[b]high-tech[/b] swimsuit by Speedo that became popular at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and a bladeless fan by Britain's Dyson.[/p][color=#3f3f3f][size=12px][float=right][img=226,170]http://www.24en.com/d/file/bbc/bbc2/2010-09-09/f103dae82838da5e37673f5c6cfba3e5.jpg[/img][p=30, 2, left]Sam Houghton with his invention (picture courtesy of the British Library)[/p][/float]
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[p=21, 2, left]Every year the UK generates over 25,000 [b]patents[/b], [b]trademarks[/b] and design rights for new products and services. Many of the inventors have to[b] jump through a lot of hoops[/b] before they can see their product on the market.[/p][p=21, 2, left]Richard Thorpe, creator of an innovative folding electric bike, says that it took him seven years to go from [b]concept[/b] to sales. He explains he had to keep quiet about his idea until it was patented.[/p][p=21, 2, left]"When it comes to innovation and selling an idea [b]confidentiality [/b]is key", he warns. "Whenever you are having a meeting with anyone, always have it in a context that this is confidential [url=http://d.24en.com/s/?wd=information]information[/url] and anything said is not [b]in the p[/b][b]ublic domain[/b]."[/p][p=21, 2, left]Britain is known for [b]nurturing[/b] its entrepreneurial spirit ever since the days of the Industrial Revolution with James Watt, Thomas Savery and Thomas Newcomen and their work on the steam engine.[/p][p=21, 2, left]And young Sam Houghton is true to this tradition. He is now eight years old and has more inventions [b]in the [/b][b]pipeline[/b].[/p][p=21, 2, left]"I've made a balloon [b]popping[/b] machine for play centres", he explains. "After little children's parties we don't want them to cry because of big bangs of balloons."[/p][p=21, 2, left]He said that he "took away the bangs" by creating a box where the balloons can [b]burst[/b] without frightening children.[/p][/font]
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