chapter 2 87-97).docVIP

Chapter 2 Engineers and Safety 87 It has been said that when a physician makes an error, only one victim suffers, but when an engineer makes an error in design of a product, many persons may suffer. The question then becomes, which is more important for the well梑eing of the public: the physician or the engineer? 当医师在工作中失误时，只有一个受害人会遭殃，但当一个工程师在产品设计中失误时，将会有很多人会遭殃。因此，有这样一个问题：医师和工程师谁对公众的健康更重要？ Accomplishments of Engineers The profession of engineering is a relatively new one that has increased tremendously with the growth of technology. Until the end of the Middle Ages with its comparatively slow technological developments，there were relatively few changes in manufactured devices or human activities. Industry was still almost entirely agricultural. Power was generated principally by the muscles of humans, horses。oxen、or other animals. 工程师职业是一个随科技的发展而飞速增强的相对新的职业。一直到中世纪末，科技都发展的相当地慢，在人发明的设备或人类活动方面只有少数的几项改变。产业仍旧几乎完全是农业的，主要靠人，马，牛或其它动物（的肌肉）提供动力。 The invention of steam-powered equipment and its attendant enterprises was a tremendous boon to humankind. Savery invented the steam engine in 1698. The first primitive，inefficient steam engines were later improved by Thomas Newcomer(c. 171 1), James Watt(1769), and many others. The burning of coal became a prime means of transferring heat energy to steam to drive engines. From that time forward, the number of inventions of all types grew rapidly, and with them their applications. 蒸汽动力设备的发明及伴随企业的出现对人类来说是一个巨大的促进。Savery在1689年发明了蒸汽机车。第一台简单的效率低下的蒸汽机车随后被Thomas Newcomer, James Watt和许多其他人改进。燃煤成了把热能转换为蒸汽以驱动机车的主要方式。从此以后，各种各样的发明及其应用就迅速多了起来。 The time from the invention of steam engines until their use by Stephenson in locomotives was about 110 years. Operation of the laser was theorized in 1958，patented in 1960. and put into commercial production almost immediately. With the accelerated growth in technology, an engineer’s training is said to be obsolete in five years. 从蒸汽机的发明到它被斯蒂芬森应用于火车机车大约110年的时间。激光的作用于1958年提出其理论，1960年申请专利，并且几乎同时投入了商业化生产