Most of us think the telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell. In fact, an Italian named Antonio Meucci was officially recognised (认定) as the inventor a few years ago. Who is Meucci and why wasn't he known for his invention at the time?
Antonio Meucci was born in Italy in 1808. He studied engineering and drawing. During his studies, Meucci started to experiment with electricity. When two places were connected with wire, people in those places could hear each other talk.
In 1850, Meucci and his wife, Esterre, moved to New York. Meucci was worried about his wife, because she had become very ill. To solve this problem, he connected metal cables between his home and his workshop. This way, they could talk to each other conveniently.
Meucci invited a group of people to see his new invention. They listened in amazement as the voice of a singer was heard through the wires.
Even worse, Meucci never applied for a patent (专利) on his invention. Meanwhile, Alexander Graham Bell was working on the same idea and in 1876 the patent for the telephone was given to him.
In 2002, more than a century after Meucci's death, his work was finally recognised by the government.
| A. He discovered that sound could travel through metal cables. B. However, he wasn't the first person to think of the idea. C. Unfortunately, only a few people attended this talk. D. He will now be known all over the world as the telephone's inventor. E. He needed to keep in touch with her at all times. |
