2006年NPR美国国家公共电台八月-The Cool History of the Air Conditioner

Temperatures in some parts of the country have eased a bit over the weekend. But there is no risk that throngs¹ of people are suddenly going to turn their backs on air-conditioning. The air-conditioner has established itself well in the hearts of Americans. The first widespread use of air-conditioners came during the 1920s when movie theaters used what they called man-made weather to lure² customers to the silver screen. After World War II, the cost for air-conditioners started to come down and manufacturers advertised them as for the millions not just for millionaires. Deborah Hawkins knows how to keep cool. She's chairman of the Air-Conditioner and Refrigeration Institute. We called her at her office in Fort Worth, Texas where the temperature this weekend is a balmy, low-100s. Welcome to the program.

Well, thank you.

I assume you've got your air-conditioner going great guns.

Oh, yes, we do. Full blast in fact.

All right. Take us back, ah, where was the first air-conditioned movie theater in the United States?

Ah, Well, it's, ah, probably in the Central Park Theater in Chicago, Illinois. Willis Carrier, considered the king of cool and the founder³ of air-conditioning, actually sold his inventions to movie theater operators during the late teens and early 20s. And this was one of the first ones to receive it. And they actually had some of the largest audiences than anywhere else in the country as you can imagine.

So does, does the air-conditioner get credit or maybe the blame, um, for the advent⁴ of summer blockbusters?

Um, both, I think it gets both. Definitely the term was coined because people were trying to get away from the heat and during the, the summer months and they came in, in droves to get out of that into the cool air and watch movies because that was probably the only event that allowed them to do that at that time.

And it also, I assume, allowed the theaters to stay open during the summer.

All year long, all year long, well before they were primarily just open from November to May.

What were some of the other early places to be cooled down by air-conditioning?

Well, er, right after the movie theaters, the government buildings in Washington D.C were air-conditioned. It started with the US House of Representatives building, the Senate Building, even the White House and it's funny too because prior to that, the lawmakers only worked from ah, November to May, and then they dispersed⁵, you know, went home. And it's funny because most people say this may or may not have been a good idea to allow them to work 12 months out of the year.

When did air-conditioning become a staple⁶ of the middle class?

Well, actually it started in the 50s when sales exceeded over one million units. And then at each decade, it increased enormously to where now today, probably 82% of all homes either have room air-conditioning units or central air-conditioning units in America.

Deborah Hawkins is chairman of the Air-Conditioner and Refrigeration Institute. Thanks a lot, keep cool.

【WORRD BANK】
balmy
balmy air, weather etc is warm and pleasant
synonym mild a balmy summer night
be going great guns
informal to be doing something extremely well
After a slow start, the Tigers are going great guns.
(at) full blast
as powerfully or loudly as possible
I had the gas fire going full blast . The radio was on at full blast .
staple
the main product that is produced in a country
Bananas and sugar are the staples⁷ of Jamaica.

1 throngs   

n.人群( throng的名词复数 )v.成群，挤满( throng的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She muscled through the throngs of people, frantically searching for David. 她使劲挤过人群，拼命寻找戴维。 来自辞典例句
• Our friends threaded their way slowly through the throngs upon the Bridge. 我们这两位朋友在桥上从人群中穿过，慢慢地往前走。 来自辞典例句

2 lure   

n.吸引人的东西，诱惑物；vt.引诱，吸引

参考例句：

• Life in big cities is a lure for many country boys.大城市的生活吸引着许多乡下小伙子。
• He couldn't resist the lure of money.他不能抵制金钱的诱惑。

3 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

4 advent   

n.(重要事件等的)到来，来临

参考例句：

• Swallows come by groups at the advent of spring. 春天来临时燕子成群飞来。
• The advent of the Euro will redefine Europe.欧元的出现将重新定义欧洲。

5 dispersed   

adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的

参考例句：

• The clouds dispersed themselves. 云散了。
• After school the children dispersed to their homes. 放学后，孩子们四散回家了。

6 staple   

n.主要产物，常用品，主要要素，原料，订书钉，钩环；adj.主要的，重要的；vt.分类

参考例句：

• Tea is the staple crop here.本地产品以茶叶为大宗。
• Potatoes are the staple of their diet.土豆是他们的主要食品。

7 staples   

n.（某国的）主要产品( staple的名词复数 )；钉书钉；U 形钉；主要部份v.用钉书钉钉住( staple的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The anvil onto which the staples are pressed was not assemble correctly. 订书机上的铁砧安装错位。 来自辞典例句
• I'm trying to make an analysis of the staples of his talk. 我在试行分析他的谈话的要旨。 来自辞典例句