节目简介
节目简介：
NPR为美国国家公共电台简称(National Public
Radio)，是一家以美国本土民众为广播对象的综合电台，这无疑使它成为基础较好的英语学习者提高听力水平的良好素材。
The Cool
History of the Air Conditioner
Weekend Edition·With temperatures in the triple
digits in some parts of the country this past week, we're paying homage to the
air conditioner. One of the first widespread use of air conditioners came during
the 1920s, when movie theaters used what they called "man-made weather" to lure
customers to the silver screen.
Liane Hansen speaks with Deborah Hawkins, Chairman of the Air Conditioner and
Refrigeration Institute.
Temperatures in some parts of the country have eased a bit over the weekend.
But there is no risk that throngs 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 1920 when movie theaters used what they called man-made weather to
lure customers to the silver scream. After World War 2, the cost for
air-conditioners started to come down and manufactures advertised them as for
the millions not just for millionaires. Deborah Hawkins, knows how to keep cool.
She is chairman of the Air-conditioner and Refrigeration Institute. We called
her in her office in Fort Worth. Texas where the temperature this is a balmy,
low-100s. Welcome to the program.
Well Thank you.
I assume you've got your air-conditioner going great guns.
Yes, we do, Full blast in fact.
All right, take us back, where was the first air-conditioned movie theater in
the United States.
Well, it's probably in the Central Park theater in Chicago, Illinois. Willis
Carrier considered the king of cool and the founder of air-conditioning actually
sold his inventions to movie theater operators during the late 19th and early
20th. And this was one of the first one to have received it. And they actually
had some of the largest audiences than anywhere else in the country as you can
imagine.
So does the air-conditioner get credit or maybe the blame for the additament of
summer blockbusters.
Err, both, Thank you give both. Definitely the term was coin because people were
trying to get away from the heat during the summer months and they came in and
drove to get out of that into the cool air and watched movies, cause that was
probably the only event that allowed them to do that at that time.
And also I assume that the theater just stayed open during the summer.
Well, yearlong, yearlong, Well before they were primarily just open from
November to May.
Well, what are some of the other early places to be cooled down by
air-conditioning.
Well, right after the movie theaters, the government buildings in Washington D.C
were air-conditioned, started with the US House of Representatives building, the
Senate building, even the White House and it's funny too becaue prior to that,
the lawmakers only worked from November to May, and then they dispersed, 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 all over the year.
When did air-conditioning become a stable 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
Institutions. Thanks a lot, keep cool.
|