b Tram-roads.-Roads with wheeltracks formed of wood，stone，or iron.The nane is said to be an abbreviation of “Outran-roads；”so called after their inventor （1800），Mr.Benjamin Outran，the father of SirJames Outram，the Indian General.
9.A Railway from Liverpool to Manchester was soon planned，and George Stephenson was appointed the engineer.The chief obstacle consisted in a morass called Chat Moss，which lay in the way.But there was nothing in it to daunt the energy of Stephenson.Having first laid a foundation consisting of the branches of trees，he poured a large quantity of rubbish and earth into the shaking bog，and made it a dry and firm path，on which he laid the rails.
10.When the line was nearly finished，there arose a question as to the kind of engine which was to be used for drawing the carriages-whether a locomotive or a stationar y engine.Stephenson advocated the use of locomotives；and when the directors of the line offered a premium of ？500for the best engine，that would run ten miles an hour and not weigh more than sixtons，he made an engine called the Rocket which went at the rate of twenty-nine miles an hour on the opening day！
11.This event happened in the autumn of 1830，during the recess of Parliament；and most of the chief statesmen assembled to go on the trial trip.It cost one of them his life；for during a stoppage of the train，Mr.Huskisson （the Colonial Secretary）and the Duke of Wellington，who had got out of the carriages to talk，and were standing on the line，heard a rattling noise and a sudden shout，and turning，saw an engine coming quickly down on them.Wellington got out of the way；but Huskisson，who had been ill，was weak and nervous，and did not move fast enough.The engine caught him，threw him down，and crushed one of his legs so severely that he died the same night.
中文阅读
1.大约在1790年，有个小男孩靠在诺森伯兰郡的杜丽伯恩田野上放牛，赚取每天几便士的费用。他父亲是当地煤矿下属的一台蒸汽机的司炉，工资也很少。一天下午，小男孩找来一大堆泥土，并砍了一棵铁杉树上的粗硬树枝，建了一个父亲负责的蒸汽机的模型。他的名字叫做乔治·斯蒂芬森。
2.接下来我们看到的是18岁的他。他得到了一个与父亲相似的职位，并利用岗位之便，对自己负责的发动机上的每根曲柄、螺钉以及铆钉进行认真研究。星期天下午，当其他人都去潇洒或挥霍金钱的时候，年轻的乔治会把自己关在机器房里，将机器拆开，爱不释手而又小心翼翼地将钢制活塞杆擦得锃亮，直到它们像银制品那样闪闪发光。
3.渐渐地，他在自己学到的其他技能当中，又增加了修理钟表这一项，而他幼小的儿子罗伯特也喜欢站在一旁，用饶有兴趣而又迫不及待的眼光看着他。当父亲允许他站在椅子上拨动正在修理的挂钟上的指针时，小男孩的快乐无法形容。从此，父子开始了在机械领域的合作关系，这种关系一直持续到死才终止。
4.一天，乔治·斯蒂芬森听说从一个新煤坑里往外抽水的机器不能用了。于是，他干完了当天的活，便跑去看看那台不能用的机器。他对机器进行了认真的检查，最终找到了问题所在。
5.随后他告诉工程师说，他可以将机器修好。考虑到什么办法都试过了仍然不灵，加之乔治看上去也不会再试修一次就将机器损坏，对方便同意他将机器拆散。他第一次试着修理机器就获得了巨大成功，以至于机器以良好的工作状态运转了四天，工人们随后便可以下到井下通道的底部，而那里之前全是水。
6.斯蒂芬森生活的下一个场景是基林沃斯a镇，他在那里得到了机器制造工的岗位。在煤坑口和用船只来接收脏兮兮的煤的码头之间，已经铺好了轨道或叫矿轨b，但是用马来拉运煤车总是既慢又费力。
7.此前已经有人提出用蒸汽来完成这项任务的想法，但是这当中的难点，似乎是机车平滑的钢轮在受到蒸汽驱动后，会原地打转而不是载着机车向前滚动。斯蒂芬森认真思考着这一难题，发现这种做法只能是一种幻想；在经过多次试验之后，他发现，如果在制作机车时使用重金属，机车的重量就足以压住矿轨，为轮子提供一种阻力。
8.拉文斯沃斯男爵带着资金前来帮助他。一段时间之后，在基林沃斯矿轨上，人们目睹了神奇一幕：一台小机车拉着重达30吨的货物，以每小时4英里的速度爬上一段相当陡的斜坡。当人们确认这一事实，即蒸汽驱动的机车可用来提供驱动力时，机车改良的速度就大大加快了。
9.从利物浦至曼彻斯特的铁路很快得以规划，而乔治·斯蒂芬森被任命为工程师。期间遇到的主要难题是途中有一个叫做查特摩斯的沼泽地。不过，没有什么难题能吓退斯蒂芬森。他先用树枝铺在沼泽地上，然后向这块泥泞的沼泽倒进大量垃圾和泥土，使其变成一条又干又结实的道路，然后再在上面铺设轨道。
10.当铁路线几近竣工时，又出现了用哪种机车（是用自移动发动机还是固定发动机）来拉货物的新问题。斯蒂芬森提倡使用自移动发动机，而当铁路建造的主管人员提供了500英磅的额外资金用于建造最好的机器，即每小时能跑10英里、载重不超过6吨的机器时，他却制造出一种名叫“火箭”的发动机，能在铁路启动当天以每小时29英里的速度奔跑！
a 基林沃斯：泰因河纽卡斯尔东北5英里处。
b 矿轨：带有轮轨的道路，由木头、石头或钢铁制成。据说这一名称是“outram-roads”的缩写，从其发明者本杰明·阿舍（Benjamin Outram）先生的名字而来。本杰明是印度殖民地将军詹姆斯·阿舍爵士之父。
11.这一事件发生在1830年秋天议会休会期间，许多重量级政治家都得以跑去参加铁路试运行。他们当中有一个人付出了生命的代价。由于列车中途停运，哈斯基森先生（殖民地总督）和威灵顿公爵便下了货车去说话。他们站在铁路线上，却听到一阵嘈杂的喧闹声和猛然间的喊叫，一回头，看到一台机车正快速向下滑向他们。威灵顿跑出了铁轨，但哈斯基森由于生病，身体虚弱加上高度紧张，移动得就没有那么快。机车撞上他，把他压倒，然后从他的一条腿上辗过去。由于伤势严重，他在当天晚上就死了。
144
WILLIAM IV
威廉四世
1830to 1837A.D.-7years（1830~1837年，在位7年）disputed，discussed.
elections，choosing of members of Parliament.
fulfilled，carried out.
measure，Reform Bill.
passing，making law.
populous，to contain more people.represent，show the minds of.right，liberty；power.
vote，choose.
1.William the Fourth was son of George the Third and brother of the late King.He married Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen.The two chief events of his reign were the passing of the Reform Bill，and the setting free of all slaves in the English colonies.
2.The object of the Reform Bill was to make the House of Commons better represent the people.The right to vote at elections was given to many who had not had the right before.Towns that had lately grown populous received the right of sending members to Parliament；while members were taken away from small towns which had lost their importance.While this measure was being hotly disputed in Parliament，great riots took place at Bristol，Nottingham，and other large towns.
3.In 1833all the slaves in the British colonies were set free.Twenty million sterling was granted by the nation to pay the slave-owners.Eight hundred thousand slaves thus became free men.William Wilberforce，who，forty-six years before，had proposed this measure，and had laboured hard since that time to bring it to pass，just lived long enough to see the desire of his heart fulfilled.He died in 1833.
4.William the Fourth died in the seventy-second year of his age，leaving no children.By his kindness of heart，and his constant regard for the good of his people，he gained the noble title of “Father of his Country.”
5.The first railway was opened，between Manchester and Liverpool，in 1830，when Mr.Huskisson，a member of the Government，was knocked down by an engine and was killed.
中文阅读
1.威廉四世是乔治三世的儿子、已故英王的弟弟。他与撒克逊－美宁根的阿德莱德结婚。他执政期间的两件大事是“改革法案”的通过，以及解放英属殖民地所有奴隶。
2.“改革法案”的目的是使议会下院更好地代表人民。选举投票权因此被赋予许多此前没有该项权利的人。近期出现人口增长的城镇行使了将议员送往国会的权利，而那些小城镇的议员由于退出国会而使这些城镇的地位下降。这一举措在国会进行激烈辩论时，布里斯托尔、诺丁汉以及其他较大城镇都爆发了大规模骚乱。