Thomas Alva Edison was awarded more patents on inventions than any other American. When he died in 1931， Americans wondered how they could best show their respect for.
One suggestion was that the nation observesa minute or two of total blackout①. All electric power would be shut off in homes， streets， and factories.
Perhaps this suggested plan made Americans realize fully what Edison and his inventions meant to them. Electric power was too important to the country. Shutting if off for even a short time would have led to complete confusion②. A blackout was out of me question.
On the day of Edison’s funeral， many people silently dimmed③ their lights. In this way they honored the man who had done more than anyone else to put the great force of electricity at his countrymen’s fingertips.
① blackoutn. 灯暗；熄灯；停电
② confusionn. 混乱；混乱状况；骚动
③ dimv. 使变暗淡；使变模糊
美国人对爱迪生的敬意
托马斯·阿尔瓦·爱迪生获得的发明专利，超过了任何一位美国人。当他1931年离世时，美国人简直不知道究竟怎样才能最充分地表达对他的敬意。
一项建议是，全国熄灯一两分钟，让家庭、街道及工厂的供电全部中断。
这项建议也许会使美国人充分认识到爱迪生及其发明的价值。然而，电对于这个国家来说是太重要了，即使是短暂的停电也会导致全面的混乱。熄灯会造成一片黑暗，这样做不堪设想。
在爱迪生安葬的那一天，许多人默默地扭暗了灯光。他们以这种方式，向这位把巨大电力送到全国同胞的手边，从而做出了无与伦比的贡献的人，表示了崇敬之情。