U n I t 6

Text: The Pioneers of Automaking

Grammar: The Preposition

Vocabulary

to persevere	– стойко, упорно продолжать
profitable	– выгодный, полезный
to abandon	– оставлять, отказываться от
to derive	– получать
to display	– демонстрировать, проявлять
fuel consumption	– расход (потребление) топлива
to reduce	– сокращать, уменьшать
to feed	– снабжать(топливом); питать(ся)
reliability	– надежность
single cylinder horizontal engine	– одноцилиндровый горизонтальный двигатель
ignition	– зажигание
jet of flame	– струя пламени
alternately	– по очереди (попеременно)
mainstream	– основное направление
self-moving vehicle	– самодвижущееся транспортное средство
subsequent	– последующий
subsequently	– впоследствии, потом, позже
in respect	– что касается
felt pad	– войлочная прокладка
under licence	– по лицензии

Read and translate the text and then do the following exercises.

Text

The Pioneers of Automaking

Nikolaus August Otto persevered in his studies, and after the construction of two unsuccessful engines he was able to enter into a profitable partnership with a German engineer and businessman, Eugen Langen. During the first phases of his studies, Otto became interested in Beau de Rochas' cycle, patenting and producing his first four-stroke motor in 1866-67, which proved to be defective. Unfortunately, he then abandoned this line of development and for more than a decade his studies and his industrial activity were concentrated on engines similar to those of Lenoir and Barsanti-Matteucci, that is, the so-called 'atmospheric' type – without compression.

These first ‘atmospheric’ engines, deriving in 1866 from the partnership between Otto and Langen, were uncommonly heavy and noisy, but they displayed many advantages over the Lenoir motor: the fuel consumption, for example, was reduced to exactly one half. Within a few years, however, the characteristics of the Otto- Langen engine had been considerably improved, and a regular series production – if one can call it that – began in the factories at Deutz, near Cologne. These engines were still fed by gas and were constructed for stationary purposes.

By 1875 over 2,000 Otto Langen motors had been sold in Europe and many more had been built under licence. In the meantime, however, Daimler and Maybach had made a series of studies on the four-stroke cycle and the fust paper was granted in 1876. One year later, their first engine of this type was built and showed an enormous improvement over early engines in silence and reliability Ignition in this single cylinder horizontal engine was by two jets of flame alternately exposed. The engine was exhibited at the Paris Exhibition in 1878, and may be considered the basis for the mainstream of subsequent internal combustion engine development

A diagram of Otto’s internal – combustion four-stroke cycle

There were others, of course, experimenting with internal combustion engines.

Interest in the internal combustion engine was not limited to Europe. Indeed, one of the world's first self-moving vehicles with an internal combustion engine was built by Geoige Brayton, a young engineer of Boston who subsequently showed a later engine at the Philadelphia Centennial, in 1876, after being encouraged by the reception of his earlier, cruder version. Five different Otto gas engines were in the exhibition, including the latest and most advanced one. But in respect to carburetion – effected by means of air passing over a felt pad fed with petrol – Brayton's engine had certain advantages over the European models.

Commentaries

Philadelphia Centennial – гонки, посвященные 100-летию г. Филадельфия (США)

Exercises

Exercises 1. Match the beginning of sentence on the left with its ending on the right.

1 The first “atmospheric” engines were	1 advantages over the Lenoir motor.
2 Within a few years the characteristics of the Otto-Langen	2 began in the factories at Deutz, near Cologne.
3 After the construction of two unsuccessful engines Otto was able to enter	3 was built by George Brayton, a young engineer of Boston.
4 The first “atmospheric” engines displayed many	4 to exactly one half.
5 The engine was exhibited at the Paris	5 into a profitable partnership with a German engineer and businessman , Eugen Langen.
6 A regular series production.	6 engine had been considerably improved.
7 The fuel consumption was reduced	7 uncommonly heavy and noisy.
8 There were others experimenting	8 Exhibition in 1878
9 Interest in the internal combustion engine	9 engine at the Philadelphia Centennial in 1878.
10 One of the world’s first self-moving vehicles with an inyernal combustion engine	10 over the European models.
11 George Brayton subsequently showed a later	11.was not limited to Europe.
12 Brayton’s engine had certain advantages	12.with internal combustion engines.

Exercises 2. Match the words and phrases with their Russian equivalents.

felt pad	– расход (потребление) топлива
to persevere	– одноцилиндровый горизонтальный двигатель
jet of flame	– по лицензии
to reduce	– войлочная прокладка
self-moving vehicle	– снабжать (топливом)
profitable	– зажигание
to feed	– получать
single cylinder horizontal engine	– стойко, упорно продолжать
reliability	– оставлять, отказываться от
ignition	– струя пламени
to derive	– сокращать, уменьшать
to abandon	– надежность
fuel consumption	– выгодный, полезный
under licence	– самодвижущееся транспортное средство

Exercises 3. Answer the following questions.

1 When was Nikolaus August Otto able to enter into a profitable partnership with a German engineer and businessman, Eugen Laugen?

2 When did Otto become interested in Beau de Rochas’ cycle?

3 Did he then abandon this line of development?

4 What engines were his studies and his industrial activity concentrated on?

5 Were the first “atmospheric” engines uncommonly heavy and noisy?

6 Did they display many advantages or disadvantages over the Lenoir motor?

7 The fuel consumption was reduced to exactly one half, wasn’t it?

8 Had the characteristics of the Otto-Langen engine been considerably improved?

9 Where did a regular series production begin?

10 These engines were still fed by gas and were constructed for stationary purposes, weren’t they?

11 How many Otto-Langen motors had been sold in Europe by 1875?

12 Had Daimler and Maybach made a series of studies on the four-stroke cycle in the meantime?

13 Was the first paper granted in 1876 or 1879?

14 When was their first engine of this type built?

15 What did it show?

16 Where was the engine exhibited in 1878?

17 May it be considered the basis for the mainstream of subsequent internal combustion engine development?

18 Interest in the internal combustion engine was not limited to Europe, was it?

19 What did George Brayton build?

20 Who subsequently showed a later engine at the Philadelphia Centennial in 1876?

21 Were five or seven different Otto gas engines in the exhibition?

22 Had Brayton’s engine certain advantages or disadvantages over the European models?