自行車簡史

from pedalinghistory.com 譯/陳文

A modern bicycle by definition is a rider-powered vehicle with two wheels in tandem1), powered by the rider turning pedals2) that are connected to the rear wheel by a chain, and having handlebars for steering3) and a saddlelike seat for the rider. With that definition in mind, lets look at the history of early bicycles that led up to the modern bicycle.

The Walking Machine

In 1817 Baron von Drais invented a walking machine that would help him get around the royal gardens faster: two same-size in-line wheels, the front one steerable, mounted in a frame which you straddled4). The device was propelled by pushing your feet against the ground, thus rolling yourself and the device forward in a sort of gliding walk. The machine became known as hobby horse. It was made entirely of wood. This enjoyed a short-lived popularity as a fad5), not being practical for transportation in any other place than a well maintained pathway such as in a park or garden.

The Velocipede6) or Boneshaker7)

The next appearance of a two-wheeled riding machine was in 1865, when pedals were applied directly to the front wheel. This machine was known as the velocipede, but was popularly known as the boneshaker, since it was also made entirely of wood, then later with metal tires8), and the combination of these with the cobblestone roads of the day made for an extremely uncomfortable ride. They also became a fad, and indoor riding academies, similar to roller rinks, could be found in large cities.

The High Wheel Bicycle

In 1870 the first all-metal machine appeared. (Previous to this metallurgy9) was not advanced enough to provide metal strong enough to make small, light parts out of.) The pedals were still attached directly to the front wheel with no freewheeling10) mechanism. Solid rubber tires and the long spokes11) of the large front wheel provided a much smoother ride than its predecessor. The front wheels became larger and larger as makers realized that the larger the wheel, the farther you could travel with one rotation12) of the pedals. You would purchase a wheel as large as your leg length would allow. This machine was the first one to be called a bicycle (two wheel). These bicycles enjoyed a great popularity among young men of means (they cost an average worker six months pay), with the hey-day being the decade of the 1880s.

Because the rider sat so high above the center of gravity, if the front wheel was stopped by a stone or rut in the road, or the sudden emergence of a dog, the entire apparatus13) rotated forward on its front axle, and the rider, with his legs trapped under the handlebars, was dropped unceremoniously14) on his head. Thus the term “taking a header” came into being.

The High Wheel Tricycle

While the men were risking their necks on the high wheels, ladies, confined to their long skirts and corsets15), could take a spin16) around the park on an adult tricycle. These machines also afforded more dignity to gentlemen such as doctors and clergymen. Many mechanical innovations now associated with the automobile were originally invented for tricycles.

The High Wheel Safety

Improvements to the design began to be seen, many with the small wheel in the front to eliminate the tipping-forward problem. One model was promoted by its manufacturer by being ridden down the front steps of the capitol building in Washington, DC. These designs became known as high-wheel safety bicycles. Since the older high-wheel designs had been known simply as bicycles, they were now referred to as “ordinary bicycles” in comparison with the newfangled17) designs, and then simply as “ordinaries.”

The Hard-Tired Safety

The further improvement of metallurgy sparked the next innovation, or rather return to previous design. With metal that was now strong enough to make a fine chain and sprocket18) small and light enough for a human being to power, the next design was a return to the original configuration of two same-size wheels; only now, instead of just one wheel circumference for every pedal turn, you could, through the gear ratios, have a speed the same as the huge high-wheel. The bicycles still had the hard rubber tires, and in the absence of the long, shock-absorbing spokes, the ride they provided was much more uncomfortable than any of the high-wheel designs. These designs competed with each other, your choice being the high-wheels comfort or the safetys safety, but the next innovation tolled19) the death of the high-wheel design.

The Pneumatic20)-Tired Safety

The pneumatic tire was first applied to the bicycle by an Irish veterinarian who was trying to give his young son a more comfortable ride on his tricycle. This inventive young doctors name was Dunlop. Sound familiar? Now that comfort and safety could be had in the same package, and that package was getting cheaper as manufacturing methods improved, everyone clamored21) to ride the bicycle.

The bicycle was what made the Gay Nineties22) gay. It was a practical investment for the working man as transportation, and gave him a much greater flexibility for leisure. Ladies, heretofore consigned to riding the heavy adult size tricycles that were only practical for taking a turn around the park, now could ride a much more versatile machine and still keep their legs covered with long skirts. The bicycle craze killed the bustle23) and the corset, instituted “common-sense dressing” for women and increased their mobility considerably. In 1896 Susan Anthony24) said that “the bicycle has done more for the emancipation of women than anything else in the world.”

Bicycling was so popular in the 1880s and 1890s that cyclists formed the League of American Wheelman. The League lobbied for better roads, literally paving the road for the automobile.

The Kids Bike

Introduced just after the First World War by several manufacturers—such as Mead, Sears Roebuck, and Montgomery Ward—to revitalize the bike industry, these designs, now called “classic,” featured automobile and motorcycle elements to appeal to kids who, presumably, would rather have a motor. If ever a bike needed a motor, this was it. These bikes evolved into the most glamorous, fabulous, ostentatious, heavy designs ever. They were built into the middle 1950s, by which time they had taken on design elements of jet aircraft and even rockets. By the 1960s, they were becoming leaner and simpler.

The Current Scene

Now lets take a look at the recent history of the bicycle in America: the “English 3-speed” of the 1950s through the 1970s, the 10-speed derailleur25) bikes which were popular in the 1970s, and of course the mountain bike of right now. There are also many oddball designs that never quite made it, including the Ingo (you have to see it to believe it).

一輛現(xiàn)代意義上的自行車是指一種有前后兩個輪子的人力交通工具。它由人踩動踏板提供動力，踏板通過鏈條與后輪連接；車上有車把來控制方向，有一個像馬鞍似的座兒供騎車人坐?；谶@些認識，我們來回顧一下早期自行車的歷史，看看自行車是如何發(fā)展到現(xiàn)代的。

助走自行車

1817年，馮德萊斯男爵發(fā)明了一種助走自行車，它可以讓男爵在皇家花園里閑逛時走得更快。這種自行車有兩個同樣大小并處于一條直線上的車輪，前輪可控制方向。這兩個車輪被安裝在一個車架里，人就跨騎在車架上面。這種自行車靠人腳蹬地面來獲取動力，人和車借此向前滑動。人們把這種自行車稱為玩具馬，它完全是木制的。這種自行車只風靡了很短的一段時間，因為它除了適合在公園或花園這樣平坦的路面上騎外，在其他地方并不是一種實用的交通工具。

腳踏兩輪車或老顛車

兩個輪子的自行車的第二次出現(xiàn)是在1865年，這一次，車的踏板直接連接在前輪上。該車被稱為腳踏車，但它更廣為人知的叫法是老顛車，因為它也完全是木制的，后來車輪改用金屬制成，這樣的材質再加上當時的鵝卵石路，騎起來十分難受。這種車也風靡一時，而且大城市里還出現(xiàn)了室內騎車學校，有點像現(xiàn)在的溜冰場。

高輪自行車

1870年，第一輛完全由金屬制成的自行車問世了。(在此之前，冶金業(yè)還不夠發(fā)達，造不出強度足夠大的金屬來制造小而輕巧的零件。)此時自行車的踏板仍然固定在前輪上，車上沒有靠慣性滑行的裝置。結實的橡膠輪胎和巨大的前輪上長長的輻條使車子騎起來比以前更為平穩(wěn)。后來，前輪變得越來越大，因為制造者意識到，前輪越大，騎車人踩動一圈踏板所走的路程就越遠。所以，人們盡可以買大的輪子，只要自己的腿長允許就行。這種車是第一輛被稱為自行車(兩輪車)的裝置。這款自行車一度受到富家子弟的熱烈追捧(當時買一輛自行車的錢等于一個普通工人六個月的工資)，其受歡迎程度在19世紀80年代達到了頂峰。

由于騎車人所坐的位置遠高于車重心，所以一旦前輪碰到路上的石頭或坑洼的阻擋，或者路上突然冒出來一條狗時，整個車子就會沿車軸向前翻滾。而騎車人由于腿卡在車把下面無法跳開，就會頭沖下摔倒在地，非常狼狽?！暗乖允[”這個短語就是這么產(chǎn)生的。

高輪三輪車

當男士們冒著摔斷脖子的危險騎高輪兩輪車時，受限于長裙和緊身內衣的女士們則可以騎著成人三輪車在公園里閑逛。同時，這種車也使醫(yī)生和牧師這樣的紳士看上去更莊重、體面些。事實上，現(xiàn)在與汽車相關的許多機械方面的創(chuàng)新最初都是為這種三輪自行車發(fā)明的。

高輪安全車

在自行車的設計上，新的改進開始出現(xiàn)，許多改進方案都是將小輪改放在前面以避免向前翻車的問題。在一款車的推銷活動中，制造商甚至騎著這款車沿著華盛頓國會大廈前的樓梯往下走。這些新設計出來的自行車被稱為高輪安全型自行車。由于之前的高輪車簡單地叫做自行車，現(xiàn)在這些車就叫“普通自行車”，主要是與之前的新奇設計相比而言的，后來就干脆簡稱為“普通車”。

硬輪胎安全車

冶金術的進一步發(fā)展激發(fā)了自行車設計的又一次革新，確切地說，自行車的設計又回歸到了先前的版本。由于當時的金屬已有足夠的強度，可以制作出可供人力使用的小巧輕便的優(yōu)質鏈條和鏈輪齒，新的設計又回歸到了原來兩輪大小相同的構造，只是有一點不同：以前踏板轉一圈輪子也轉一圈，現(xiàn)在可以通過齒輪比例獲得與高輪車同樣的速度。這種自行車仍然用硬橡膠輪胎，但是卻沒有了減震的長輻條，所以騎起來比任何高輪車都要難受。這些設計相互競爭，人們既可以選擇高輪車的舒服，也可以選擇安全型車的安全。不過，下一次創(chuàng)新就徹底宣告了高輪車設計的滅亡。

充氣輪胎安全車

第一個把充氣輪胎應用到自行車上的人是一位愛爾蘭獸醫(yī)，他想出這個辦法是為了讓自己的小兒子在騎三輪車時更舒服。這位獨出心裁的年輕醫(yī)生名叫鄧祿普。聽起來很熟悉吧？(編注：鄧祿普是世界著名的輪胎品牌)經(jīng)過他的改進，自行車兼?zhèn)淞耸孢m性和安全性，而且由于制作方法的進步，其價格也變得更加便宜，所以人人都爭前恐后地騎這種自行車。

從1890年到1900年，自行車使這快樂的十年時光充滿了歡聲笑語。對于上班族來說，它是一項很實用的交通工具方面的投資；而對于休閑娛樂來說，它能讓上班族有更多靈活的安排。女士們以前只能騎著笨重的成人三輪車在公園里轉悠，現(xiàn)在卻可以騎這種更方便的自行車，同時還能確保長裙遮腿。這陣自行車熱讓女士們拋棄了裙撐和緊身內衣，為她們開啟了“常識性著裝”的穿衣風格，大大增加了她們的活動能力。蘇珊·安東尼曾在1896年說過，“對于婦女解放，自行車比世界上其他任何事物的貢獻都大?！?/p>

在19世紀80和90年代，自行車運動十分流行，愛好者們甚至組建了“美國腳踏車手聯(lián)盟”。該聯(lián)盟四處游說政府建設更平整的道路，而這實際上是給汽車的發(fā)展鋪平了道路。

兒童自行車

一戰(zhàn)以后，許多廠商——如米德、西爾斯·羅巴克、蒙哥馬利·沃德——都試圖復興自行車行業(yè)，它們引入了一些新的設計。這些今天被稱為“經(jīng)典”的設計中包含了汽車和摩托車的一些元素，以便吸引孩子們的注意力，因為廠商們認為孩子會更喜歡有發(fā)動機的自行車。如果自行車真需要發(fā)動機的話，那這種車就是了。這些自行車演變成了最迷人、最非凡、最奪目和最笨重的設計。一直到20世紀50年代中期，這樣的車還在生產(chǎn)，那時人們還采用了噴氣式飛機甚至火箭的設計元素。到了20世紀60年代，這種自行車就變得越來越輕便、簡潔了。

如今的自行車

現(xiàn)在讓我們一起來看看近期美國自行車的歷史：20世紀50年代至70年代的“英式三速”自行車，20世紀70年代流行的十速變速自行車，當然還有現(xiàn)在的山地自行車。除此之外，還有許多古怪的設計從未有機會面市，比如英戈自行車(你只有親眼見了才會相信)。

1. in tandem：一前一后地

2. pedal [?ped(?)l] n. 踏板；腳蹬子

3. steering [?st??r??] n. 轉向裝置

4. straddle [?str?d(?)l] vt. 跨坐于

5. fad [f?d] n. 時尚，一時流行的狂熱

6. velocipede [v??l?s?pi?d] n. 早期的腳踏兩輪車

7. boneshaker [?b??n??e?k?(r)] n. 破舊顛簸的交通工具(尤指自行車)

8. tire [?ta??(r)] n. 輪箍；輪胎

9. metallurgy [m??t?l?(r)d?i] n. 冶金，冶金術

10. freewheeling [?fri?wi?l??] adj. 慣性滑行的

11. spoke [sp??k] n. 輪輻，輻條

12. rotation [r???te??(?)n] n. 旋轉

13. apparatus [??p??re?t?s] n. 器械，設備

14. unceremoniously [??nser??m??ni?sli] adv. 隨便地

15. corset [?k??(r)s?t] n. (婦女穿的)緊身褡，胸衣

16. spin [sp?n] n.〈口〉乘車短途旅游，兜風

17. newfangled [?nju??f??ɡ(?)ld] adj. 新奇的，新制的

18. sprocket [?spr?k?t] n. 鏈輪齒

19. toll [t??l] vt. 鳴(教堂的)鐘報喪，為……敲喪鐘

20. pneumatic [nju??m?t?k] adj. 裝滿空氣的

21. clamor [?kl?m?(r)] vi. 喧嚷

22. Gay Nineties：指美國19世紀90年代，此段時期被人們認為是快樂的時光。人們時常懷想那時生活的舒適富足，那時的生活中充斥著早期的自行車、汽車和其他新鮮事物。

23. bustle [?b?s(?)l] n. 裙撐

24. Susan Anthony：蘇珊·安東尼(1820～1906)，19世紀美國女權主義者和社會活動家，在爭取美國婦女參政權方面貢獻卓著。

25. derailleur [d??re?l(j)?] n. (自行車)變速器