حياة جيمس وات في متحف العلوم ببريطانيا

19th Century threadworks. Science Photo Library

Hello and welcome to BBC Xtra English!

In today’s programme we’re talking about a man who is regarded as one of the founding fathers of the industrial revolution – inventor James Watt.

Watt was born in Scotland in 1736. He is credited with re-inventing the steam engine – one of the most important developments of the time:

Coal – powered steam engines could be used to move machinery, which increased the productivity of textile mills and mines in the late eighteenth century.

Now the London Science Museum is letting people see for themselves how Watt worked – by recreating his workshop.

The workshop has been painstakingly reassembled in the main hall of the Science Museum – complete with all Watt’s gadgets, tools and contraptions.

Science museum curator Ben Russell describes it as “a treasure trove”. He said it’s “a complete physical record of Watt’s entire working life and interests”.

And it seems Watts was a pretty diversebloke! His workshop features his other projects too - including chemistry, pottery and musical instruments.

The scientific inventions of the eighteenth century carried on being developed to make more mass produced items and money making enterprises –

But some people might say this is where it all went wrong!

What do you think about this story? Write to us in English!

ما رأيك في هذه القصة؟ اكتب لنا بالانجليزية.

one of the founding fathers

أحد المؤسسين

the industrial revolution

الثورة الصناعية

inventor

مخترع

steam train

قطار يسير بالبخار

recreating

اعادة انشاء

painstakingly

بعناء/ بدقة

gadgets, tools and contraptions

أجهزة صغيرة، وأدوات واختراعات

a treasure trove

كنز دفين

diverse

متنوع

bloke

شخص

musical instruments

آلات موسيقية

mass produced items

سلع تنتج

money making enterprises

مشروعات مربحة