听力文本

This is Scientific American — 60-Second Science. I'm Steve Mirsky.
Besides helping to create the United States of America, Benjamin Franklin of course invented the lightning rod. Which sits atop buildings and protects them by attracting lightning strikes and conducting them to the ground. Rather than through the structure. Which can cause fires or outright electrocutions.
But what's better? A lightning rod with a round end or one that comes to a sharp point? According to the book Revolutionary Science, by Steve Jones at University College London, Franklin liked lightning rods to be, in Franklin's own words, "made sharp as a Needle."
And so in North America, Jones writes, "The use of one or the other was interpreted as a statement in favor of the rebels or of the Crown." In fact, Jones continues, "George III, to advertise his displeasure at the colonial revolt, had the sharpened structures on Buckingham Palace replaced with rounded versions."

The king even pressured the Royal Society, the leading scientific organization of the time—and still highly regarded today—to endorse the idea that round-ended lightning rods were better than Franklin's pointy ones. To which the president of the Royal Society responded, "I will always do my best to fulfill the wishes of His Majesty, but I am able to change neither the laws of nature nor the effects of its forces."
Some Americans today, especially a few in positions of authority, would do well to acknowledge the reality of the laws of nature and the effects of its forces.
For Scientific American — 60-Second Science Science. I'm Steve Mirsky.

参考译文

这里是科学美国人——60秒科学AThM4%=g2zlltG-V@L*。我是史蒂夫·米尔斯基t06Aq1FzJCFT*。
除了帮助建立美利坚合众国以外，本杰明·富兰克林还发明了避雷针5mlQ;I,n%BR(。避雷针安装在建筑物屋顶，通过吸引雷击并将其引至地面，来保护建筑物.,%BfnQI(!gF*C3u]y。这样雷电就不会穿越建筑物vP6;)ax|dy2ZQkun-ZEU。因为雷电击中建筑物会引发火灾或使人触电死亡8NPY)O%)o0if-(。
那哪种避雷针更好呢？是圆头的避雷针好，还是尖头的好？根据英国伦敦大学学院的史蒂夫·琼斯所著的《革命科学》一书，用富兰克林自己的话说，他喜欢把避雷针“做得像针一样尖”57n~Tw5Suahzjv,EnQ。
因此琼斯写道，在北美，“使用哪种避雷针会被解释成公开支持反叛者或英国皇权72sS4LzHHuYlAojl2。”事实上，琼斯继续写道，“乔治三世为了表达他对殖民反抗的不满，将白金汉宫内的尖顶建筑换成了圆顶建筑(FMj6AWf~_@b~ry3。”
国王甚至迫使皇家学会——即当时领先的、如今仍被高度评价的科学组织——支持圆头避雷针比富兰克林的尖头避雷针要好这一看法ADCR+sY[.8%lQ8。英国皇家学会主席对此回应道：“我会一直尽全力去实现国王陛下的愿望，但我既不能改变自然法则，也不能改变法则的力量所带来的影响Mo4+mRPL[N。”
现在，一些美国人，尤其是少数掌权者，如果承认自然法则及其力量的影响，那他们会做得更好wE%GwH=x_5ff.D;jfMt。
谢谢大家收听科学美国人——60秒科学aSC9F!7W5.JI*T。我是史蒂夫·米尔斯基oPsoSUH+M!+i;BA2q#z。

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重点讲解

重点讲解：
1. rather than 而非；胜于；而不是；
例句：The zoo needed better management rather than more money.
这座动物园需要更好的管理，而不是更多的资金rCrNGgPvcW[[。
2. in favor of 支持；赞成；
例句：On the whole, I'm in favor of the proposal.
总的说来，我是支持这个提议的b[%M1~raL]1)2%]t-。
3. in fact 事实上，其实；
例句：In fact everything he does is opposite to what is considered normal behaviour.
事实上，他的一切作为都和人们所认为的正常举动大相径庭5(XH%QCO[MOH2Tn。
4. do one's best to do sth. 尽力；竭尽所能；
例句：He did his best to talk me round, but I wouldn't speak to him.
他竭力想要说服我改变主意，但是我不愿意跟他讲话=6Bfpy*tS0WB_,。