It took place between about 1700 and 1900, and  - so the simple explanation goes - it  

它發生在1700年至1900年之間，而且--簡單的解釋是--它

turned Britain into a tooled-up,  factory-powered 'workshop of the world'.

把英國變成了一個工具化、工廠化的 "世界工場"。

But there was plenty more to the Industrial Revolution than  

但工業革命的意義遠不止於此。

just factories and machines. It certainly didn't happen overnight,  

只是工廠和機器。 這當然不是一朝一夕的事。

and its roots go even further back than 1700. 

而其根源甚至可以追溯到1700年前。

In fact, many historians reckon the Industrial  Revolution was not just one revolution,  

其實，很多歷史學家估計，工業革命不只是一場革命。

but a series of revolutions. A bit  like a complicated machine: it had lots  

但一連串的旋轉。有點像一臺複雜的機器：它有很多的。

of different moving parts, and each of  these parts was like its own revolution.

的不同運動部件，而這些部件中的每一個都像是自己的革命。

New revolutionary technologies and  inventions meant that products could  

革命性的新技術和發明意味著產品可以被用於生產。

be made by machines rather than by hand.

由機器而不是手工製作。

Eventually, steam engines powered these machines  with coal instead of natural resources  

最終，蒸汽機用煤炭代替自然資源為這些機器提供動力。

like wind, water and animals – a kind of energy revolution.

如風、水和動物--一種能源革命。

Transport was revolutionised  too - first with canals and  

運輸業也發生了革命性的變化--首先是運河和...。

improved roads, and later with  steam-powered trains and ships.

改進了道路，後來又有了蒸汽動力的火車和輪船。

There was a consumer revolution, as  people in England and elsewhere started  

有一場消費革命，因為英國和其他地方的人開始。

to replace durable, homemade goods with  cheaper, mass produced alternatives.

用廉價的大規模生產的替代品取代耐用的自制產品；

Britain's population grew from 6.5 million in 1750,  

英國的人口從1750年的650萬增長。

to 10.5 million by 1800. By 1850, it had doubled to 20.8 million,  

到1800年達到1050萬。到1850年，翻了一番，達到2080萬。

and more than half of those people were living in cities.

而其中一半以上的人都生活在城市裡。

These people needed feeding, and more food was  produced thanks to the improved  

這些人需要食物，而由於改進了食物，生產了更多的食物。

farming techniques of the 18th century agricultural revolution.

18世紀農業革命的耕作技術。

There was also a commercial revolution, as Britain exported  

也有一場商業革命，因為英國出口了

and imported more goods, and more  food to feed the growing cities.

並進口了更多的商品，更多的糧食來養活不斷髮展的城市。

And, thanks to long-term changes in land ownership and the law,  

而且，由於土地所有權和法律的長期變化。

landowners were now able to mortgage their land to raise  

地主們現在可以抵押他們的土地來籌集資金。

money to invest in new ventures – a kind of financial revolution.

錢來投資新的企業----一種金融革命。

The slave trade and the expansion of Britain's colonies in the Americas  

奴隸貿易和英國在美洲殖民地的擴張。

also played a part in the Industrial Revolution. 

在工業革命中也起到了一定的作用。

British traders sold manufactured goods in  West Africa, in return for enslaved Africans.

英國商人在西非出售製成品，以換取非洲人的奴役。

They were transported across the Atlantic to work on plantations  

他們被運送到大西洋彼岸的種植園工作。

that grew sugar and tobacco, and  these were exported back to Britain.

種植蔗糖和菸草，這些都出口到英國。

This 'triangular trade' fuelled manufacturing in Britain

這種 "三角貿易 "推動了英國製造業的發展。

and created enormous profits for wealthy Brits, with some of that money  

併為富有的英國人創造了巨大的利潤，其中一部分錢財

helping to fund new inventions, new infrastructure and new country houses.

幫助資助新的發明、新的基礎設施和新的鄉村住宅；

But it's important to remember that some  of the money invested in industry came  

但要記住，投資實業的部分資金來自於

directly from a system that destroyed  the lives of millions of African people,  

直接來自一個摧毀了數百萬非洲人民生活的制度。

and impoverished Africa for generations to come.

和貧困的非洲的後代。

Britain did abolish slavery in its own colonies in 1834,  

1834年，英國確實在自己的殖民地廢除了奴隸制。

but even by 1860, England's massive cotton textile industry was entirely  

但即使到了1860年，英國龐大的棉紡織業也已經完全是

reliant on cotton produced by 3 million enslaved Africans in the American South.

依賴於美洲南部300萬非洲奴隸生產的棉花。

Huge fortunes were made in the Industrial Revolution,  

在工業革命中創造了巨大的財富。

and many people experienced a higher quality of life than ever before.

而且很多人的生活品質比以前有所提高。

But the gap between the rich and the  poor widened, and quality of life didn't improve for everyone.

但貧富差距拉大了，大家的生活品質並沒有提高。

Many skilled workers lost their jobs to machines,  

許多技術工人因機器而失去了工作。

and factory workers endured dangerous  conditions, six-day weeks, and 12 to 14-hour shifts.

和工廠工人忍受著危險的條件、每週六天的工作和12至14小時的輪班。

In industrial areas in the early 19th century, the average  

在19世紀初的工業地區，平均每個人都有自己的生活方式。

age for children starting work was just  eight and a half. It wasn't until later  

兒童開始工作的年齡只有八歲半。直到後來

in the century that children under 10  were banned from working in factories.

世紀，禁止10歲以下兒童在工廠工作。

Towns and cities were breeding grounds for diseases. 

城鎮和城市是疾病的溫床。

Life expectancy was around 30 to  33 in urban areas until 1850,  

1850年以前，城市地區的預期壽命約為30至33歲。

but 10 years more in the countryside.   

但在農村多呆10年。

Poor nutrition meant that the average height of British workers actually fell in the first half of the 19th century.

營養不良意味著英國工人的平均身高在19世紀上半葉實際上有所下降。

Campaigners tried to improve  the lot of the working classes,  

運動者試圖改善工人階級的命運。

eventually securing advances like free  education, restrictions on child labour,  

最終獲得免費教育、限制童工等進步。

improved sanitation and better working  conditions. Some industrialists made  

改善衛生條件和工作條件。一些工業家提出

large donations to charities, or  built new, modern towns for their workers.

大筆捐款給慈善機構，或為其工人建造新的現代化城鎮。

But despite protests, many working people were denied the right to vote

但儘管有人抗議，許多勞動人民還是被剝奪了投票權。

throughout this period, and reforms were almost always hard-won.  

在這一時期，改革幾乎都是來之不易的。

Ultimately, the Industrial Revolution was a time of great upheaval. 

最終，工業革命是一個大動盪的時代。

By the early 20th century, it had changed the  people, the landscape and the politics  

到了20世紀初，它已經改變了人，改變了風景，改變了政治。

of England beyond all recognition. In  so many ways, it made the modern world.

英格蘭的一切都得到了認可。在很多方面，它造就了現代世界。