在一段时间里，动力的发展一直是衡量进步和国家在技术上竞争的主要尺度。首先在海上，接着在铁路上，然后在公路上，后来在天空，最后在太空，越来越快的运动被视为一件无需担忧的好事，同时，以某种模糊的方式，越来越快的运动被看成是更充分理解世界的一把钥匙。
参考翻译
Advances in motive power were for a long while the main way in which progress and national competition in technology were measured.First at sea,then on the railways,then on the roads,in the air and finally in space,more and more rapid movement was seen as an carefree good and also,in some vague way,as a key to a fuller understanding of the world.