20 September 2020
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Robert Gore won awards for his contributions to science 羅伯高爾曾獲得科學貢獻獎項 |
傳說大雨中站三天三夜不會濕的衣服
Robert W Gore, who invented Gore-Tex technology while working for his father's company in Maryland, US, has died aged 83.
Gore-Tex技術的發明人，美國馬里蘭州的羅伯．W．高爾因病過世，享年83歲。他在替父親的工廠工作時，發明了Gore-Tex技術。
Introduced in 1976, the fabric has protected countless walkers, runners and outdoor enthusiasts from wet weather, but is also found in numerous products.
自從1976年被發明以來，這款布料不僅保護了無數跑者、健行家及其他戶外運動愛好者免受大雨淋濕，在其他眾多產品中其實也會運用這項技術。
A chemical engineer, Robert Gore became CEO of WL Gore & Associates.
原本是位化工師的羅伯高爾，變成了高爾公司的執行長。
He died on Thursday after a long illness, the company confirmed.
經公司證實，高爾在久病後，於星期二過世。
Gore was born in Utah and received bachelor's and advanced degrees from the University of Delaware and the University of Minnesota.
高爾出生在猶他州，並在明尼蘇達州的達拉威爾大學取得學士與學士後學位。
He joined WL Gore & Associates, which had been founded in 1958 by his father, his uncle Bill and Vieve Gore.
隨後他加入由他的父親比爾高爾，與舅舅維夫高爾，在1958年所創立的高爾公司。
In a company lab in 1969 he discovered a new form of polymer, a substance made of large molecules that repeat to form long chains.
1969年，他在公司實驗室裡發現了一種新材質，一種由重複長鏈大分子所組成的聚合物。
His father asked him to research a new way to manufacturer plumber's tape. Robert Gore discovered that by yanking a material called PTFE, the polymer stretched by 1,000% to create a microporous structure.
他父親當時只是要他研究製造電工膠帶的新製程。羅伯高爾嘗試把一種叫做PTFE的材料拉伸，他發現當材料延展到百分之一千倍時，會形成一種微孔結構。
This material created a fabric with billions of pores smaller than water droplets, forming a waterproof but breathable surface - or Gore-Tex.
使用這種微孔材質做成的布料，表面擁有數十億個比水滴還小的毛孔，形成了防水又透氣的Gore-Tex表面。
"It was truly a pivot point in this company's history," Greg Hannon, WL Gore & Associates' chief technology officer, told Delaware Online newspaper last year..
去年，高爾公司的科技部門主任格雷哈農，在接受達拉威爾電子報採訪時說：「那真的是我們公司重要的歷史轉捩點。」
Among its varied applications, Gore-Tex is used in medical devices including heart patches, guitar strings, space suits, and vacuum bags.
Gore-Tex技術其實還運用在許多地方，諸如心臟修補手術材料、吉他弦、太空裝以及吸塵器的集塵袋等。
WL Gore & Associates became a billion-dollar company in 1996 during Gore's presidency. "We plan to leave a legacy to society and to future generations" including "infants with surgically reconstructed hearts that live because of our medical products," Gore said on the occasion.
1996年，就在羅伯高爾擔任公司負責人任內，高爾公司成為一間市值上億的企業。「我們想替未來社會留下一些貢獻，例如讓那些必須進行心臟重建手術的嬰兒，因為我們的醫療產品，而可以繼續活下去。」高爾曾在一個場合上這樣說。
In 2000 he stepped down as president of WL Gore & Associates. During his career he received several awards for his contributions to science including from the Society of Plastics Engineers.
2000年，羅伯高爾卸下公司負責人的職務。他在職業生涯中獲得許多科學貢獻獎，包括塑膠工程師學會所頒發的獎項。
Gore is survived by his wife as well as children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
高爾過世後，留下他的妻子、小孩、孫子以及其曾孫繼承遺志。
outdoor enthusiasts 戶外運動愛好者
bachelor /ˈbætʃələr/ 學士，未婚男子
confirmed bachelor不婚主義男子，eligible bachelor黃金單身漢。
polymer /ˈpɑːlɪmər/ 大分子聚合物
# Jill Yang
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