1.罗伯特·富尔顿是一个美国人,他从小就喜欢绘图和手工劳动,富于奇想,巧于记忆,特别喜欢制作船舶。还在十多岁时,他就曾在一只小船上装置过手摇浆轮。2.十八世纪下半叶,欧洲的资本主义经济发展提出了迫切需要解决的问题,怎样增加船的航速和运载量。当时,船的航行大多借助于人力和风力,这远远满足不了货运和客运的需要。3.蒸汽机的发明和改进启发了人们,能不能用蒸汽机作为动力来 1. Robert Fulton is an American, he loved drawing and manual labor from childhood, full of fancy, clever in memory, especially like to make a ship. In his late teens, he used to equip a small boat with a paddlewheel. 2. In the second half of the 18th century, the economic development of capitalism in Europe raised the urgent problems to be solved and how to increase the speed and capacity of the ships. At that time, the voyage of the ship mostly relied on manpower and wind power, which far could not meet the needs of freight and passenger transport. 3. The invention and improvement of steam engine inspired people, can not use steam engine as power