The electric toaster seems a humble thing. It was invented in 1893, not long after the light bulb and long before the microchip and the laser. This century-old technology is now a household staple, and reliable, efficient toasters are available for a few pounds. Nevertheless, Thomas Thwaites, a postgraduate design student at the Royal College of Arts in London, discovered just what an astonishing achievement the toaster is when he embarked on what he called “The Toaster Project”. Quite simply, Thwaites wanted to build a toaster from scratch.
电动烤面包机似乎是微不足道的东西。它发明于1893年，略晚于电灯，远早于微晶片和激光。这件问世一个多世纪的设备，如今成为家庭日常用具。买一台可靠实惠的烤面包机只需几英镑。虽说如此，伦敦皇家艺术学院(Royal College of Arts)设计专业研究生托马斯•思伟茨(Thomas Thwaites)却发现，烤面包机堪称一项惊人成就。他正是在开展一项所谓的“烤面包机项目”。简单来说，他打算从零开始，造出一台烤面包机。