text_original: Watt first heard of the steam engine in 1759. The idea captivated him, and he began to read how others had tried to make successful engines. Finding that the best books on steam and "fire engines," as they were then called, were in Italian and German, he took up the study of these languages.
text_transcription: WATT FIRST HEARD OF THE STEAM ENGINE IN SEVENTEEN FIFTY NINE THE IDEA CAPTIVATED HIM AND HE BEGAN TO READ HOW OTHERS HAD TRIED TO MAKE SUCCESSFUL ENGINES FINDING THAT THE BEST BOOKS ON STEAM AND FIRE ENGINES AS THEY WERE THEN CALLED WERE IN ITALIAN AND GERMAN AND HE TOOK UP THE STUDY OF THESE LANGUAGES
phonemes: wˈɑːt fˈɜːst hˈɜːd ʌvðə stˈiːm ˈɛndʒɪn ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd sˈɛvənhˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti nˈaɪn. ðɪ aɪdˈiə kˈæptᵻvˌeɪɾᵻd hˌɪm, ænd hiː bɪɡˈæn tə ɹˈiːd hˌaʊ ˈʌðɚz hæd tɹˈaɪd tə mˌeɪk səksˈɛsfəl ˈɛndʒɪnz. fˈaɪndɪŋ ðætðə bˈɛst bˈʊks ˌɔn stˈiːm ænd "fˈaɪɚɹ ˈɛndʒɪnz," æz ðeɪ wɜː ðˈɛn kˈɔːld, wɜːɹ ɪn ɪtˈæliən ænd dʒˈɜːmən, hiː tˈʊk ˌʌp ðə stˈʌdi ʌv ðiːz lˈæŋɡwɪdʒᵻz.