TED演讲:你能解开桥之谜题吗(2)

 　　At first it might seem like no matter what you do, 一开始，你可能会认为无论怎么试，

　　you're just a minute or two short of time, but there is a way. 始终会差个一、两分钟，但确实是有办法的。

　　The key is to minimize¹ the time wasted by the two slowest people by having them cross together. 关键就在于：让最慢的两人走在一起，来减少他们所需要花的时间。

　　And because you'll need to make a couple of return trips with the lantern, 而且，要有人提着油灯走回来这总共需要两趟，

　　you'll want to have the fastest people available to do so. 你需要让跑得最快的人来做这件事。

　　So, you and the lab assistant quickly run across with the lantern, 所以，你先和实验室助理提着油灯快速通过，

　　though you have to slow down a bit to match her pace. 然而你必須放慢一些來配合他的速度。

　　After two minutes, both of you are across, and you, as the quickest, run back with the lantern. 两分钟后，你们两人都通过吊桥，然后跑得最快的你，再迅速提着油灯返回。

　　Only three minutes have passed. So far, so good. Now comes the hard part. 这样只花了3分钟。到目前为止都非常的顺利。最难的部分來了。

　　The professor and the janitor² take the lantern and cross together. 教授和管理员提着油灯一起过桥。

　　This takes them ten minutes since the janitor has to slow down for the old professor 这花了他们10分钟，因为管理员必须为了老教授放慢脚步，

　　who keeps muttering³ that he probably shouldn't have given the zombies night vision⁴. 教授喃喃自语抱怨着：他当初不该让僵尸拥有夜视能力。

　　By the time they're across, there are only four minutes left, and you're still stuck on the wrong side of the bridge. 当他们跨越吊桥时，只剩下4分钟，而你仍困在对岸。

　　But remember, the lab assistant has been waiting on the other side, and she's the second fastest of the group. 但是记住，实验室助理已经在另一边待命，而她是队伍中跑第二快的人。

　　So she grabs⁵ the lantern from the professor and runs back across to you. 所以她从教授手中拿起油灯，快速跑回去你那边。

　　Now with only two minutes left, the two of you make the final crossing. 现在只剩下2分钟，你们两位最后一次过桥。

　　As you step on the far side of the gorge⁶, 当你踏上峡谷的另一侧，

　　you cut the ropes and collapse⁷ the bridge behind you, just in the nick of time. 你剪断绳索，摧毁身后的吊桥，时间刚好赶上。

　　Maybe next summer, you'll just stick to the library. 或许，明年夏天你只会想泡在图书馆里哪儿都不去。

1 minimize   

vt.使减（缩）小到最低，极力贬低，最低估计

参考例句：

• To minimize the risk of burglary,install a good alarm system.安装可靠的报警设备以减低被盗的风险。
• To minimize the public expenditure of this country.把该国的财政支出减少到最低限度。

2 janitor   

n.看门人，管门人

参考例句：

• The janitor wiped on the windows with his rags.看门人用褴褛的衣服擦着窗户。
• The janitor swept the floors and locked up the building every night.那个看门人每天晚上负责打扫大楼的地板和锁门。

3 muttering   

轻声低语，咕哝地抱怨( mutter的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He was muttering away to himself. 他不停地喃喃自语。
• She was muttering to herself. 她不停地喃喃自语。

4 vision   

n.视觉，先见之明，光景，视力，眼力，幻想，影像；vt.幻想

参考例句：

• The wall cuts across our line of vision.那面墙挡住了我们的视线。
• Much reading has impaired his vision.大量读书损害了他的视力。

5 grabs   

n.试图抓取，有意抢夺( grab的名词复数 )v.抢先，抢占( grab的第三人称单数 )；（尤指匆忙地）取；攫取；（尤指自私、贪婪地）捞取

参考例句：

• The job is up for grabs.Why don't you apply now? 那工作谁都可以争取，你怎么不现在就申请呢？ 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She grabs a stack of baby photos and thrusts them into my hands. 她抓起一沓婴儿照片塞到我手里。 来自辞典例句

6 gorge   

n.咽喉，胃，暴食，山峡；v.塞饱，狼吞虎咽地吃

参考例句：

• East of the gorge leveled out.峡谷东面地势变得平坦起来。
• It made my gorge rise to hear the news.这消息令我作呕。

7 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。