2022年经济学人 石油的故事（1）

Culture

文化板块

Book review: The story of oil

书评：石油的故事

A dirty business

一个肮脏的行业

A Pipeline¹ Runs Through It. By Keith Fisher.

《贯穿其中的管道》基思·费舍尔著

In 1908 drillers working for Weetman Pearson hit a gusher².

1908年，维特曼·皮尔逊手下的钻井工人发生了井喷事故。

Pearson, a British industrialist³, had done a deal with the anti-American government of Mexico for a 50-year oil concession⁴ that covered much of the state of Veracruz.

皮尔逊是一位英国实业家，事故发生前，他与墨西哥反美政府达成了一项为期50年的石油特许权协议，该协议覆盖了韦拉克鲁斯州的大部分地区。

From a depth of 1,830 feet (558 metres), the Dos Bocas well exploded into a broiling⁵ fountain of oil that rose 1,000 feet into the air.

多斯博卡斯油井在1830英尺（558米）深的地方爆炸，形成了高达1000英尺的灼热石油喷泉，直冲天空。

The ensuing fire raged uncontrolled for 57 days, spilling more than 10m barrels of oil and leaving a toxic⁶ environmental legacy⁷ that persists today.

随之而来的大火肆虐了57天，导致逾1000万桶石油泄漏，并产生了有毒物质，至今还在危害环境。

A geologist⁸ at the site observed: “What had been lush monte [bush] was now a gaunt spectre of dead trees.

现场的一位地质学家说：“曾经郁郁葱葱的山地(灌木丛)现在成了枯树的幽灵。

The air stunk⁹ with the smell of rotten eggs.

空气中弥漫着臭鸡蛋的味道。

There was no sign or sound of animal, bird or insect life…It smelled and looked like I imagined hell might look and smell.”

各种动物，哪怕是鸟类或昆虫的踪迹或声音都无处可寻…那里的味道和情形活像我想象中地狱的样子。”

The oilfields opened up by this catastrophe¹⁰ were so prolific¹¹ and profitable that they became known, apparently¹² without irony¹³, as the “Golden Lane”.

由这场灾难开辟的油田产量如此之大，又如此有利可图，以至于它们被称为“黄金巷”，而这显然毫无讽刺意味。

As Keith Fisher shows in “A Pipeline Runs Through It”, a sprawling¹⁴, painstakingly¹⁵ researched history of oil from the Palaeolithic era to the first world war, black gold has been as much a curse as a blessing¹⁶ for the people on whose land it has been found.

《贯穿其中的管道》对旧石器时代到第一次世界大战时期的石油历史进行了详尽研究，正如基思·费舍尔在书中所展示的那样，对于发现了黑金的土地上的人来说，黑金既是一种祝福，也是一种诅咒。

Oil has always been a dirty business, both literally¹⁷ and metaphorically¹⁸.

石油一直是一个肮脏的行业，无论是从字面上还是从比喻意义上看都是如此。

Mr Fisher begins with a slightly plodding¹⁹ survey of the uses found in bygone eras for the different kinds of oil that seeped²⁰ from the ground.

费舍尔首先进行了一个略显乏味的调查，他调查了旧时发现的从地下渗出的各种石油的用途。

It was an adhesive²¹ for toolmaking, a waterproofing²² agent for boats and roofs, a medicinal cure and a lubricant.

发现石油可以用作工具制造粘合剂、船只和屋顶的防水剂、药剂和润滑剂。

The Byzantines chucked a napalm-like substance, known as Greek Fire, over the walls of besieged²³ cities.

拜占庭人会在被围困城市的城墙上投掷一种被称为“希腊火”的凝固汽油弹状物质。

The book gets into its stride when it reaches the late 18th century.

费舍尔在写到18世纪末的事情时开始游刃有余。

Then the extirpation²⁴ of Native American nations paved the way for the development, just over 50 years later, of the “oil region” of Pennsylvania and New York states.

当时，美洲原住民的灭绝为50多年后宾夕法尼亚州和纽约州这两个“产油区”的开发铺平了道路。

It was there that large-scale industrialised oil production first occurred.

大规模工业化石油生产正是在那里首次出现。

The soaring demand for oil was driven mainly by its use for lighting²⁵ (after being refined into kerosene).

对石油需求飙升的主要原因是，石油在被提炼成煤油之后可用于照明。

It burned cleaner, brighter and with less smell than other oils, such as those derived²⁶ from coal or whales.

相比其它油，比如从煤或鲸鱼中提取的油，煤油烧起来更干净、更明亮，气味也更淡。

The oil rush began in 1859 along what became known as Oil Creek²⁷, near Titusville, Pennsylvania, when an entrepreneur called Edwin Drake became the first American to drill for oil successfully.

1859年，在宾夕法尼亚州的泰特斯维尔附近，一位名叫埃德温·德雷克的企业家成为了第一个成功钻探石油的美国人，该地后来被称为石油溪，石油热潮就是由此开始的。

As wildcatters rushed to the region, small refineries²⁸ started popping up all over the place.

随着盲目开采油井者涌入该地区，小型炼油厂开始在各处涌现。

Railway companies cashed in by providing the only route to market until pipelines²⁹, which required large amounts of capital, could be constructed.

在需要大量资金的管道建成之前，铁路公司凭借提供通往市场的唯一路线从该领域牟利。

Into this Wild East of desperate competition—and prices that fluctuated madly as capacity grew either too fast or too slowly—stepped John D. Rockefeller, whose Standard Oil set out to control the industry through a process of “combination”, or monopolisation.

约翰·D·洛克菲勒踏入了这片充满绝望竞争的狂野东部——由于石油产能增长要么太快，要么太慢，当地的石油价格也疯狂波动——他的标准石油公司开始通过“合并”或垄断的过程控制石油行业。

Such was Standard’s financial muscle and legislative³⁰ clout³¹ that competitors sold it their assets before being driven out of business.

标准石油公司的财力和立法影响力如此之大，以至于竞争对手在被赶出石油行业之前就把资产卖给了它。

By controlling pipelines and refineries, Rockefeller could also dictate³² terms to producers.

通过控制管道和炼油厂，洛克菲勒甚至还可以向石油生产商发号施令。

1 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

2 gusher   

n.喷油井

参考例句：

• We endeavour to avoid the old,romantic idea of a gusher.我们力图避免那种有关喷油井的陈旧的、不切实际的计划。
• The oil rushes up the tube and spouts up as a gusher.石油会沿着钢管上涌，如同自喷井那样喷射出来。

3 industrialist   

n.工业家，实业家

参考例句：

• The industrialist's son was kidnapped.这名实业家的儿子被绑架了。
• Mr.Smith was a wealthy industrialist,but he was not satisfied with life.史密斯先生是位富有的企业家，可他对生活感到不满意。

4 concession   

n.让步，妥协；特许(权)

参考例句：

• We can not make heavy concession to the matter.我们在这个问题上不能过于让步。
• That is a great concession.这是很大的让步。

5 broiling   

adj.酷热的，炽热的，似烧的v.（用火）烤（焙、炙等）( broil的现在分词 )；使卷入争吵；使混乱；被烤（或炙）

参考例句：

• They lay broiling in the sun. 他们躺在太阳底下几乎要晒熟了。
• I'm broiling in this hot sun. 在太阳底下，我感到热极了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

7 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

8 geologist   

n.地质学家

参考例句：

• The geologist found many uncovered fossils in the valley.在那山谷里，地质学家发现了许多裸露的化石。
• He was a geologist,rated by his cronies as the best in the business.他是一位地质学家，被他的老朋友们看做是这门行当中最好的一位。

9 stunk   

v.散发出恶臭( stink的过去分词 )；发臭味；名声臭；糟透

参考例句：

• Those rotten eggs have stunk the place. 那些臭蛋把这个地方弄得恶臭。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• A stunk made a bad smell in our yard last night. 昨天臭鼬在我们院子里弄得好臭。 来自互联网

10 catastrophe   

n.大灾难，大祸

参考例句：

• I owe it to you that I survived the catastrophe.亏得你我才大难不死。
• This is a catastrophe beyond human control.这是一场人类无法控制的灾难。

11 prolific   

adj.丰富的，大量的；多产的，富有创造力的

参考例句：

• She is a prolific writer of novels and short stories.她是一位多产的作家，写了很多小说和短篇故事。
• The last few pages of the document are prolific of mistakes.这个文件的最后几页错误很多。

12 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

13 irony   

n.反语，冷嘲；具有讽刺意味的事，嘲弄

参考例句：

• She said to him with slight irony.她略带嘲讽地对他说。
• In her voice we could sense a certain tinge of irony.从她的声音里我们可以感到某种讥讽的意味。

14 sprawling   

adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着）

参考例句：

• He was sprawling in an armchair in front of the TV. 他伸开手脚坐在电视机前的一张扶手椅上。
• a modern sprawling town 一座杂乱无序拓展的现代城镇

15 painstakingly   

adv. 费力地 苦心地

参考例句：

• Every aspect of the original has been closely studied and painstakingly reconstructed. 原作的每一细节都经过了仔细研究，费尽苦心才得以重现。
• The cause they contrived so painstakingly also ended in failure. 他们惨淡经营的事业也以失败而告终。

16 blessing   

n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿

参考例句：

• The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
• A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。

17 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

18 metaphorically   

adv. 用比喻地

参考例句：

• It is context and convention that determine whether a term will be interpreted literally or metaphorically. 对一个词的理解是按字面意思还是隐喻的意思要视乎上下文和习惯。
• Metaphorically it implied a sort of admirable energy. 从比喻来讲，它含有一种令人赞许的能量的意思。

19 plodding   

a.proceeding in a slow or dull way

参考例句：

• They're still plodding along with their investigation. 他们仍然在不厌其烦地进行调查。
• He is plodding on with negotiations. 他正缓慢艰难地进行着谈判。

20 seeped   

v.（液体）渗( seep的过去式和过去分词 )；渗透；渗出；漏出

参考例句：

• The rain seeped through the roof. 雨水透过房顶渗透。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Icy air seeped in through the paper and the room became cold. 寒气透过了糊窗纸。屋里骤然冷起来。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）

21 adhesive   

n.粘合剂；adj.可粘着的，粘性的

参考例句：

• You'll need a strong adhesive to mend that chair. 你需要一种粘性很强的东西来修理那把椅子。
• Would you give me an adhesive stamp?请给我一枚带胶邮票好吗？

22 waterproofing   

v.使防水，使不透水( waterproof的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The company will come up with a new technique for waterproofing walls. 该公司将推出防止墙壁渗水的新技术。 来自辞典例句
• Large scope of heat-resistant, waterproofing and the anti-chemical properties. 耐温范围大，具防水及抗化学性。 来自互联网

23 besieged   

包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Paris was besieged for four months and forced to surrender. 巴黎被围困了四个月后被迫投降。
• The community besieged the newspaper with letters about its recent editorial. 公众纷纷来信对报社新近发表的社论提出诘问，弄得报社应接不暇。

24 extirpation   

n.消灭，根除，毁灭；摘除

参考例句：

• Gamma Knife surgery has recently been tried as an alternative to surgical extirpation. 伽玛刀治疗最近被尝试作为手术根治之外的另一种选择。 来自辞典例句
• Gamma Knife surgery (GKS) has recently been tried as an alternative to surgical extirpation. 伽玛刀治疗(GKS)最近被尝试作为手术根治之外的另一种选择。 来自互联网

25 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

26 derived   

vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取

参考例句：

• Many English words are derived from Latin and Greek. 英语很多词源出于拉丁文和希腊文。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He derived his enthusiasm for literature from his father. 他对文学的爱好是受他父亲的影响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

27 creek   

n.小溪，小河，小湾

参考例句：

• He sprang through the creek.他跳过小河。
• People sunbathe in the nude on the rocks above the creek.人们在露出小溪的岩石上裸体晒日光浴。

28 refineries   

精炼厂( refinery的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The efforts on closedown and suspension of small sugar refineries, small saccharin refineries and small paper mills are also being carried out in steps. 关停小糖厂、小糖精厂、小造纸厂的工作也已逐步展开。
• Hence the sitting of refineries is at a distance from population centres. 所以，炼油厂的厂址总在远离人口集中的地方。

29 pipelines   

管道( pipeline的名词复数 )； 输油管道； 在考虑（或规划、准备） 中； 在酿中

参考例句：

• The oil is carried to the oil refinery by pipelines. 石油通过输油管输送到炼油厂。
• The oil carried in pipelines. 石油用管道输送。

30 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

31 clout   

n.用手猛击；权力，影响力

参考例句：

• The queen may have privilege but she has no real political clout.女王有特权，但无真正的政治影响力。
• He gave the little boy a clout on the head.他在那小男孩的头部打了一下。

32 dictate   

v.口授；(使)听写；指令，指示，命令

参考例句：

• It took him a long time to dictate this letter.口述这封信花了他很长时间。
• What right have you to dictate to others?你有什么资格向别人发号施令？