纪录片《美国商业大亨传奇》 铁路之争（6）

The New York Central railroad

纽约中央铁路公司

became the centerpiece of his empire,

成为了他整个帝国的中心

and it came to him as the sudden result

这一切正是他在复仇中

of a skillfully executed campaign to get revenge.

熟练策划反击的结果

Railroads soon criss-cross America,

铁路很快就在美国交错纵横

tying together the country in a way

全国联系的紧密程度

that just fifteen years earlier was unimaginable,

在15年之前是完全无法想象的

and providing over 180,000 jobs.

提供了18万个工作岗位

Laying tracks becomes America's engine for unprecedented¹ growth

推动了美国空前的发展

Railroads allowed the industrial economy

铁路让工业经济

to boom in ways that it couldn't have before.

能以前所未有的方式蓬勃发展

One advance after the other,

一个接一个的技术进步

which essentially² was led by the railroads,

归根结底都是由铁路的发展带动的

largely because there was

这很大程度上是因为

a need to close the gap

人们有缩小

between those east of the Mississippi and those on the West Coast.

密西西比河以东同美国西岸之间差距的需要

Vanderbilt has made himself

范德比尔特让自己成为了

the undisputed king of railroads.

铁路业无可争议的王者

And now, he wants the world to know it.

现在 他要向世界宣告这一点

He envisions a monument that will symbolize³ his immense power.

他设想了一座象征自己巨大权力的纪念碑

Work will begin on building a new station

新车站的建立工作即将开始

that will bring together the three railroads:

它将连起三条铁路

the Harlem, the Hudson, and the Central.

哈莱姆 哈德逊和中央区

It shall be in the heart of New York

位于纽约中心

and be called the Grand Central Depot⁴.

名字称作大中央车站

Thousands of workers labor⁵

成千上万的工人

over the next two years,

经过两年时间

on the most ambitious urban construction project America has ever seen.

完成了这一美国历史上前所未有的雄伟城市建筑项目

Grand Central is the biggest building in all of New York City,

大中央车站是纽约市最庞大的城市建筑

and the biggest train station in the country,

也是全国最大的火车站

covering some twenty-two acres.

占地面积达到22英亩

This enormous building towered

这座巨型建筑

over every other building in New York at the time.

高耸在纽约当时的所有建筑之上

And it was a physical symbol of the size and power of Vanderbilt's railroad empire.

它是范德比尔特铁路帝国规模和权力的象征

Its importance as a physical symbol,

它不仅具有象征意义

as a physical capital of his empire,

还是铁路帝国的首府

cannot be underestimated.

重要性不可低估

And it still stamps New York's geography to this day.

直到现在 它仍然是纽约的一大标志性建筑

Vanderbilt may be on top of the world,

范德比尔特或许站在了世界之巅

but his blind ambition will soon make him vulnerable

他盲目的野心将很快让他受到威胁

to a challenge coming from the most unlikely pair imaginable.

挑战来自于或许最意想不到的两个对手

To Vanderbilt's money!

为范德比尔特的钱干杯

1 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

2 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

3 symbolize   

vt.作为...的象征，用符号代表

参考例句：

• Easter eggs symbolize the renewal of life.复活蛋象征新生。
• Dolphins symbolize the breath of life.海豚象征着生命的气息。

4 depot   

n.仓库，储藏处；公共汽车站；火车站

参考例句：

• The depot is only a few blocks from here.公共汽车站离这儿只有几个街区。
• They leased the building as a depot.他们租用这栋大楼作仓库。

5 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。