纪录片《美国商业大亨传奇》 铁路之争（3）

Work is under way on the first Transcontinental Railroad,

他开始打造第一条横贯整个大陆的铁路

and the Commodore realizes

"船长"意识到

that its completion will transform America,

它的完工将会变革整个美国

slashing¹ cross-country travel time by months.

让横跨全国的行程时间缩减数月

- H.W. BRANDS: Railroads were absolutely liberating²,

- H·W·布兰兹：铁路绝对是对人类的一种彻底解放

because the railroads

铁路的出现

allowed cheap and efficient transportation

让便宜便捷的运输成为了可能

from one corner of America to another.

从美国一端到另一端

- NARRATOR: Vanderbilt sees his future.

- 旁白：范德比尔特看到了他的未来

He sells all of his ships and invests

他售出手上所有的船

everything he has in railroads.

将全部身家都投资到了铁路中

- JACK³ WELCH: You talk about seeing around corners as an element of success.

- 杰克·韦尔奇：洞察力是成功的要素之一

That's what differentiates⁴ a good leader.

这正是伟大领袖不同于常人的地方

Not many people have it.

很少有人拥有它

Not many people can predict that corner.

很少有人能够预计未来的方向

That is a characteristic of great leaders.

这是伟大领袖的一种特质

- NARRATOR: His decision to invest heavily in rail pays off.

- 旁白：他对铁路的大量投资获得了回报

By the end of the war,

在战争结束时

Vanderbilt is the richest man in America,

范德比尔特成为全美最富有的人

with a net worth of over sixty-eight million dollars,

净身家达到6800万美元

the equivalent of seventy-five billion today.

相当于现在的750亿美元

But all that money can't buy his escape from the war's devastation⁵.

但这些钱并不能让他逃脱战争的破坏

In the wake of the Civil War,

在南北战争的吊唁会上

a country mourns publicly,

国家在公众面前哀悼

while Vanderbilt does so privately⁶.

范德比尔特私下里也是如此

- FORTUNE TELLER⁷: The first card is the past,

- 占卜者：第一张牌是过去

the second, the present, and the third is the future.

第二张是现在 第三张则是未来

There has been an unexpected loss.

曾经有过难以预计的损失

Someone close to you.

和你很亲近的人

- VANDERBILT: My son. George.

- 范德比尔特：我儿子 乔治

He died in the war.

他死于战争

What about the future?

未来如何呢

- FORTUNE TELLER: The chariot.

- 占卜者：古战车

There will be a war.

未来将有一场战争

- VANDERBILT: The war's over.

- 范德比尔特：战争已经结束

- No. Your war is about to begin.

- 不 你的战争就要开始

- Hey.

- 嘿

Watch it, man!

看着点 伙计

- NARRATOR: Tormented⁸ by the loss of his favorite son,

- 旁白：受到儿子之死的深深折磨

Vanderbilt's empire is more vulnerable than ever before.

范德比尔特的帝国比以往任何时候都更加脆弱

1 slashing   

adj.尖锐的；苛刻的；鲜明的；乱砍的v.挥砍( slash的现在分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减

参考例句：

• Slashing is the first process in which liquid treatment is involved. 浆纱是液处理的第一过程。 来自辞典例句
• He stopped slashing his horse. 他住了手，不去鞭打他的马了。 来自辞典例句

2 liberating   

解放，释放( liberate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Revolution means liberating the productive forces. 革命就是为了解放生产力。
• They had already taken on their shoulders the burden of reforming society and liberating mankind. 甚至在这些集会聚谈中，他们就已经夸大地把改革社会、解放人群的责任放在自己的肩头了。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）

3 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

4 differentiates   

区分，区别，辨别( differentiate的第三人称单数 )； 区别对待； 表明…间的差别，构成…间差别的特征

参考例句：

• This genus of plants differentiates into many species. 这种植物可分为许多种类。
• Our fax machine differentiates between an incoming fax signal and a voice call. 我们的传真机能区分接收传真信号和语音信号。

5 devastation   

n.毁坏；荒废；极度震惊或悲伤

参考例句：

• The bomb caused widespread devastation. 炸弹造成大面积破坏。
• There was devastation on every side. 到处都是破坏的创伤。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。

7 teller   

n.银行出纳员；(选举)计票员

参考例句：

• The bank started her as a teller.银行起用她当出纳员。
• The teller tried to remain aloof and calm.出纳员力图保持冷漠和镇静。

8 tormented   

饱受折磨的

参考例句：

• The knowledge of his guilt tormented him. 知道了自己的罪责使他非常痛苦。
• He had lain awake all night, tormented by jealousy. 他彻夜未眠，深受嫉妒的折磨。