原文赏析

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

slashing 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 liberating,

- 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

- JACK 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 differentiates 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 devastation.

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 privately.

范德比尔特私下里也是如此

- FORTUNE TELLER: 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: Tormented 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

视频资料

视频资料

洛克菲勒、范德比尔特、卡内基、阿斯托、福特和摩根，他们的名字几乎是美国梦的近义词，也代表着美国梦的历史。他们转变了他们所接触的每个行业：石油、铁路、钢铁、船运、汽车，还有金融。他们的付出改变了一个国家。出身贫寒，他们却多次涉足总统选举，设立经济政策，影响他们那个年代——内战到大萧条时期。他们，被称为造就美国的人。

重点讲解

重点讲解：

1.be under way

释义：having started已经开始；在进行中:

Sth get underway

Preparations are well under way for a week of special events in May.

五月份特别活动周的准备工作已经顺利开展。

2.slash cross-country travel time by months

释义：to reduce sth by a large amount大幅度削减；大大降低:

to slash costs / prices / fares, etc.

大幅度降低成本、价格、车费等

The workforce has been slashed by half.

职工人数裁减了一半。

3.differentiate sth (from sth)表明…间的差别；构成…间差别的特征

近义词：distinguish

What was it that distinguished her from her classmates?

是什么使得她有别于班上其他同学呢？

The male bird is distinguished from the female by its red beak.

雄鸟喙红色,有别于雌鸟。

Does your cat have any distinguishing marks?

你的猫有什么特殊标记吗？

4.invest heavily in

副词搭配：heavily（大笔资金）

5.pay off

to be successful and bring good results成功；奏效；达到目的:

The gamble paid off.

赌博赢了。

6.By the end of the war

介词：by

not later than the time mentioned; before

不迟于；在…之前:

Can you finish the work by nine o'clock?

你五点钟前能完成工作吗？

I'll have it done by tomorrow.

我将于明天之前让人做完这件事。

By this time next week we'll be in New York.

下星期的这个时候我们将在纽约。

He ought to have arrived by now / by this time.

他现在应该已经到了。

By the time (that) this letter reaches you I will have left the country.

你收到这封信时,我已离开这个国家了。

7.a net worth of over sixty-eight million dollars

净身家达到

8.the equivalent of

something that has the same value, purpose, job etc as something else等同

The word has no equivalent in English.在英语中没有对等词

He had drunk the equivalent of 15 whiskies.他相当于喝了15瓶威士忌

9.in the wake of sb / sth

coming after or following sb / sth

随…之后而来；跟随在…后:

There have been demonstrations on the streets in the wake of the recent bomb attack.

在近来的轰炸之后,大街上随即出现了示威游行。

A group of reporters followed in her wake.

一群记者跟随在她的身后。

The storm left a trail of destruction in its wake.

暴风雨过处满目疮痍。

10.be about to

to be close to doing sth; to be going to do sth very soon

即将,行将,正要(做某事):

I was just about to ask you the same thing.

我刚才正要问你同一件事情。

11.be tormented by

(formal) to make sb suffer very much使备受折磨；使痛苦；烦扰

He was tormented by feelings of insecurity.

他苦于没有安全感。

Seth was tormented by feelings of guilt

塞斯深受罪恶感折磨