原文赏析

Do you play cards, Mr. Rockefeller?

你打牌吗 洛克菲勒先生

No.

不打

Shame.

很可惜

You could learn a lot about competition

从中你可以学到很多关于竞争的道理

I know all I need to know.

我知道我所需要知道的一切

So. I'm looking to do a deal with an oil refinery.

我正在谋求一桩炼油厂的交易

And that could be you.

我有可能会选你

I'm willing to do an exclusive deal.

我很愿意独家交易

A dollar sixty-five a barrel.

1.65美元一桶

That's a discount of more than a third.

折扣率大于三分之一

There are several refineries in Cleveland.

克利夫兰有很多炼油厂

Why should I give you such a deal?

我为什么非要和你做这笔生意

Because I'll fill all your trains with my oil.

因为我会用我的油 将你所有的火车装满

And if you don't do the deal,

如果你不和我做生意

I'll fill someone else's trains.

那我就只能将别人的火车填满了

Mr. Rockefeller.

洛克菲勒先生

Do you trust him?

你相信他吗

I don't know.

我不知道

Rockefeller may have gotten the rate he was looking for,

洛克菲勒或许拿到了他想要的价格

but in return, he's agreed to provide Vanderbilt

不过作为回报 他同意为范德比尔特

with over sixty train cars of oil every day.

每天提供超过六十节火车厢的油

The only problem is, Rockefeller has

唯一的问题在于 洛克菲勒

no way to produce that much kerosene.

没有能力生产那么多石油

His capacity is less than half of that.

他的产能还不足交易数量的一半

Rockefeller has over-promised,

洛克菲勒有些夸口了

but he knows the deal with Vanderbilt

不过他知道同范德比尔特的交易

will be the opportunity he's been waiting for.

就是他一直苦苦等待的机会

He just needs to find a way to produce more kerosene.

他只需要想办法生产更多煤油就行了

It's a daunting task, but John D. Rockefeller

这是一个艰巨的任务 但是约翰·D·洛克菲勒

has been beating the odds his entire life.

一生中从未向困难折服过

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

1.the odds 可能性，机会

例句：The odds are very much in our favour (= we are likely to succeed).

我方胜算的几率极大。

The odds are heavily against him (= he is not likely to succeed).

他成功的几率很小。

The odds are that (= it is likely that) she'll win.

她有可能会赢。

What are the odds (= how likely is it) he won't turn up?

他不会露面的可能性有多大？

They secured a victory in the face of overwhelming odds.

尽管情况非常不利,他们仍得到了胜利。

Against all (the) odds, he made a full recovery.

在凶多吉少的情形下,他终于完全康复了。

2.an exclusive deal 独家交易

例句：But further, though Apple has an exclusive deal with Liquidmetal, no licensing deal lasts forever.

但进一步，虽然苹果公司已经和Liquidmetal独家交易，却并不是永久的授权协议。

The hotel has exclusive access to the beach.

这家旅馆有通向海滩的专用通道。

exclusive rights to televise the World Cup

世界杯赛的独家电视播放权

He has told 'The Times' about sth in an exclusive interview (= not given to any other newspaper).

独家采访

3.the daunting task of doing sth 可怕的任务

例句：a daunting prospect 让人望而却步

They face the daunting task of designing from the outside in, and not from the inside out.

他们所面临的是一项令人生畏的困难任务：不是由内而外的设计，而是要使其设计由外向内发展。

nothing daunted

无所畏惧；毫不气馁

Nothing daunted, the people set about rebuilding their homes.

人们毫不气馁,又开始重建家园。

4.a discount of... 折扣······

例句：In view of our relationship, we would offer you a discount of 5%。

考虑到双方的关系，我们愿提供5%的折扣。