原文赏析

With all that leverage, Scott is confident

基于这一优势 斯科特很自信

he has the ammunition to take on Rockefeller.

自己有足够的资本挑战洛克菲勒

But Rockefeller isn't one to back down from a fight.

但是洛克菲勒绝对不是一个轻易服输的人

I don't want one drop of our oil traveling on the Pennsylvania.

我不希望我的任何一滴油通过宾州铁路运输

But what about the Pittsburgh refineries?

匹兹堡的那些炼油厂怎么办

Shut them down.

关掉它们

Shutting down his refineries will cost

关闭炼油厂会让标准石油

Standard Oil a fortune in lost revenue,

承受一笔巨大的收益损失

but for Rockefeller, crushing his competition

但在洛克菲勒看来 打败竞争对手

matters more than anything else.

比其它任何事情都更重要

Without Rockefeller's oil,

没了洛克菲勒的石油

Scott loses nearly half of his business,

斯科特的生意几乎减少了一半

forcing him to lay off tens of thousands of workers,

这让他不得不裁掉数以万计的工人

and drastically cut wages.

并大幅削减工资

Those workers take to the streets in protest.

这些工人到街上举行抗议

And as darkness falls on Pittsburgh,

随着匹兹堡黑暗的降临

they turn violent.

他们变得狂暴起来

A fire is set in Tom Scott's train yards.

汤姆·斯科特的火车场被点燃

Before the night is over,

黑夜结束之前

more than thirty-nine buildings

超过39座的建筑

and over twelve hundred train cars are destroyed.

和超过1200节的车厢被毁坏

Tom Scott's company lays in ruin.

汤姆·斯科特的公司成了一片废墟

This is how capitalism works.

这就是资本主义

The railroads had been the big suppliers

铁路业对石油业而言

of transportation in the oil industry,

是重要的运输提供商

and so the railroads quite naturally resisted.

铁路公司以此对抗石油公司是再自然不过的事了

They dug in their heels whenever they could.

他们会采取寸步不让的坚定立场

Eventually they lost.

最终 他们失败了

Come on.

起来吧

Let's go.

我们走

JohnDRockfeller

约翰·D·洛克菲勒

has replaced Cornelius Vanderbilt

取代科尼利厄斯·范德比尔特

as the richest man in America.

成为了美国最富有的人

His net worth is now over $150 million,

他的资产净值超过了1.5亿美元

or $225 billion today.

换算到今天 大约值2250亿美元

It's dazzlingly amazing

很难想象

that one individual was able to corner about

一个人竟然能够垄断

ninety-eight percent of all the kerosene and

煤油大约98%的市场

eventually all production in the world.

并最终垄断整个世界的生产

He was a brilliant business person.

他是一个杰出的商人

I can only give him credit for that.

我对他的赞扬仅限于此

I don't have to give him credit for

他变得如此强大的垄断方式

the way that he became that powerful.

显然不应当提倡

But all titans are targets.

不过所有的巨人都会成为目标

And now Rockefeller is about to come face to face

洛克菲勒也将面临

with his biggest challenge ever.

他人生中最大的挑战

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.diplomatic leverage 外交影响力

例句：We can reinforce the Korea-United States alliance, which is a valuable diplomatic asset for Korea, and use it as diplomatic leverage.

我们可以加强韩美同盟，这个同盟对韩国来说是贵重的外交资产，可以当作外交杠杆来应用。

2.take on (运动或比赛)同某人较量；反抗；与某人战斗

to take somebody on at tennis 与某人比赛打网球

例句：The rebels took on the entire Roman army.

反叛者与整个罗马军队战斗。

3.back down on/from sth 放弃(别人强烈反对的要求、主张等)；认输

例句：She refused to back down on a point of principle.

她在一个原则问题上拒绝让步。

4.set a fire 引起一场火灾

例句：And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I have set a fire in Egypt, and when all her helpers shall be destroyed.

我在埃及中使火着起。 帮助埃及的，都被灭绝。