我们的故事

Technology is always improving.

技术总是在不断进步

but there is nothing like war to give an outsize advantage

但是没有什么能像战争 能够让在技术上稍占上风的一方

to whoever has that slight technological edge.

拥有如此巨大的优势

The gun improves when it arrives in Europe by trial and error.

经过反复试验 火枪传入欧洲后得到了改进

They want to increase their range,so what are they gonna do?

他们想增加射程 该怎么做呢?

They increase the length of the barrel because they know a bigger a powder charge will allow that ball to travel further in distance.

他们加长枪管 他们知道火药越多 子弹飞得越远

They're going to tighten the tolerances to increase the accuracy of that ball.

他们尽量减小偏差 加强子弹的精确度

They're gonna find a way so that it becomes a one-man weapon versus a two-man weapon.

他们想方设法 把火枪变成一人用枪 取代二人用枪

The real breakthrough came with a trigger mechanism,

真正的突破 是从扳机机制开始

a lever that operated an arm that brought this burning match cord down into the priming.

这是一个杠杆 带动力臂 将点燃的引线 带入起爆装置

Individual soldiers were now armed with something quite deadly,

现在每个士兵都配有 火力强劲

quite accurate, and extremely portable.

射击准确 易于携带的装备

What happens here in Spain...

西班牙发生的这一切

Will help propel Columbus to the New World.

将推动哥伦布发现新大陆

重点讲解

1、improve

改进;改善;增进

Both the texture and condition of your hair should improve.

你头发的发质与健康状况都应改善。

The weather is beginning to improve.

天气开始好转了。

提高;(使)变得更熟练

Their French has improved enormously.

他们的法语进步很大。

He said he was going to improve his football.

他说他要提高足球技术。

超过;胜过

We need to improve on our performance against France.

我们需要比对阵法国队时表现得更好。

2、operate

经营；管理；运营；运作

Until his death in 1986 Greenwood owned and operated an enormous pear orchard.

到他1986年去世前，格林伍德一直拥有并管理着一片面积广阔的梨园。

allowing commercial banks to operate in the country.

允许商业银行在该国开展业务

工作；起作用

Ceiling and wall lights can operate independently.

吊灯和壁灯可单独开关。

How do accounting records operate?

账目是如何记录的？

操作，控制，使用（机器、设备等）；（机器等）运转，运行

A massive rock fall trapped the men as they operated a tunnelling machine.

这些工人在操作隧道挖掘机时被大量的落石困住了。

The number of fax machines operating around the world has now reached ten million.

现在全球使用的传真机数量已达到了1,000万台。