原文赏析

NARRATOR: For the first time in the country's short existence,

旁白：在美国短暂的存在历史中 这是首次

the man most capable of leading America is not a politician.

最有能力引领美国的人不再是政治家

He's a self-made man, who, through sheer force of will,

凭借着纯粹的意志力，他白手起家

turned a poor upbringing on the docks of New York Harbor, into an empire.

从纽约港码头的一介穷人 变成创造出一个帝国的人

At sixteen, Cornelius Vanderbilt

十六岁时 科尼利厄斯·范德比尔特

buys a small ferry boat with a one hundred dollar loan.

用贷来的一百美元买了一条小渡船

He quickly earns a reputation as a cutthroat businessman,

他很快因为心狠手辣而出名

willing to use any means necessary to get ahead.

他会为了前进不择手段

MARK CUBAN: Back then, it was just pure competition.

马克·库班：那时只有纯粹的竞争

My brain against your brain.

我的脑力对抗你的脑力

My effort against your effort.

我的努力对抗你的努力

You just competed.

大家就这样竞争

That's the way they looked at business. It was the Wild, Wild West,

这就是他们看待商业的方式 就像是西部荒原那样

and by hook or crook, it was just win or lose,

所有人不择手段 争得你死我活

and the best win.

最优秀的人取得胜利

He was a tough guy.

他是一个很顽强的人

Getting into scraps with other men,

同其他人进行激烈的战斗

beating the hell out of them and knocking them unconscious.

痛打他们 打得他们失去知觉

That competitive streak, and that toughness,

这种竞争倾向 这种顽强品质

very much defined his character.

很大程度上定义了他这个人

NARRATOR: His single ferry soon becomes a fleet of ships,

旁白：他的经营规模很快就从一条渡船变成了一个船队

transporting goods and passengers to every corner of the growing country.

将货物和乘客运往这个发展的国家的每一个角落

Vanderbilt will become so synonymous with shipping

范德比尔特很快就变成了船运的同义词

that his nickname becomes "the Commodore".

人们称他 "船长"

I think Vanderbilt recognized

我想 范德比尔特肯定知道

that what was going to be important

重要的是将货物

is transporting goods from one place to another.

从一个地方运往另一个地方

And he had this idea that required infrastructure,

他显然知道 这需要基础设施

and not infrastructure the government was going to provide,

这还不能只是政府提供的基础设施

but that he was going to provide.

他自己也需要提供

NARRATOR: Over the next forty years,

旁白：在之后的四十年中

Vanderbilt builds the largest shipping empire in the world.

范德比尔特建起了全世界最大的船运帝国

Then, at the peak of his power,

之后 在他权力的顶峰

just before the Civil War, he does the unthinkable.

就在南北战争之前 他做了一件不可想象的事情

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.most capable of doing

最能够…

释义：having the qualities or ability needed to do something有能力能够…

句子：He's quite capable of lying to get out of trouble. 他颇有能耐靠撒谎渡过难关。

I'm perfectly capable of doing it myself, thank you. 谢谢,我完全有能力自己做这项工作。

You are capable of better work than this. 你有能力做得比这更好。

2.a self-made man

释义：having become rich and successful through your own hard work rather than having had money given to you靠自己奋斗成功的；白手起家的

句子：He was proud of the fact that he was a self-made man.他为自己白手起家而自豪。

3.through (sheer) force of will

释义：complete and not mixed with anything else完全的；纯粹的；十足的

句子：The concert was sheer delight. 这场音乐会是一次十足的享受。

I only agreed out of sheer desperation. 我一时情急才同意的。

介词使用:through

4.a poor upbringing

贫穷出身

a middle-class upbringing 出身中产She had a comfortable middle-class upbringing.

a sheltered upbringing (=one in which someone is protected from difficult or unpleasant experiences)娇养 I'd had a very sheltered upbringing, so going to college was a real eye-opener.

a strict upbringing 家教严格He reacted violently against his strict upbringing.

a privileged upbringing (=when someone has advantages because their family is wealthy)家庭优越 Due to his privileged upbringing, he finds it difficult to identify with ordinary people.

a good upbringing

5.buy sth with a one hundred dollar loan

贷款100美元来买…

6.earns a reputation as

a good/bad reputation好/坏名声

get a reputation (also gain/acquire a reputation formal)闻名

earn/win a reputation for (toughness)因为坚强出名

enjoy a reputation (=have it) 享有…名声

deserve a reputation (=have earned it)赢到…名声

live up to its reputation (=be as good as people say it is)配的上…名声

establish a reputation (=make people accept that you are good at doing something)建立名声

enhance sb’s reputation (=make it better)让名声变好

build/develop a reputation发展名声

damage sb’s reputation损坏名声

tarnish sb’s reputation (=make it worse)让名声变差

destroy/ruin sb’s reputation 损毁名声

7.a cutthroat businessman

释义：in which people compete with each other in aggressive and unfair ways竞争激烈的；残酷无情的；不公的:

句子：the cut-throat world of politics 斗得你死我活的政界

8.get ahead

释义：to be successful and do better than other people in a job or work成功/比别人更强

句子：She soon found that it wasn’t easy to get ahead in the movie business. 她很快发现在电影业很容易成功

If you want to get ahead in politics, you have to look confident.如果你想在政界成功，就要看起来自信。

9.by hook or crook

释义：by hook or by crook if you are going to do something by hook or by crook, you are determined to do it, whatever methods you have to use:想方设法；不择手段

句子：The police are going to get these guys, by hook or by crook.警方准备不论采取什么手段都要抓捕到这些人。

10.Get into scraps with

释义：打架，争吵

句子：He was always getting into scraps at school. 他在学校老跟人打架。

11.knock sb unconscious

释义：hit sb and put sb into a postion

句子：The blow knocked me flat. 那一拳把我打倒在地。

He was knocked senseless by the blow. 他被一拳打得不省人事。

12.The competitive streak

释义：a part of a person's character, especially an unpleasant part(尤指不好的)性格特征:

句子：a ruthless / vicious / mean streak

冷酷/邪恶/卑鄙的性格

a streak of cruelty

几分残忍

13.become so synonymous with

释义：~ (with sth) so closely connected with sth that the two things appear to be the same

等同于…的:

句子：Wealth is not necessarily synonymous with happiness.

财富未必等同于幸福。

14.at the peak of power

介词使用：at