原文赏析

There is no success without risk taking,and I think that is actually what distinguishes the captains of industry from others.
不冒险就没有成功 这正是行业领袖和一般人的区别
Morgan gives Edison what amounts to eighty-three million dollars today,and together they form a new business,the Edison Electric Light Company.
摩根给了爱迪生折合到现在高达8300万美元的钱 他们一同建立了一家新公司 爱迪生电灯公司
Funding Edison is a huge risk for Morgan,and goes against everything his father taught him.
为爱迪生提供资金对摩根而言是一个巨大的风险 而且同父亲的教诲完全相背
For years, Morgan was instructed to avoid investing in new and unproven industries.
多年来 父亲一直教导摩根不要投资未被证明的新行业
But where his father sees risk,J.P. Morgan sees opportunity.
父亲只看到了风险 但J·P·摩根却看到了机遇
I think what's great about the truly transformative inventions and the entrepreneurial ideas that really end up having a significant impact is they start relatively small and most people don't quite understand even what you're talking about,
革命性发明是非常伟大的 根据它来创业的想法会造成巨大影响 这种发明都有一个共同点 也就是一开始规模很小 很多人甚至都不理解你讲的是什么
and they take some time before they get traction,but eventually they break through and the impact's far broader than anybody, you know, could have imagined.
这些东西需要时间才能成功 不过一旦成功 其影响力之广 将是任何人都无法想象的
Morgan and Edison get right to work,transforming a building in Lower Manhattan into the world's first central power station,a high-tech wonder filled with massive generators capable of lighting thousands of homes.
摩根和爱迪生立刻开始行动 将曼哈顿下城的一座建筑改造成世界第一座中央发电站 这是一项充满发电机的高科技奇迹 能够为数以千计的家庭提供照明
The idea was that from this central station would flow all this direct current,but it also meant that it had to be transmitted.
通过中央发电站 直流电将会流出 但这些电还需要输送
The future of electricity wasn't just illumination.
电的未来并不仅仅是照明
It was power,and power required transmission over long distance.
它是一种能源 能源必然需要经过长距离运输
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

讲解：

distinguish A (from B)
成为…的特征；使具有…的特色；使有别于:
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？

take a risk; take risks
冒险(做某事):
You have no right to take risks with other people's lives.
你没有权力拿别人的生命去冒险。

be funded by
提供资金；拨款:
The dance festival is funded by the Arts Council.
这个舞蹈节由艺术委员会资助。

instruct sb to do
指示；命令；吩咐
The letter instructed him to report to headquarters immediately.
那封信指示他立即向总部汇报。

avoid doing sth
避免；防止:
They built a wall to avoid soil being washed away.
他们建了一堵墙防止土壤流失。

end up doing
最终成为；最后处于:
I ended up doing all the work myself.
结果所有的活儿都是我一个人干了。

transmit (sth) (from ...) (to ...)
传送；输送；发射；播送:
The ceremony was transmitted live by satellite to over fifty countries.
典礼通过卫星向五十多个国家进行了实况转播。