There is no manual on how to be a lampist.
灯塔管理员是没有工作指南可以参考的
It takes many, many years to learn all the facets of the job.
你需要花很多年学习这份工作的方方面面
At the peak of the profession there were about 800 lampists nationally.
这份工作最热门的时候，全国上下大概有800名灯塔管理员
And I am, really, one of the last people who are doing it.
如今我已经是最后一批还在坚持做这份工作的人之一了
My name is Jim Woodward, and I am a lampist.
我是吉姆·伍德沃德，我是一名灯塔管理员
That's what I do.
我就是干这个的
Well, a lampist is the specialist who works with lighthouse lenses.
嗯，灯塔管理员就是专门负责操作灯塔里的透镜的人
Maintenance of them, moving of them, disassembly, reassembly,
维修、旋转、拆卸、重新组装
just about everything there is to do.
反正就是能做的都得做x)mbIjrn*@_ZiIJ。
This one, I believe, is an impact break.
这个应该是受了冲击被震碎的

When I do an initial inspection of the lens,
当我第一次检查这些棱镜的时候
I will go over every prism and check every joint.
我会仔细检查每一个棱镜，每一处接口
You literally tap.
就这样轻轻地敲
And then I will do an audio check of every prism in the lens.
之后我会检查每一个棱镜里的声效
You can almost play a tune.
你几乎可以奏一支曲子出来
It requires infinite patience.
这需要极大的耐心
Beautiful. Just beautiful.
漂亮，漂亮极了
The lampist profession started about 1850.
灯塔管理员这个职业起源于1850年左右
So indeed, the lampists' work was very important
其实，这份工作是很重要的
because without the lenses being completely operational, they were useless.
因为要不是能够操作这些棱镜，管理员就没什么用处
So the lampist kept the lenses working,
所以管理员要让这些棱镜工作
and the lighthouse keeper kept them lit every night.
要保证它们每晚都能亮起来
So, together, they kept the sailors safe.
最终，灯塔管理员齐心协力，保证水手们的安全
As technology was developed, the classical Fresnel lens started to decline,
随着科技发展，经典的菲涅耳棱镜日渐衰颓
and it didn't require the services of lampists.
灯塔管理员的工作也已变得多余
It would be a shame to let the profession die
让这一岗位消失是很可惜的
because, in the process, eventually, the lenses themselves will die.
因为，在这一过程中，棱镜本身最终也会消失
Today, people drive around the country looking at lighthouses and think nothing of it.
如今，人们开车到全国各地去看灯塔，但他们从未想过这件事
I almost feel a mystical kind of feeling when I get near, near a lighthouse.
我一走近，走近一个灯塔时，差不多就有种神秘的感觉
I have a real connection to it,
我能感觉到我们之间有股真实的纽带
and I feel extremely fortunate to have had a life, 52 years now, of working with lenses.
而且，能够一辈子——到现在已经52年了——和棱镜打交道，我感觉无比幸运
To me, it’s just the most amazing thing in the world.
在我看来，棱镜是世界上最神奇的东西