March 4, 1931.

1931年3月4日

The government gives the go-ahead to build the Hoover Dam.

联邦政府一声令下，开始修建胡佛水坝

The Hoover Dam, even before they started building it,it became a metaphor,

胡佛水坝尚未动工之时就被视为一种象征

people saw it as a statement of the American's fortitude,of our ingenuity, of our talent for hard work and for our willingness to transform the environment around us.

人们视之为美国精神的象征，不屈不挠、独具匠心、迎难而上、勇往直前、改造世界

The Hoover Dam will cost nearly $1 billion in today's money.

这座水坝的造价相当于今天的10亿美元

Frank Crowe is offered a 2.5% cut of the dam's profits if he gets the job done quickly.

弗兰克·克罗如果能迅速完工便可得到水坝盈利的2.5%作为报酬

It should take 6 years to build,but Frank says it can be done in 4.

预计要花6年才能建成水坝，但弗兰克说他只需4年即可完工

42,000 men come from across the country looking for jobs on the biggest construction site in America.

全国各地共有四万两千人来这个美国最大的工地找工作

Frank Crowe takes 5,000 men willing to work harder and faster than anyone else.

弗兰克·克罗收了五千名，最能吃苦耐劳且干活麻利的

The survival of the fittest.

优胜劣汰

Men are ready to do anything for work.

人们为了得到工作 不惜一切代价

There's a large cando attitude in the United States

美国有着一种人定胜天的精神

and it come soon the fact that over the centuries,

几个世纪以来的事实也表明

there has been a lot of adversity,

尽管前路有着许多艰难险阻

and we have usually triumphed.

我们终能凯旋而归

First was the triumph of developing this whole vast continent,

首先是成功开发了这片辽阔的大陆

putting in railroad lines,putting in all the civil engineering to support it,putting in Hoover Dam.

然后又在大平原上铺设了铁路，还建成了所有这些宏大的工程，建设胡佛水坝

These were all incredible challenges.

全都是不可思议的巨大挑战

There are two stages to building the dam.

建成水坝需要两个步骤

First, divert the river around the worksite.

第一步 让河水改道 绕过工地周围

Second, build the colossal wall.

第二步 建起这座巨堤