纪录片《美国商业大亨传奇》 石油风云（1）

Oil is revolutionizing life in America.

石油正在变革美国人的生活

Crude from the ground is being refined into kerosene¹,

从地里钻取的原油被提炼为煤油

a safe and inexpensive source of light,

一种安全低廉的光源

and that access to light is completely changing the way Americans live.

能够用光 让美国人的生活发生了翻天覆地的变化

Before kerosene,

在能用煤油之前

the average American didn't have access to a consistent light source.

一般美国人根本就没办法持续使用光源

When the sun came down, darkness ruled.

太阳落山后 黑暗就会开始统治一切

Kerosene is a phenomenon that will forever change the world.

煤油是一种现象级的商品 它永远地改变了世界

And Vanderbilt knows it's his next opportunity to cash in.

范德比尔特知道 他的下一个赚钱机会就在这里

The idea is to see what's missing.

关键在于看到缺少什么

That's what a creative entrepreneur does,

这就是创造性企业家所考虑的

he serves people things that they need.

他会提供人们想要的东西

Some people can't find a new thing to do.

有些人不能找到新的事情去做

But sometimes you see something that everybody has to have.

但有时 你能看到所有人都需要的某种东西

Oh men, I've got to give them this

哦 伙计 我要为人们提供这个

And then you go to work on it.

然后你去从事这方面的工作

Because they need it.

因为人们需要它

Vanderbilt sees the demand for

范德比尔特看到了

kerosene skyrocketing all across the country.

全国范围内煤油价格的疯涨

He knows that to meet the demand,

他知道 要想满足人们的需求

the makers² of kerosene will need a new way to ship their oil.

煤油制造者需要一种新的方式来运输石油

If Vanderbilt can corner the market on those oil shipments,

如果范德比尔特能够垄断石油运输

he'll propel himself back to the top of the railroad industry.

他就能让自己重回铁路工业的最顶峰

All he needs to do now is find a supplier.

现在他需要做的 只是找到一位供应商

We're gonna extend along the south shore to Cleveland.

我们将沿南岸扩展到克利夫兰

Why Cleveland?

为什么是克利夫兰

Cleveland is a small city of just under fifty thousand,

克利夫兰是一个人口不足五万的小城市

but it's sitting on top of an ocean of oil.

但它位于一大片油田之上

Eastern Ohio is the Middle East of its day,

东俄亥俄相当于当时的中东

and the area around Cleveland

克利夫兰周围的区域

is one of the largest oil fields in the world.

是世界上最大的油田之一

Vanderbilt learns about a refinery³

范德比尔特了解到一家

built near the railroads in Cleveland.

建在克利夫兰铁路的炼油厂

The perfect mark for his master plan.

这对他的宏伟计划再好不过了

He reaches out to the owner,

他找到了炼油厂所有者

a struggling young oil man Vanderbilt

一位正在打拼的年轻油商

is hoping to pluck from obscurity.

范德比尔特希望提携他

That oil man is John D. Rockefeller.

这位油商也就是约翰·D·洛克菲勒

1 kerosene   

n.(kerosine)煤油，火油

参考例句：

• It is like putting out a fire with kerosene.这就像用煤油灭火。
• Instead of electricity,there were kerosene lanterns.没有电，有煤油灯。

2 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 refinery   

n.精炼厂，提炼厂

参考例句：

• They built a sugar refinery.他们建起了一座榨糖厂。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。