纪录片《美国商业大亨传奇》 喋血工厂（9）

one of the real problems was convincing people the bridge wasn't going to fall.

一大现实问题就是让人们信服这座桥不会垮掉

I mean nobody had ever seen bridges like this, anywhere.

毕竟没人在任何地方见过这样的桥

Carnegie sees all the possible uses for steel.

卡内基尽可能地使用了钢材

But before he can realize the materials potential......he needs to convince the public of its strength.

但在释放钢材的潜能之前他还需要让公众相信它的强度

And he has a plan to do just that.

这方面 他拟定了一个计划

A popular superstition¹ at the time,holds that an elephant won't cross an unstable² structure.

当时有一种迷信认为大象不会从不稳定的结构上走过

The day the bridge opens, Carnegie,who is also a master publicist, sets up a parade across the bridge that's led by an elephant.

桥梁开放当天 卡内基作为一名优秀的公关专家组织了一场隆重的跨桥游行 领头的是一头大象

It's an incredible gamble.

这是一次难以置信的赌博

But Carnegie hopes if the elephant crosses,the people will follow.

但是卡内基希望 只要大象愿意走过大桥 人们就会紧随其后

As the people of St. Louis look at this bridge, they see that it can sustain whatever weight's going to be put on it.

当圣路易斯的人们看这座桥时，他们相信这座桥能承受任何重量。

1 superstition   

n.迷信，迷信行为

参考例句：

• It's a common superstition that black cats are unlucky.认为黑猫不吉祥是一种很普遍的迷信。
• Superstition results from ignorance.迷信产生于无知。

2 unstable   

adj.不稳定的，易变的

参考例句：

• This bookcase is too unstable to hold so many books.这书橱很不结实，装不了这么多书。
• The patient's condition was unstable.那患者的病情不稳定。